[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 16, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H1465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, when I was driving into work last Friday, 
I heard the Governor of Arizona on the news saying that her State 
already faces its biggest deficit ever, over $3 billion. She said they 
had calculated that the health care bill would cost an additional $4 
billion that they simply do not have.
  Because Tennessee already covers more than most States, our 
Democratic Governor, nonetheless, said it would cost out State from 
$750 million up to $3 billion more. Most States are in far worse shape 
than Tennessee or Arizona, yet much of this bill is paid for by forcing 
millions more onto State and Medicaid rolls. In yesterday's Washington 
Post, columnist Robert Samuelson said the bill ``evades health care's 
major problems and would worsen the budget outlook.'' He wrote that 
``It's a big new spending program when government hasn't paid for the 
spending programs it already has.''
  Madam Speaker, even if this program were the greatest thing since 
sliced bread, the fact is that we simply cannot afford it.

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