GOP slams Obama healthcare plan
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Republicans wasted no time on Monday in attacking President Obama’s proposed healthcare overhaul plan.
“The president has crippled the credibility of this week’s summit by proposing the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected,” House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, of Ohio, said in a prepared statement.
“This week’s summit clearly has all the makings of a Democratic infomercial for continuing on a partisan course that relies on more backroom deals and parliamentary tricks to circumvent the will of the American people and jam through a massive government takeover of health care,” he stated.
Obama on Monday morning unveiled his proposal, essentially combining separate plans passed by the House and Senate despite strong near-unanimous GOP opposition. Only one House Republican and no Senate Republican voted for the bills.
Republicans oppose the size of the Democrats’ bills and argue against the Medicare cuts and tax increases proposed.
Boehner is among the congressional leaders set to meet with Obama on Thursday in the televised healthcare summit.
As expected Democrats reacted positively to Obama’s plan.
“We must pass comprehensive, affordable health insurance reform, and I am hopeful that Thursday’s meeting will help us achieve this goal,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated, saying the Obama proposal “contains positive elements from the House and Senate-passed bills. I look forward to reviewing it with House members.”
Shifting the focus from policy to politics
--Michael Muskal
Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal
