Joe Wilson

Congressional Republicans do have an alternative health care reform measure that will work and doesn’t include the government option, said U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., of the 2nd District.

“The insistence on having a government option is simply wrong,” he told about 100 people at a town hall meeting at Oakwood-Windsor Elementary School Saturday. “The government would determine the rules of how health care would be provided. H.R. 3200 would eliminate the private option eventually, and when the government option loses money, you would pay for it.”

Wilson will seek re-election in 2010. He was little-known nationally until he yelled out “You lie,” to President Barack Obama during the president’s address to Congress on health care reform last month.

He apologized to the president soon after the speech. Since then, Wilson has generated millions from donors throughout the country. A Democratic candidate, Rob Miller, has also seen increases in contributions from people nationwide.

Speaking to a friendly crowd, Wilson said the White House plan would create a heath czar, who “would become the most powerful person on earth, making all the decisions on health care in America.”

The plan would cost more than $1 trillion and create additional an $236 billion in debt, Wilson said. He further predicted that 100 million people would lose their insurance plans and as many as 1.6 million jobs would be lost.

“I’m concerned about fewer choices for people,” Wilson said. “I’m concerned about waiting lists and rationing and squeezing Medicare by $500 million and the elimination of services. This would be a threat to rural hospitals.”

He acknowledged that millions of Americans are without health insurance and more are losing coverage daily. The alternative H.R. 3400 would address affordability and accessibility, creating jobs and not eliminating them, Wilson said.

“We would provide tax incentives for people to buy insurance,” he said. “People could buy insurance across state lines, although the insurance companies won’t like that. And it may cost them in dealing with pre-existing conditions.”

The government does have a safety net and the Republican plan would fund that, said Wilson. Reform doesn’t mean that Congress “has to wreck the whole system. H.R. 3200 would overhaul the system and lead to rational and denial of services.”

Wilson said the majority of doctors he has talked to tell them they would become indentured servants under the White House plan. The government would tell them what to do and they would be blamed for denial of services.

“We have a significant shortage of doctors now, and many have come from other countries,” said Wilson. “Under that plan, many would move back to their home countries and many other doctors will retire early.”

Rebecca Bass, an Aiken resident, said Wilson brought attention to a lot of issues that people don’t understand.

“His viewpoints are much better than what we’re getting in the mail,” she said. “People should listen to talk radio and read the newspapers,”

Mike and Marcia Frank, visiting Aiken from North Dakota, said they were not impressed with Wilson’s address. Marcia Frank has multiple sclerosis and even with Medicare, the couple’s annual expenses are significant.

“I’m concerned about people who don’t have good or any health coverage,” Marcia Frank said. “I’m very interested in health care for everyone, and I’m not sure I see that possibility with what he (Wilson) has to offer.”

During the question and answer session, Wilson also expressed his opposition to a national energy tax. Such a tax would cause utility rates to skyrocket and make America non-competitive with countries such as China and India. American companies would take their business overseas to such nations, he said.

Aiken Standard