WASHINGTON D.C. - In response to questions about the sign reading What Bill?" and What Plan?" that Rep. Gohmert (R-TX) held in his lap during last nights Joint Session of Congress on Health Care Rep. Gohmert issued the following statement:
It has been immensely frustrating to read out loud from the Houses healthcare bill only to have the President of the United States say we are spreading lies about the legislation that the things we are saying are not in his plan or his bill. When President Obama addressed the full Congress yesterday evening he referred many times my plan or my healthcare proposal and to this bill.
In the House there is only one bill that was put forward H.R. 3200 and we understood that was at the urging of the President. House committees have had hearings on the bill of over 1000 pages. I have highlighted and underlined sections in the bill. I have read out loud to groups exactly what the bill says. But the President has continued to accuse many of us of spreading lies and he said during his speech last night we were using scare tactics instead of honest debate. For months he has talked about his plan and his bill and we had understood that he was talking about HR 3200.
Now it appears he may be talking about some other bill or some other plan which he has refused to produce. IF there is another plan or bill we need to know what bill or what plan he is talking about. It is so terribly difficult to debate a bill while the proponent is constantly baiting switching and saying we are misrepresenting his bill.
Yet even now the President has left it purposefully vague as to whether he is still talking about H.R. 3200 or some other bill. On the Hill today some Members of Congress have been arguing that he made clear last night he is embracing H.R. 3200 while others say he is talking about a different bill. We need to know what bill he is talking about.
If he is talking about HR 3200 then we can point to specific provisions that refute his rhetoric. I truly was hoping he would that clarify for us. Though he mainly looks at the teleprompters during his speech to the House I hoped he would see the sign sitting in my lap and let us know what bill he meant. It is grossly unfair to accuse some of us of being dishonest when we are acting in complete good faith and using the written word that is in the bill he seemed to support."
Many Members have legitimate concerns that H.R. 3200 would allow coverage for elective abortions and even provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants since there is no apparent enforcement provision in the bill. They also believe the plan could lead to rationed healthcare and potentially bankrupt our country when taken with the massive overspending in the last 12 months. (Click HERE to view examples of specific provisions causing these concerns.)
Rep. Gohmert continued Though President Obama has said we do not want any reform I want to make it clear that I do agree with him that there needs to be reform but I strenuously disagree with many of the proposals the President has made and are contained in HR 3200. I also hoped President Obama was serious when he said last night If you come to me with a serious set of proposals I will be there to listen.
My door is always open. I have a serious set of proposed solutions that I was very much hoping to discuss with him. But today my office has been told by the White House that they will try to let me talk to at least a somewhat senior official if I want to do that. Other members have now told me that they too have been trying to set up an appointment to see the President about serious proposals but all to no avail. The Presidents door may be open but there are still a lot of massive gates and heavily armed guards between us and that open door."
WASHINGTON D.C. - In response to questions about the sign reading What Bill?" and What Plan?" that Rep. Gohmert (R-TX) held in his lap during last nights Joint Session of Congress on Health Care Rep. Gohmert issued the following statement:
It has been immensely frustrating to read out loud from the Houses healthcare bill only to have the President of the United States say we are spreading lies about the legislation that the things we are saying are not in his plan or his bill. When President Obama addressed the full Congress yesterday evening he referred many times my plan or my healthcare proposal and to this bill.
In the House there is only one bill that was put forward H.R. 3200 and we understood that was at the urging of the President. House committees have had hearings on the bill of over 1000 pages. I have highlighted and underlined sections in the bill. I have read out loud to groups exactly what the bill says. But the President has continued to accuse many of us of spreading lies and he said during his speech last night we were using scare tactics instead of honest debate. For months he has talked about his plan and his bill and we had understood that he was talking about HR 3200.
Now it appears he may be talking about some other bill or some other plan which he has refused to produce. IF there is another plan or bill we need to know what bill or what plan he is talking about. It is so terribly difficult to debate a bill while the proponent is constantly baiting switching and saying we are misrepresenting his bill.
Yet even now the President has left it purposefully vague as to whether he is still talking about H.R. 3200 or some other bill. On the Hill today some Members of Congress have been arguing that he made clear last night he is embracing H.R. 3200 while others say he is talking about a different bill. We need to know what bill he is talking about.
If he is talking about HR 3200 then we can point to specific provisions that refute his rhetoric. I truly was hoping he would that clarify for us. Though he mainly looks at the teleprompters during his speech to the House I hoped he would see the sign sitting in my lap and let us know what bill he meant. It is grossly unfair to accuse some of us of being dishonest when we are acting in complete good faith and using the written word that is in the bill he seemed to support."
Many Members have legitimate concerns that H.R. 3200 would allow coverage for elective abortions and even provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants since there is no apparent enforcement provision in the bill. They also believe the plan could lead to rationed healthcare and potentially bankrupt our country when taken with the massive overspending in the last 12 months. (Click HERE to view examples of specific provisions causing these concerns.)
Rep. Gohmert continued Though President Obama has said we do not want any reform I want to make it clear that I do agree with him that there needs to be reform but I strenuously disagree with many of the proposals the President has made and are contained in HR 3200. I also hoped President Obama was serious when he said last night If you come to me with a serious set of proposals I will be there to listen.
My door is always open. I have a serious set of proposed solutions that I was very much hoping to discuss with him. But today my office has been told by the White House that they will try to let me talk to at least a somewhat senior official if I want to do that. Other members have now told me that they too have been trying to set up an appointment to see the President about serious proposals but all to no avail. The Presidents door may be open but there are still a lot of massive gates and heavily armed guards between us and that open door."
