Kathy Parker
U.S. Representative Dan Boren drew a large crowd for a town hall meeting at MidAmerica Industrial Park Tuesday.
“We have the best health care in the United States and the world,” Boren said. But when it comes to House Resolution 3200 concerning health care reform, “I am a no vote on that bill. I have read the bill - all 1,000 pages.
“If I vote yes on 3200, I’ll shave my head. No public opinion, no single payer, no government run system,” Boren said.
“There are some things that we can do, but this bill that’s currently before the house is not the way to go.”
Questions began with a Vietnam veteran from Eufaula who had been to all three town meetings Tuesday. He wanted to make sure Boren opposed any abortion funding and health payments for foreign nationals.
Boren said he will not vote for any bill that has taxpayer funded abortions.
“I am not for illegal immigrants getting free health care. I can assure you of that,” Boren said.
Many of the audience asking questions were railing against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Boren said he did vote for Pelosi as speaker, but it was because she was the only Democrat in the running. He also reminded the audience he is one of 435 people in congress and not every politician is universally popular.
“I couldn’t get elected in Nancy Pelosi’s district and she couldn’t get elected in mine,” Boren said.
On the health care legislation, Boren said, “We need to slow this down.
“The thing we’ve got to focus on now is the economy. Unemployment is high, in the teen digits in some states. This economy is fragile. We cannot turn around something in six months that took years to create.”
He said he voted for the whole stimulus package, because “we had a choice between depression and a bad recession. Rapid deflation is what we had. I felt to do nothing and let everything collapse was not the responsible thing to do.”
Sue Delaney from Claremore said she runs an auction company. She said if her business has to pay an 8 percent tax for employee health care, she will be put out of business. “That’s sucking the life out of any small business,” Delaney said.
Boren said that is one problem with the bill. Businesses with a payroll of $500,000 or more will be fined if they do not provide health insurance for their employees.
“We’re worried about this Marxist, socialist agenda,” Russ Edwards said. “We’re scared to death. Twelve to 15 million of those 46 million they say are without health care are undocumented aliens.”
Boren said while that may be true, “everyone is paying the tab for illegal aliens who go to emergency rooms now.”
Dalton McGinnis, a physician who works in a free clinic in Oklahoma City, said speed and efficiency is important in medical care.
“Every provision of this bill increases government control over medical care,” McGinnis said. “It will hurt everybody’s care. Slowing down medical care is not like slowing down getting a new car.”
Boren said the problem with the public option is it will be cheaper than employer based health care, so workers will flock to the public option, essentially making it a single payer system.
Kelly Glass from Yukon said she is a Medicare biller and the bill looks “a lot like a Medicare manual.” She made a tearful plea for the right to choose who and where her 9-year-old son will receive medical care.
“I don’t know how to stop it. I don’t want the government to tell me what to do anymore.”
“There are five bills out there now,” Boren said. “I would like to support some sort of reform, but if it looks anything like HR 3200, my vote is no.”
Wanda Cummings from Pryor asked where all the bail out money is going. She said all those funds have done nothing to help her local real estate company.
“People want instant gratification,” Boren said. “We’re sitting here in a big boat and it’s sinking. Even the crummy CEO that took a big benefit package is in that boat. We have a global economy. Everything is connected.”
Mickey Booth from Wyandotte said there is nothing in the health care bill about tort reform. She said that should be a top priority, but each issue should be addressed in its own bill.
Mickey Perry, a registered nurse from Tulsa, said the President claimed nurses are “on board” with the health care plan. She said that is not true. She is opposed and fears the plan would “legislate away standards of care.”
Boren said to be wary of groups that say they support the bill. “The AMA (American Medical Association) may support the bill, but most doctors don’t,” Boren said. Several physicians in the audience agreed.
“There are all kinds of false facts in emails and on the Internet,” Boren said.
Many people still had questions for Boren when the two-hour time limit was over. Boren held town hall meetings in McAlester and Muskogee before stopping in Pryor.
