Murkowski Comments on the Impact of Democrat Health Care Bills on Women
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference, said today that women across America are paying attention to the health care reform debate because they are often the ones tending to the doctors’ bills and making medical appointments for their families.
“Women are paying attention to the issue of health care reform, and they should be. They’re the ones that, in most of the households are taking the kids to the doctor, they’re paying the bill, they’re very conscious of what is happening with their costs. And so when they hear that premiums are going to increase, that means that there’s less disposable income for the family,” Murkowski said at the weekly Senate Republican leadership news conference.
Murkowski said that the Democrat health care proposals before Congress would, if enacted, raise taxes, increase insurance premiums and cut Medicare. One of the Senate health care reform bills would cut Medicare by a half trillion dollars over 10 years.
“When (women) hear that there’s going to be cuts to Medicare, well, look at the populations within the Medicare-Medicaid population. It’s very disproportionately women,” Murkowski said.
Murkowski continued: “When (women) hear and understand that increased taxes could mean businesses will be laying off people, their concern is, well, disproportionately, you have more women exiting and entering the job market, so are they going to be the first that will go in terms of layoffs? There is a great deal of concern about how we put in place meaningful health care reform that won’t increase your premiums, that won’t increase your taxes and that won’t negatively impact those on Medicare.”
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