King calls for end of health care negotiations with Democrats
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
By Russ Mitchell, Daily Reporter Staff

About 150 people crowded into the Spencer Public Library for a two-hour town hall meeting that had a few sparks and a lot of talk about health care.

U.S. Rep. Steve King scheduled the meeting to gather input about health care overhauls proposed by the Obama Administration. King opposes the current direction of negotiations and found a largely favorable audience at his Spencer stop.

"We're to the point now where everybody in America has access to health care," King said, after the meeting. "We have a number that's slightly less than 4 percent of those that are chronically underinsured or those who are without affordable options. That's really what the president is seeking to address is that less than 4 percent of America."

King arrives at the 4 percent total by eliminating the estimated 10 million undocumented non-citizens and ineligible non-citizens of the country who should not be eligible under a government health insurance plan. Another 9 million earn more than $75,000 and may not be interested in paying into a federalized program.

Others would be eligible for the government program, but would choose not to go through the registration process or they would be eligible for employer sponsored programs, but are uninsured because they chose not to enroll.

He also said President Obama's solution to spending too much on health care is to "throw $1.6 trillion more new dollars at it."

"That solves the problem apparently of spending too much money," King said. "They understand that doesn't work here in this part of the country. If we have a problem of less than 4 percent that are chronically uninsured, overhauling 100 percent of the health insurance system and the health care system the best delivery system in the world is not the right solution."

He also said it is "unlikely that I would be a part of" a negotiating team, formed by members of the Senate Finance Committee if faced with the same opportunity presented to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Grassley, Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming and Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine are the Republicans on a so-called "Group of Six." The Republicans have been negotiating behind closed doors with three Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee to reach a bipartisan solution on sweeping, national health care reforms.

"Senator Grassley and I are two different personalities," King explained. "I want to say, on his behalf, that his negotiations that he's engaged in with Senator Enzi and Senator Snowe I think they have contributed to extending this debate beyond August. Had Senator Grassley refused to negotiate, they may well have taken a Senate version of the bill, passed it out of the senate, Nancy Pelosi could have slammed it through the floor of the House and put it on the president's desk before the August break. I'm glad we've got August for the American people to rise up and have their voices heard. I want to thank Senator Grassley for that."

King said he has some concerns, related to Grassley's role on the committee, however, saying "increasingly, it's looking like there isn't a Republican in the House or the Senate that can support anything the Democrats might bring."

King noted a 60-40 Democrat majority in the Senate and a 56-vote margin for the party in the House.

"And we've elected the most liberal president in the history of America this is no time to be compromising and I think it's time to really slow down or stop the negotiations with the Democrats because it's not going to end up with anything that's a good solution when you're dealing with those kinds of numbers," King said.

King went on to say Grassley understands the nature of the negotiations.

"He's been in the middle of it for a long time and he's still engaged and he still has a lot of enthusiasm for the job he does," King said.

King is concerned about health care co-ops being proposed as a negotiated substitute for a proposed public health care option. King feels the proposal would create 50 state health insurance companies, run by the states. The capital would be jump-started with between $2 billion and $6 billion in federal money.

The federal government would then write the rules for the 50 different state programs to compete with the private sectors. King recommends allowing insurance policies to cross state lines instead.

"If people in New Jersey could buy health insurance in Kentucky, that puts competition in," King said. "I'd rather do that."

He also questions the plausibility of mandating health insurance for everyone.

During the town hall meeting, Dave Munson of Spencer posed some of the most spirited questions to the congressman.

"I guess I'm just wondering if we're going to have an honest debate and if we're actually going to talk about the merits of the plan," Munson said. "Why not have a public option choice, to where I could go on that plan, or keep my private insurance. Why not do that? And don't bring up this bogus argument about end-of-life counseling. That's in the Medicare bill and it's saving a tremendous amount of money."

"I came here and you accused me of dishonesty," King responded.

"I have," Munson acknowledged.

"So I want you to be specific about that dishonesty so I can respond to that," King said.

Munson felt it was misleading to characterize some of the government programs to assist financial institutions and auto manufacturers as "nationalization."

"I think some of the information about illegal aliens or illegal immigrants is dishonest," he added.

Interrupting each other, Munson accused King of "grandstanding and making ludicrous comments." Meanwhile, King told Munson "I'll make my point and then I'll come back to you."

"In the bill it says there won't be any benefits that go to illegals that is written in the bill. But, I will tell you it is a red herring," King continued.

King said language that existed for Medicaid eligibility, which calls for "required proof of citizenship," has been taken out of the Medicaid requirements. King told Munson the Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost of for providing Medicaid to illegal immigrants at $8.9 billion, because the proof of citizenship language was removed.

"That will be the same standard that's in HR 3200 (the proposed health reform bill) and we can't presume anything else," King said, adding that Democrats have routinely voted down citizenship standards.

He then moved on to the next question.

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