Congressman Louie Gohmert

Gohmert: “Mr. President, We Have Solutions. It’s Time to Quit Talking and Start Listening!”

Thursday, September 10, 2009Capitol Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) challenged President Barack Obama’s recent unfounded remarks that critics of the Administration’s government takeover of healthcare have not offered any solutions.

The Congressman stated:

“Many Members, including myself, have put forth plans to provide Americans with greater access to quality healthcare coverage at a price that is affordable and covered. Our solutions give Americans complete control and ownership of their healthcare decisions while ensuring that the government or insurance companies don’t interfere with their vital doctor-patient relationships.

For the President to make the inflammatory remarks that nothing has been offered must mean he is either knowingly spreading false information, or he is completely ignorant of what is going on around him in the healthcare debate. Every day, more and more people oppose the government takeover of healthcare, and for months we have pushed solutions that Americans are demanding, yet these ideas are shut out of the process. Americans have flooded Congressional offices with all forms of correspondence and poured into town hall meetings across the country to slam government takeover of healthcare. Even members within the President’s own party have refused to sign onto this egregious affront to patients’ liberties. Yet the Administration and liberal leaders in Congress insult Americans by continuing to ignore the blatant public outcry and explaining everything all over again in another condescending speech which fails to disclose the dangers hidden in the Democrats’ thousand page healthcare plan.

The solution is not speech number 28, Mr. President. We’ve heard what you have to say, to which America has already responded with an overwhelming ‘NO!’ Americans don’t want a new speech, they want a new plan, and you can start with the several solutions we’ve offered. It’s time to quit talking and start listening so that we can work together on a solution that empowers patients, instead of one that takes their power away.”

 

• View video of Rep. Gohmert’s remarks here.
• Some Solutions Offered by Members Opposed to Government Takeover of Healthcare include (to see summaries of 35 plans, click here):
  • Health Care: The HSA Solution
    by Rep. Louie Gohmert (Introduced H.R. 3478)
    The Patient-Controlled Healthcare Protection Plan will create a fiscally responsible, genuinely patient-centered and patient-controlled approach to healthcare. It would allow seniors on Medicare to have the choice of Medicare OR to have the government provide high deductible insurance AND the cash in the Health Savings Account (controlled by the senior) to cover the deductible. The Plan would provide incentives for employers, employees and the individuals to purchase private insurance with a high deductible while paying into a Health Savings Account (HSA). There is no limit on the amount that may be placed in the HSA and any amount not used rolls over. It can also be gifted to other individuals’ HSA, inherited by the HSA of heirs, and accessed by a debit card coded for healthcare purchases only. It would require complete transparency of medical charges BEFORE consultation or treatment. Also, anyone seeking to travel or immigrate to the United States must provide proof that they will have full healthcare coverage while here.”
  • Health Care: The Conservative Alternative in the Senate
    by Sens. Tom Coburn and Richard Burr (Introduced S1099)
    According to independent estimates, this bill could save taxpayers at least $70 billion and states more than $960 billion.
    (H.R. 2520 introduced in the House by Reps. Paul Ryan and Devin Nunes)
  • Health Care: The Conservative Alternative in the House
    by Rep. Tom Price (Introduced H.R. 3400)
    Under this plan, there is no financial reason for a person to go without coverage.
  • How to Insure Every American
    by John Shadegg and Pete Hoekstra (Introduced H.R. 3218)
    We don’t need radical change. Subsidies and high risk pools can get the job done.
• Click here to read a list of specific pages and provisions of significant concern within the Democrats’ healthcare reform bill H.R. 3200.