House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) says the House has not made a decision as to which version of the public option will be in the final health care bill. (0:21)

 

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Majority Whip James Clyburn and economist Mark Zandi talk to members of the media in the Capitol Wednesday following an economic forum on creating more jobs in the U.S.

John DuBois, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Reps. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) and Steve Kagen (D-Wisc.) came out Thursday to support a report released by the Center for Community Change and the Center for Rural Affairs on rural communities’ attitudes toward health care reform.

“Health care currently is for the privileged and that’s not how it should be,” Clyburn said.

According to the report, entitled “Sweet The Bitter Drought: Why America Needs Health Care Reform,” 82 percent of rural counties are classified as medically under-served areas. Medicaid and Medicare account for 60 percent of rural hospital revenues. In 2006, twenty-five percent of family farmers with health insurance reported debt from medical expenses. The likelihood that rural Americans are under-insured are seventy percent higher than for urban Americans.

“Medical debt leaves women and rural americans afraid because doctors won’t give them check-ups without insurance, even if it is a dire situation,” said Cindy Shawcross of the People Escaping Poverty Project.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) says Congress shouldn’t worry about the cost of health care reform, but rather what it will cost if Congress does not pass legislation (0:11).

 

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By Sam Wechsler – Talk Radio News Service

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) stated Monday that “when you look at the Democrat proposal [for health care reform], it’s clear that it’s going to drive the cost of health care even higher.”

A few minutes later, down the hall of the Capitol, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said, “I don’t think we ought to be talking about what it’s going to cost us to do this plan. What we should be talking about is what is it going to cost us if we don’t do this.”

The differing partisan opinions didn’t end there.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) pointed out that the CEO of a top insurance company earned $24 million in compensation this past year. “It’s time to add more competition and more choice,” he said.

“If the Democrats get their way on health care, you’ll probably lose your health insurance and you might just lose your job,” House Republican Chair Mike Pence said Monday (R-Ind.). Pence cited White House chief economic advisor Christina Romer in saying that the business tax hikes alone will kill up to 4.7 million jobs. Boehner added that the tax hikes will disproportionately hit small businesses the most.

Meanwhile, House Democratic Chair John Larson (D-Conn.) estimated that close to 16,000 small business employees in Boehner’s district would be able to get health insurance thanks to Democratic health care reform. Larson also claimed that 91,000 people would have access to health insurance in Pence’s district.

Said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), “This is about the American people. It’s about making them healthier, more economically secure, and to have more choices in their lives.”

Boehner, however, disagreed with the Speaker.

“At a time when most Americans are asking the question ‘where are the jobs?’ we don’t need to be instituting policies that will drive the cost of employment higher….and raise the unemployment rate,” he argued.

White House Correspondent Victoria Jones interviews House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) about the state of health care reform. Rep. Clyburn says passing health care reform this year will cost money, but he warns that the cost of not reforming the health care system will be far greater in the long run. The South Carolina Democrat also says that he doesn’t believe Republicans want the health care system changed. (9:25)

 

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Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) relates a personal experience to the importance of health care. Clyburn talks about his wife’s heart attack and five vessel bypass surgery which would have never been performed if her health care did not cover a second opinion. Clyburn says that the doctors took that second look “not because of what her disease was but because of who she was.” (1:31)

 

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The House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on “H.R. 3014, Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007,” in order to discuss how to improve the health of minority individuals in the U.S. Vice Chairman Lois Capps (D-Calif.) said that the U.S. needs this bill “now more than ever,” and that it is embarrassing that the U.S. cannot extend health care to every citizen. Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) said that it is time for Congress to put the best ideas and practices together and bridge the gap of health disparities. (more…)