Graves' Statement Regarding the Passage of the Pelosi Healthcare Bill

(RANGER, GA) – State Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ranger), Republican candidate for the 9th Congressional District of Georgia, released the following statement after House Democrats passed their government plan to takeover of America’s health delivery system Saturday night:

“The bill passed by Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats this evening raises taxes, forces new government mandates on small businesses, cuts Medicare benefits for seniors, and fails to ensure that illegal aliens are exempt from government benefits, all at a cost that America is unable to afford.  From the beginning of this debate, Democrats have worked towards a government takeover of America’s healthcare system.
    
As I’ve traveled across Georgia’s 9th District, one thing I continue to hear loud and clear is opposition to a government-run health care system.

Georgians should not be fooled by the so-called reforms that are included in the bill the Democrats passed today.  This bill is not truly about reforming healthcare.  It is about removing the doctor-patient relationship and replacing it with a Washington-centered system.

There's no doubt reforms are needed, but raising taxes, creating new government mandates on small businesses, cutting benefits on America’s seniors, and allowing illegal aliens government healthcare through more and bigger government is not the solution we need.  To truly improve healthcare, Congress needs to look at free-market solutions to make health care more affordable, portable and accessible.”

Today’s vote in the U.S. House of Representatives was 220-215.

Graves released his Patient-Centered Patient-Driven health reform principles earlier this year in a video to voters and in an opinion editorial.