Michigan delegation debates health care bill on House floor

Deb Price / The Detroit News

Washington -- As Democrats pushed their bill to overhaul the nation's health care system to the House floor on Saturday, Michigan Republicans slammed it while freshman Rep. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, announced his support.

"Michigan's families are in desperate need of real health reform, but this reckless $1.3 trillion package does not get to the core of the problem and makes the cure much worse than the disease, adding hundreds of billions of dollars to the deficit, costing jobs and eroding quality of care," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph.

"At a time of double-digit unemployment and record deficits, it is careless to rush through a massive new government program that does real and lasting damage to our current system and all those covered under it, while piling an avalanche of debt on our children and grandchildren."

Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, called the bill reckless and expensive.

"The health care of the American people is too important and too complex to risk on this gigantic gamble," said Camp, the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee.

"This bill will do lasting damage to our economy and force millions of Americans to give up their current health care coverage. With the national unemployment rate spiking to 10.2 percent yesterday, it should be unthinkable to pass this bill which contains more than $730 billion in new taxes that will destroy millions more American jobs," Camp added.

But Peters said action is needed to reduce health care costs for individuals and businesses, and that the Democratic-sponsored legislation would do that.

"This plan's reform is market-based, expanding choice, competition and stability," Peters said. "...(It) makes our system more efficient and does not add to the deficit. AARP supports this bill because Medicare would be strengthened, closing the prescription drug donut hole and providing new preventative care at no cost for seniors," he said.

Peters believes the legislation would need additional work later.

"This bill should have gone further in changing health delivery systems to reduce unnecessary costs. But passing this bill today allows the process to continue. We must keep working until we stop skyrocketing health care costs from adding to our national debt, weighing down our economy and continuing to harm families and businesses," Peters said.

Michigan's other freshman, Rep. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, earlier announced he'll vote for the legislation.

Earlier in the day, Democrats gave the gavel to Rep. John Dingell, the longest-serving House member ever as the chamber began debating the legislation.

Dingell, D-Dearborn, was given the honor of presiding at the start of what was expected to be a lengthy, contentious debate. Dingell joined the House in 1955, replacing his late father, and has introduced his father's national health insurance bill every year since.

After Dingell banged the gavel for the first time, Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., said he "has had reform of health care in his blood."

Dingell, 83, said many lawmakers have worked on the issue and added, "the nation will be grateful to us all."

Associated Press contributed to this article. dprice@detnews.com (202) 662-8736