Shuler defends 'no' vote on health care reform

Jeff Redman
Nov 11, 2009 (The Mountaineer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --

U.S. Rep. Health Shuler's opposition to the health care reform bill passed by his colleagues in the House over the weekend apparently changed little in the months leading up to the vote.

In a telephone conference call with reporters Tuesday morning, Shuler defended his 'no' vote -- one of 39 'no' votes from House Demo-crats -- as a vote against rising public and private costs of healthcare and for increased incentives for living healthier lifestyles. It's a theme that didn't change much from a conference call two months ago when Shuler touted "cost containment" and health incentives as key to improving the nation's health care system.

The House bill would "do nothing but add people to a broken system that's just going to add cost," Shuler said in Tuesday's conference call.

"It (the bill) is not the reform that's needed to lower the cost of health care and increase the quality of heath care," Shuler said.

The House voted 220-215 in favor of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act Saturday night. The vote came after months of often rancorous debate in House chambers and in town hall meetings across the country. Like many of his colleagues, Shuler heard plenty from constituents, colleagues and even President Barack Obama about how he should vote on the measure. In a town hall teleconference in early September, Shuler voiced his opposition to early health care reform efforts in the House.

"As insurance continues to escalate (costs)," Shuler told voters in the September teleconference, "we want to find ways that we can decrease in those rates and ensure that people live a healthier lifestyle."

Asked Tuesday about what legislation he would support, Shuler wasn't long on details. He said "the number one area" should be "cost containment, cost containment, cost containment."

"We have to get healthcare reform done," Shuler said Tuesday. "We can't kick this can down the road, but we can't let it cost so much long term. We have to get the cost containment in order."

In a prepared statement publicized Monday, Shuler also cited the projected cost of the bill's reform measures as another reason he voted against it.

"...This legislation costs $1.055 trillion and fails to include sufficient cost-containment and deficit reduction measures. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, this bill will not reduce the federal government's spending on health care over the long term. Any reform that does not control long-term costs will be short-sighted and unwise," Shuler wrote in the statement.

Shuler's vote angered some Western North Carolina Democrats, some of whom have lambasted Shuler online and in letters to regional newspapers. Shuler said that he viewed his stance as centrist and in the interest of his constituents.

"If you're trying to please everyone, then I might as well give my voting card to the House leadership, which is something I'm not going to do," Shuler said.

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