Senate Proceeding on Oct 29th, 2009 :: 0:40:15 to 0:48:25
Total video length: 6 hours 41 minutes Stream Tools: Stream Overview | Edit Time

Note: MetaVid video transcripts may contain inaccuracies, help us build a more perfect archive

Views:27 Duration: 0:08:10 Discussion

Previous speech:

Next speech:

0:40:06 to 0:40:29( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: for it now? but that legislation. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from georgia. mr. chambliss: madam prident, as we begin to slowly emerge from the economic pitfalls of the worst recession that this country has seen in decades, the long-term issues that remain are real and affect

0:40:15 to 0:48:25( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Saxby Chambliss

0:40:30 to 0:40:50( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: americans of all walks of life. out-of-control government spending has resulted in a sigh rocke-- ina skyrocketing deficit fueling fears of an unsustainable. a stagnant market impairs our ability to work toward reducing this enormous burden on our children and grandchildren's

0:40:51 to 0:41:12( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: future. in spite of this volatile forecast there are some here who feel that the best way to reinvigorate our economy is to impose heavier costs, higher fees, and greater taxes on businesses and individuals while forcing the federal government to oversee and manage health care in the united states,

0:41:13 to 0:41:33( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: ultimately adding an additional one-sifnlg our economy to the government's balance sheet. now, make no mistake, this financial instability is not disconnected from americans' everyday lives. it is being felt at bill-paying time, discussed at dinner tables, and it is weighing on the minds of the very people

0:41:34 to 0:41:55( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: that drive this country's economy. the other side would have you believe that greater government contl increased spending is the way toward economic stability and growth. since there has been no legislative language circulated on the proposed government takeover of health care at this

0:41:56 to 0:42:18( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: point, we can only really consider the conceptual language as passed by the senate finance committee. and right here, madam president, 1,502 pages of conceptual language that's come out of the finance committee and being proposed as meaningful health

0:42:19 to 0:42:39( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: care reform. this phantom health care proposal imposes a half a trillion dollars in new taxes, fees, and penalties on individuals and businesses. while some would have you believe that these taxes will only be borne by the wealthy in the form of a 40% excise tax on high-value insurance plans, both

0:42:40 to 0:43:01( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: the congressional budget office and the joint committee on taxation, as just alluded to by the senator from iowa, have testified that these taxes will almost entirely be passed on to the consumer, irrespective of their tax bracket. under the tax provisions of this

0:43:02 to 0:43:24( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: health care proposal, in my home state of georgia, a young, healthy individual under certain health plans would see his monthly premium almost double. additionally, $92 billion of this new burden will be in the form of new fees on manufacturers and importers of branded drugs and certain

0:43:25 to 0:43:45( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: medical devices, as well as on health insurance providers. again, all of this is going to be passed on to consumers, resulting in higher health insurance premiums and higher costs for health-related products. while a majority of the health reforms in the finance committee bill do not go into effect until

0:43:46 to 0:44:07( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: 2013, like the tax credit for health insurance and the individual mandate, both of which are designed to lower health care costs, these so-called fees are effective on january 1 of next year. this means that health insurance in general will become more expensive before any government assistance or policies intended

0:44:30 to 0:44:54( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: per adult in the household. and while democrats claim that this bill contains savings for the low- to middle-class families, c.b.o. has stated that almost half of those families paying this tax would be between 100% and 300% of the federal poverty level or a family of

0:44:55 to 0:45:16( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: four earning between $22,800 and $68,400 in 2013. additionally, proponents of this bill say it reduces the deficit while providing relief from high health care costs for lower-income families. however, what they don't tell you is that under their

0:45:38 to 0:45:58( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: independent congressional budget office estimates that by 2019, out of 253 million americans with health insurance, only 18 million will be eligible for these tax credits to purchase insurance. so this supposed health care cost-reducing tax credit at the heart of the democrats' health

0:45:59 to 0:46:21( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: care reform is only available to 7% of the population. increasing taxes on 91% of americans to pay for 71 being the population -- to pay for 7% of the population is not reform. it's business as usual. while i am in favor of tax credits to purchase health insurance, i do not support placing limitations on who can receive such credits or what

0:46:22 to 0:46:43( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: type of coverage they can purchase. madam president, and if increasing the size of government even more in the health care sphere isn't going to make matters worse, who do you think is going to administer, implement and enforce these tax increases? none other than the internal revenue service

0:46:44 to 0:47:05( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: with a new influx of complex health care policies bei legislated through the tax code, the i.r.s. would be tasked with overseeing all aspects of the millions of taxpayers now burdened with even more filings to the i.r.s. additionally, the i.r.s. would likely be entrusted with enforcing these new provisions

0:47:06 to 0:47:27( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: as well as protecting against fraud in certain cases. these new responsibilities of the internal revenue service would mean only one thing: a bigger and more intrusive i.r.s. madam president, i have continued to say i am in support of reforming the health care system in this country because we do have problems.

0:47:28 to 0:47:48( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: we need greater transparency in health care costs, increased competition, more individual portability for peace of mind for those who change jobs, a better focus on prevention and wellness, andeal reform of the health insurance industry. republican-backed plans do exactly that. madam president, there are ways

0:47:49 to 0:48:10( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: to lower health care costs and be more fiscally responsible, and there are opportunities to pay for this coverage without expanding entitlements and increasing taxes on middle-class americans. americans deserve a patient-centered approach to health care reform.

0:48:11 to 0:48:28( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: this 1,502 pages that's being discussed as we speak this morning, behind closed doors by the majority leader and other democrats puts politicians and bureaucrats in charge of the health care industry in this country, and that is not what