Reps Polis and Tipton disagree on repeal of health care reform

Congressmen Jared Polis, Ed Perlmutter and Scott Tipton all released statements and video this afternoon in response to House Republicans’ vote to repeal health care reform.

Colorado’s seven representatives voted along party lines.

Here is the Polis statement:

“Job creation is my top priority and I am more than willing to work with my colleagues across the aisle to achieve this goal,” said Polis. “But instead of focusing on job creation and economic growth, Republican leadership started out the new Congress by repealing patients’ rights, causing the average American’s out-of-pocket health costs to rise and thousands to lose coverage all together. Rather than wasting time bringing empty promises and purely political legislation to the floor, we should be working to develop innovative, bipartisan solutions that will create jobs, reduce the deficit, and put our economy back on track.”

The Patients’ Rights Repeal Act would have significant consequences in Colorado’s second Congressional district by:

· Allowing insurance companies to deny coverage to 127,000 to 335,000 individuals, including 9,000 to 41,000 children, with pre-existing conditions. These individuals include those who are breast cancer survivors and prostate cancer survivors; those living with heart disease; and those with such conditions as asthma and high blood pressure.

· Taking away the ability of 2,900 young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until their 26th birthday.

· Taking away the 50% discount on brand-name Rx drugs from 7,500 seniors who hit the Medicare Part D ‘donut hole;’ and denying free preventive care services under Medicare to 65,000 seniors.

· Eliminating health care tax credits available for up to 22,300 small businesses.

Below, video of Polis speaking on the House floor today:

Here is Republican Rep. Scott Tipton’s House speech on the same subject:

Colorado Pols had less than nice things to say about Tipton’s performance.

Tipton did not send us a statement but his press release can be seen here.

Democratic Congressman Ed Perlmutter also weighed in:

Scot Kersgaard has been managing editor of a political newspaper, editor and co-owner of a ski town newspaper, executive editor of eight high-tech magazines (where he worked with current Apple CEO Tim Cook), deputy press secretary to a U.S. Senator, and an outdoors columnist at the Rocky Mountain News. He has an English degree from the University of Washington. He was awarded a fellowship to study internet journalism at the University of Maryland's Knight Center for Specialized Journalism. He was student body president in college. He spends his free time hiking and skiing.

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