Chambliss opposed to health care reform : J.D. Sumner
By: Health Insurance
Submitted: 2009-08-13 12:06:05 | Word Count: 762
On the same day President Barack Obama was in New England trying to justify a massive overhaul of America's health care systems, Georgia's two U.S. senators were in Southwest Georgia explaining their positions on the controversial legislation.
Speaking from a renovated open-air railroad depot now a part of the Thronateeska Heritage Museum, Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Moultrie, lamented over the legislation currently up for consideration in both houses of Congress.
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"If you heard me on the campaign trail or if you've been to any of my town hall meetings in the past, you've probably heard me say that I do not support a universal health care system in this country," Chambliss said. "I don't think the government should be running a health care system from a general standpoint."
With five versions of health care reform packages floating through Congress, Chambliss said he couldn't speak to the specifics of any individual bill, but did say that he understood the crux of the Obama administration's position on the issue.
After taking written questions from those in attendance and two "live" comments from Phoebe Putney Health System CEO Joel Wernick and Palmyra Medical Centers CEO Mark Rader, Chambliss ended the town hall, but not before Julia Jones, an Albany Democrat who favors Obama's health care bill, gave him an earful about the need for low-cost health insurance.
"It's not just my perspective; I speak for a lot of people who can't afford it - health care - who cannot afford health care, who are living without health care and who are dying every day and who can't afford to go to the doctors," she said.
During his presentation, Chambliss spoke of what he said was the administration's plan to pay for part of health care reform by taking $500 billion from Medicare, a program that he says is already dying. Chambliss also spoke of rising taxes that could be created by the plan, with taxpayers in the 33 percent tax bracket - those who make between $171,000 and $372,950 per year - seeing a sizable tax increase.
Just two hours after the Chambliss speech, the president offered his own explanation to people in New Hampshire, saying the $500 billion from Medicare was a subsidy that was already being paid to private health insurance companies while conceding that those making more than $250,000 would see a tax increase to help offset the cost of the program.
Just 45 miles from Chambliss' town hall meeting, Georgia's other senator, Johnny Isakson, R-Atlanta, held his town hall meeting at the University of Georgia's Tifton Campus Conference Center.
Both town hall appearances were peaceful in stark contrast to similar meetings in Atlanta and Maryland in which U.S. representatives were castigated by some opposed to the legislation.
The only opposition to voice an opinion in the area Tuesday showed up outside Tift Regional Medical Center's Dialysis Center when opponents of Obama held up signs as Isakson arrived to take a tour.
U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D- Albany, will be the only Democratic congressman to host a town hall meeting in the area. He's scheduled a meeting 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 20 at Albany State University's ACAD Auditorium.
Jenny Gibson, spokesperson for Bishop, said that Bishop will host the meeting despite any rumored protests or demonstrations.
"I can't think of any situation or circumstance that would keep him from hosting this event for his constituents," Gibson said.
Bishop's town hall meeting is listed as a target for protests, according to teapartypatriots.org. Members affiliated with that site and freedomworks.org held a rally in July outside Bishop's Albany headquarters to counter his support of the cap-and-trade bill.
Another protest is being organized for Friday, according to teapartypatriots.org, which urges its members not to engage in shouting matches or incite violence during the town hall meetings.
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