Government Health Care

Today the Senate democrats have secured the 60 votes needed to advance health care legislation. Senator Orrin Hatch made the following remarks about the bill:

"I am going to spend my time before this historic vote to highlight some very important numbers, so every member of this chamber understands what they are voting to advance. Make no mistake, our actions today will not be without consequences. History and our future generations will judge us on this. Here are some numbers:

0 – the number of provisions prohibiting the rationing of health care.

0 – the number of government-run entitlement programs that are financially sound over the long-term.

10.2 percent – our national unemployment rate, the highest in 26 years.

70 – total number of government programs authorized by the bill.

1,697 – times the Secretary of Health and Human Services is given authority to determine or define provisions in this bill.

2,074 – total pages in this bill.

2010 – the year Americans start paying higher taxes to pay for this bill

2014 – the year when this bill actually starts most of the major provisions of this bill

$6.8 million – cost to taxpayers per word

$8 billion – the total amount of new taxes on Americans who do not buy Washington-defined health care.

$465 billion – cuts in Medicare at a time when it faces a $38 trillion unfunded liability to finance more government spending.

$494 billion – total amount of new taxes in this bill

$2.5 trillion – the real cost of the bill

$12 trillion – our total national debt

These numbers are facts. They are undisputable."

These numbers frighten me. Our children and grandchildren are going to be paying for this forever.