Crowd in Lincoln backs McClintock in opposing House health care bill
Rep. Tom McClintock discusses health care legislation before a full house Saturday at the Orchard Creek Lodge in Lincoln's Sun City retirement community, saying, "We believe our country is at stake."
A week after the House passed a trillion-dollar health care overhaul bill, several hundred vehement opponents gathered Saturday at a Lincoln retirement community with Rep. Tom McClintock to reaffirm their dislike for the proposed plan.
Many in the largely partisan audience pledged to sustain a vocal fight against changes favored by President Barack Obama.
A few in the standing-room-only crowd at Sun City Orchard Creek Lodge clapped or cheered when McClintock, R-Elk Grove, asked who supported the House bill, which would mandate the largest expansion of health care since Congress created Medicare in 1965.
"I think there are serious problems with our health care system. I think we all do," McClintock told the crowd dominated by seniors. "But I'm skeptical the same government that runs FEMA is going to bring efficiency to our doctors' offices. … I'm skeptical the same government that runs the IRS is going to bring compassion and understanding to our health care system."
On Nov. 7, the House approved the Affordable Health Care for America Act with 220 votes, two more than needed. It was a victory for House Democrats, 219 of whom voted for the bill. Thirty-nine Democrats sided with Republicans against the measure.
Rep. Joe Cao, R-La., was the lone Republican voting for the bill.
In a major concession, the measure passed only after the approval of an amendment that would sharply restrict the availability of coverage for abortions, which many insurance plans now offer.
The Senate is working on its own version of health care legislation. Any bill that passes the Senate will have to be reconciled with the House legislation before final passage.
McClintock bemoaned the nation's eroding economics at the town hall meeting, with a row of golf carts parked outside the door. He called spending under former President George W. Bush "unconscionable" and noted the only government surplus in the past 40 years occurred during the Clinton years.
Much of the meeting was devoted to questions and answers, during which participants also touched on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the impending civilian trials of those accused in the Sept. 11 terror attacks and a perceived disconnect between Washington and Lincoln-area residents.
The conversation, however, often returned to health care and how it will look after this overhaul effort.
McClintock, who revealed he has Kaiser Permanente insurance, said he thinks his coverage is more than adequate. His ideal health care system would offer government vouchers for insurance policies that people could shop for across state lines and in pools of consumers.
He suggested those with pre-existing conditions should have access to assigned-risk pools, much as with auto insurance.
After thanking those attending the meeting, McClintock urged people to write letters, talk to friends and share their beliefs through the ballot box.
"Nobody wants to be here. We all feel we have to be here because we believe our country is at stake," he said.
Bev Johnson, 86, said she attended the meeting out of concern about the America that will greet her grandchildren and great-grandchildren when they reach adulthood. The retired elementary school assistant said the meeting inspired her to educate others however possible.
"I've always been on a white horse, whether it's education or kids," she said. "I need to get back on it."
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