[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 23]
[Senate]
[Pages 30688-30689]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HEALTH CARE: IMPACT ON SMALL BUSINESS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the American people have now seen what 
Democrats in Congress plan to do with seniors' health care. They have 
looked on in total disbelief as the majority voted again and again to 
slash Medicare by nearly $\1/2\ trillion.
  Incredibly, these cuts represent just part of the pain caused by this 
bill. In addition to punishing seniors, it would punish businesses. At 
a time when 1 out of 10 working Americans is looking for a job, this 
bill would hit employers with job-killing new taxes and mandates, and 
it wouldn't do anything to lower long-term health care costs. This is 
the very last thing business owners expected from this bill. It is the 
last thing America needs in the midst of a recession. And it is just 
one of the reasons more and more business groups are stepping forward 
and speaking out against this job-killing bill.
  Yesterday, I mentioned a letter signed by 10 major trade groups 
pleading with us not to approve this bill because of the effect it 
would have on business. Later in the day, the National Federation of 
Independent Business, one of the leaders in the small business 
community, released a letter explaining why they opposed the bill. They 
said any health care reform faces two tests for small businesses: Does 
it lower insurance costs, and will it increase the overall cost of 
doing business. According to them, the Senate bill fails both of these 
tests and therefore fails small business. They have seen the CBO 
conclude that this bill would lead to higher premiums. They have seen 
the billions of new taxes that would fall unfairly on small businesses. 
And they have seen the mandates and the fines that would kill jobs. 
They have concluded that this bill would actually be worse for small 
business than the current situation.
  It is abundantly clear that the more Americans learn about this bill, 
the more they oppose it. Now we know the same goes for business. 
Businesses that can't insure workers face stiff fines resulting in lost 
wages and jobs, according to the independent Congressional Budget 
Office.
  What is more, studies suggest that this so-called employer mandate 
would have a disproportionate impact on low-income, entry-level 
workers. At a time of 10 percent unemployment, we should be doing 
everything we can to create jobs. This bill would only lead to more 
lost jobs.
  Medicare cuts are bad enough, but this bill doesn't just hurt 
seniors, it hurts the economy as well. That is why Americans 
overwhelmingly oppose it.
  Speaking of how people feel about this bill, we see signs of 
opposition everywhere. Public opinion is overwhelming. In all the polls 
across the country, the American people are saying: Don't pass this 
bill.
  Last month's gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia were 
a stinging rebuke to the Democratic approach of more spending, more 
debt, higher taxes, and endless bureaucracy.
  There is a new development. Just yesterday--just yesterday in my home 
State--there was a special election for the State senate. Why would 
that be worthy of commentary on the Senate floor? Let me describe the 
situation. It is a 3-to-1 Democratic district. Because of State issues, 
the Democratic State administration was intensely interested in winning 
that seat. They spent $1 million cumulatively--the candidate, the 
Democratic State party, and an outside interest group--in support of 
the Democrat--$1 million on one side of a State senate race in a rural 
area of my State.
  On the other side was a Republican candidate, who was outspent 5 to 
1--outspent 5 to 1 in a 3-to-1 Democratic district. The Republican 
candidate for the State senate won by 12 points. How did that happen? 
He had one message--one message: oppose the Reid bill, oppose what 
Pelosi is doing, oppose what the Democrats in Washington are doing.
  In other words, the candidate who was outspent 5 to 1 in a district 
where he was outregistered 3 to 1 made the sole issue in the State 
senate race what is happening here in Washington on this bill that is 
on this floor.
  That ought to tell you on the heels of the Virginia and New Jersey 
elections what is happening in this country. People have seen enough 
and heard enough, and they want it to stop.
  The message is simple. This health care bill is a losing formula all 
around.

[[Page 30689]]

That is the message Americans are sending loudly and clearly. The signs 
are everywhere. We saw it yesterday in my home State. It is time to 
stop this bill and start over.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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