With every vote for repeal of the Affordable Care Act costing taxpayers nearly $1.5 million, Congressman Erik Paulsen is refusing to back down from repeal – setting up a battle where he will continue to waste taxpayer dollars just to let insurance companies have their way to raise rates, deny care and refuse coverage. Since the Republicans in Congress have voted 46 times to repeal the law, taxpayers have footed a bill topping $66 million – even as the web site has improved and millions of Americans are seeing their benefits, Congressman Paulsen and Republicans refuse to give up their effort to waste taxpayer dollars to repeal the law going into 2014.

“Americans are disgusted with this Republican Congress, and it’s no wonder – Congressman Paulsen and this Congress have voted time and again to repeal the Affordable Care Act, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars and time that should have been spent on other priorities, like creating jobs,” said Emily Bittner of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “And there’s no end in sight as Congressman Paulsen refuses to back down from his calls for a repeal that lets insurance companies do whatever they want to raise rates, deny care and refuse coverage. With significant improvements to the web site and the people of Minnesota seeing better options thanks to the Affordable Care Act, it’s time for Congressman Paulsen to give up his calls for a repeal that would hurt families in Minnesota.”

BACKGROUND

Each Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act Costs Taxpayers $1.45 Million. “Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote for the 37th time to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care act. The political theater will give conservatives fodder for their constituents, but will end up costing voters even more. Last year, CBS News calculated that the first 33 votes to repeal health care reform took up approximately 80 hours of floor time from the House, or roughly two weeks. The Congressional Research Service said it costs $24 million to run the House for a week, so the first 33 votes cost taxpayers approximately $48 million. The numbers translate to approximately $1.45 million per vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act in the House of Representatives. Adding in the three votes since CBS News’ report last year plus Thursday’s planned vote would add $5.8 million to the total.” [CBS Miami, 5/16/13]

House Republicans Have Voted 46 Times to Repeal or Dismantle the Affordable Care Act. “Republican elected officials have seen the Affordable Care Act as essentially unfixable—that’s why House Republicans voted 46 times to repeal or delay the implementation of the law, instead of working with the White House over the past three years to identify and solve problems within it of the sort that tend to accumulate in any such massive piece of legislation.” [The Atlantic, 11/27/13]

ACA · Affordable Care Act · cd3 · Congressman Paulsen · Erik Paulsen · Obamacare · Third Congressional District

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Daily Brief: Tuesday, Dec. 3rd, 2013 >>