Health Care Plan Not the Only Thing Adding to the Deficit

 

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Conservative estimates of various health care proposals – including the plans being pushed by the Obama White House and House Democrats – indicate that the costs of these “reforms” will top $900 billion and add at least $259 billion to the nation’s deficit. Even if no health care legislation is enacted, the nation’s deficit will grow by $1.8 trillion this year - or over $15,000 for every household in the U.S.

 

Rep. Jerry Lewis, Ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, noted that the cost of the proposed health care plans are troubling, especially when considering the massive spending already approved by Democrats in Congress so far this year. In fact, this year alone Democrats have approved legislation costing over a trillion dollars in additional government spending outside of the regular federal budget.

 

“There is no such thing as unchecked spending without consequences. This rapid outpouring of taxpayer dollars can’t be sustained without driving our nation into bankruptcy,” Lewis said.

 

In addition, the House and Senate are presumed to approve Appropriations legislation to fund the federal government by the end of the year. These bills will increase non-defense government spending by 12% over last year levels. Even more concerning, this historic increase is in the midst of continued economic decline - including large decreases U.S. household incomes, plummeting dollar values, and a loss of 2.46 million American jobs since February.

 

“Long term health care improvements, job creation, and economic recovery cannot ride on massive debt charged on the taxpayer’s overdrawn credit card. Even without expensive new initiatives such as health care reform, these double digit spending increases on government programs will push our nation into serious financial peril,” Lewis continued.