WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) joined 31 of his Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to repeal President Obama’s overreaching health care bill.
 
“I am supporting the repeal of the government-run health care bill because the American people deserve reforms that will actually lower the cost of health care instead of increasing it; give patients more choice over their personal health care decisions instead of handing that choice over to the government; encourage job-creation rather than raise the costs of hiring new workers; and protect the patient-doctor relationship instead of putting government bureaucrats in the middle,” Sen. Toomey said. 
 
In the ten months since the president signed his health care bill, economists have demonstrated that the bill will raise taxes, increase health care costs, stymie individual choice and control, and devastate America’s small businesses.
 
·         Leading economists from all across America project that the health care bill will add roughly $500 billion in new health care taxes, passing those costs on to patients. It will also increase the federal budget deficit by more than $500 billion over the next 10 years and by nearly $1.5 trillion over the following decade.
·         According to the Congressional Budget Office, the health care bill will increase health care costs for families by $2,100 per year.
·         The Heritage Foundation estimates that the economy will lose 670,000 jobs under the new law, many of them in the health care industry. 
·         In Pennsylvania, many businesses will be hurt by the health care bill’s new taxes and regulations, including Pennsylvania’s thriving medical device industry (The Times Leader, 03/28/10, Morning Call, 03/26/10).
·         According to the Congressional Budget Office and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, millions will lose their coverage because of the government-run health care bill. An American Action Forum study also found that that the health care legislation will encourage employers to drop their current insurance plans for as many as 35 million Americans.
·         An analysis from HSA Consulting Services concludes the new law restricts the use of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and reduces the amount of money that can be contributed to Flexible Savings Accounts (FSAs).
·         As of Dec. 3, 2010, 222 waivers from the health care bill’s annual limit requirements have been granted by the Obama administration to businesses, labor unions and insurers, demonstrating just how ill-conceived the legislation was to begin with.
 
Sen. Toomey has put forth many ideas that would help alleviate the cost of health care and give individuals greater access to health insurance and more control over their health care decisions instead of the massive government-run health care bill Congress passed last year. These include allowing individuals who buy their own health insurance to enjoy the same tax benefits enjoyed by employees receiving insurance through their employers; increasing competition by allowing individuals to buy health insurance across stateliness; passing reasonable tort reform; and allowing small businesses and organizations to band together and form associations that can purchase health insurance on behalf of their members.
 
Introduced by Senator Jim DeMint (S.C.), the legislation has 31 cosponsors, including Sen. Toomey. These are: Senators John Barrasso (Wyo), Roy Blunt (Mo.), John Boozman (Ark.), Richard Burr (N. C.), Saxby Chambliss (Ga.), Dan Coats (Ind.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), Bob Corker (Tenn.), John Cornyn (Texas), Mike Crapo (Idaho), John Ensign (Nev.), Orrin Hatch (Utah), Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas), James Inhofe (Okla.), Johnny Isakson (Ga.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Mike Lee (Utah), John McCain (Ariz.), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Rob Portman (Ohio), James Risch (Idaho), Pat Roberts (Kan.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), John Thune (S.D.), Pat Toomey (Pa.), David Vitter (La.), and Roger Wicker (Miss.).