Contact: Gail Raiman, (703) 812-2073 For Immediate Release
Gerry Fritz, (703) 812-2062 March 4, 2010
Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Vice President of Federal Affairs Geoff Burr today issued the following statement on the current status of health care legislation:
“Associated Builders and Contractors and its 25,000 member firms call on Congress to start over on health care legislation,” said Burr. “We believe that Congress should wipe the slate clean and focus on issues that will help bring down the skyrocketing cost of health insurance for both individuals and businesses. Simply enrolling more Americans in a fatally flawed health care system with out-of-control costs does not constitute reform.
“President Obama’s plan of sprinkling a few Republican-supported ideas on legislation that has been soundly rejected by the American people is not a bipartisan approach,” added Burr. “In addition, ABC strongly opposes jamming the health care bill through Congress by a process called reconciliation, a parliamentary procedure used to limit debate and hasten consideration of legislation. A bill of this magnitude that impacts so many of the nation’s construction contractors and their employees deserves full examination.
“If the president and Congress are serious about reforming the nation’s health care system, they must include ways to help reduce costs for employers and employees, such as Small Business Health Plans that would allow workers in small businesses and the self-employed to join together to obtain the same economies of scale, purchasing clout and administrative efficiencies from which employees of large employers and union-sponsored plans currently benefit,” said Burr.
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Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association with 77 chapters representing 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms with two million employees. Visit us at www.abc.org.