Look. Listen. Learn. Lead.
Statement by 60 Plus Association Chairman Jim Martin at Blair House 9:30 am rally sponsored by Americans for Prosperity before health care summit with President Obama and Congressional leaders. Speakers at the rally included AFP President Tim Phillips, Congressmen Tom Price (R-Ga) and John Shadegg (R-Az), and Colin Hanna, President of Let Freedom Ring:
Unfortunately, health care reform took a turn for the worse this week with the unveiling of the President’s plan, nothing but a rehash of the massive proposal already rejected by the public, especially seniors. Obamacare is bad medicine for the elderly. There needs to be a new prescription.
It appears the President and the Democrats in Congress are tone deaf. Either that or they are ignoring the will of the people. The public, particularly seniors, have resoundingly rejected these expensive bills. Seniors feel betrayed by proposals calling for as much as a half trillion dollars worth of cuts to Medicare, a program they have paid into, but now they will face longer waits and diminished care.
In politics you listen, you learn, then you lead. From poll indications, Congressional leaders (in this instance the Democrats in charge) haven’t listened, haven’t learned and surely the only thing they’ve led with is their collective chins.
The American people want reform but they don’t want to see a total takeover of the system by the government.
How many times and in how many ways do the American people need to say: Enough. Deep six these gargantuan proposals. Start over. Don’t, repeat, don’t resuscitate this health care legislation already rejected by the public. Clearly, the President’s proposal indicates it is nothing but a rehash of the same expensive, partisan policy the public doesn’t like. And seniors most certainly feel betrayed and they’re fearful for their future.
As policymakers from both political parties join together today, 60 Plus urges President Obama to allow the summit to be more than a photo opportunity. We do not need the illusion of bipartisan negotiations. If the Republican Party is the party of always saying no, and if that party has no solutions to offer, then put them before the cameras, give them equal access with the Democrats, and tell them to put up or shut up. Why this challenge?
Rest assured if they have no proposals, if they have no serious, substantive solutions, that will quickly become apparent to the viewing public.
And while it’s too late for this summit, Mr. President, you can still fulfill one of your often repeated campaign promises when you proposed bringing together doctors, nurses, and other interested parties to discuss health care reform out in the open, before the TV cameras.
As you know there’s a Doctors Caucus in Congress. More than 20 Members of Congress are doctors. Instead of 535 Members of Congress holding scalpels in their hands, it seems to be a better idea to have these doctors, Democrats and Republicans alike, from the House and Senate, to be performing the operations.
Health care reform needs to be done right. Start with a clean slate. Get it right this time for if you don’t I can assure you seniors have long memories.
I’ve been warning since town hall meetings last August that a tsunami, a senior citizen tsunami, was moving toward Capitol Hill and unless it subsides, a lot of political office holders will be looking for a new line of work come November. Need it be said, but that tsunami came ashore a short time ago in Massachusetts and it shows no signs of subsiding.
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For Contact: Carl Forti at 703-535-3390 or cforti@blackrockgrp.com
