Congressman Harry Teague’s Statement on Decision to Vote Against House Health Care Reform Bill

“Let me be clear, I believe we need to reform our health care system. I personally know how not having health insurance can impact individuals and families. Growing up, both my parents worked, but we still couldn’t afford health insurance. So when my parents got sick, I had to drop out of high school and go to work to help support our family. Those were difficult times and why as a small business owner I worked hard to provide affordable health insurance options to my employees and their families.

I had hoped to have an opportunity to vote for a health insurance reform bill that would guarantee every American access to affordable, quality health care, and rein in the skyrocketing health care costs that are keeping people and businesses out of the system and driving up our national debt. Unfortunately, the current bill before Congress falls short of that and I am left with no choice but to vote against it.

This bill doesn’t do enough to rein in insurance companies. It mandates millions of people and businesses to buy health insurance, but does little to make insurance companies control consumer costs. I am also concerned that American taxpayers will end up footing a nearly $900 billion tab for a bill that doesn’t do enough to ‘bend the cost curve’ in a way that permanently reduces both costs and the national debt.

I came to Washington with personal experience of how a health care crisis can impact a family and with a commitment to getting this kind of misguided spending under control. Health insurance reform is too important to settle for a bill that appears to be a temporary fix that guarantees more money for insurance companies and a bigger national debt, but in the end doesn’t lower the cost of health care for New Mexico families and businesses. I intend to continue pushing for reform that lowers the cost of health insurance for families and businesses in a fiscally responsible way.”

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