Rep. Harry Teague Announces Decision to Vote Against House Health Care Reform Bill

Congressman Harry Teague (NM-02) released a statement yesterday afternoon explaining that he will be voting against H.R. 3962, the House health insurance reform bill and laying out the reasons for his decision. Rep. Teague said:

“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.”

After working late into the night yesterday -- primarily on trying to iron out disagreements on coverage for abortion and whether undocumented workers would be allowed to purchase coverage -- the U.S. House is currently involved in what's expected to be a day-long debate on the bill, with a floor vote to come as early as this evening. President Obama and several aides will visit Capitol Hill this morning to personally shore up votes. Not a single Republican is expected to vote in favor of the bill.

New Mexico's two other House members, Rep. Martin Heinrich (NM-01) and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, have both said they'll be voting in favor of the bill. Other Democratic House members who said yesterday they would vote no on the health reform bill include Collin Peterson (D-MN), John Tanner (D-TN)., Bobby Bright (D-AL), Walter Minnick, D-Idaho, Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL), Travis Childers (D-MS), Parker Griffith (D-AL) and Frank Kratovil (D-MD). Speaker Nancy Pelosi can afford to lose only 40 Dem votes if the almost 2,000-page bill is to pass.