Weekly Republican Address Pat Toomey 12/14/13 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT PODCAST VIDEO

Weekly Republican Address Pat Toomey 12/14/13 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT PODCAST VIDEO. In the Weekly Republican Address, Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania talks about how the President's deeply flawed health care law is causing millions of Americans to lose the insurance plans they liked and pay higher premiums and deductibles under new Obamacare plans. He tells of a constituent with multiple sclerosis who was recently kicked off of her insurance plan because of Obamacare. The woman now has a choice of two plans -- one that will allow her to keep her doctor and the other that will pay for her medication. "Neither plan will do both," says Toomey. "These are the kinds of painful and unfair choices millions of people now face" thanks to Obamacare.

The full audio of the address is here. Download MP3 for PODCAST

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

“I’m Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey.

“These days, lots of Americans think Members of Congress are out of touch, and you know, at times there’s some truth to that.

“But there’s at least one instance in which many Members of Congress are feeling the very same pain that the rest of America is feeling. And that’s with this new health care law.

“Now, I don’t think anyone should be forced onto Obamacare. But as a Senator, Obamacare forced me and my family onto an exchange for health coverage.

“Just last week, my wife, Kris, tried to sign up on the health exchange website that’s available to us.

“Now, my wife is a very sharp woman, she’s a former computer software consultant.

“She’s also an amazing person and a great mom, but that’s another story.

“When Kris went onto the website, she typed in all our personal information and that of all our three children.

“And then, when she tried to browse the various plans, the website denied her. She tried again, and it still didn’t work. When she called someone and asked for help, she was told the system just wasn’t working right now and it was best to try again later.

“Well, I’ll tell you, I really wish this were a case of a Member of Congress just out of touch. Unfortunately, it’s not.

“The fiasco my wife just faced with the health care website is being experienced by Americans across the country when they try to sign up for health insurance.

“If this were just a matter of a slow-moving computer glitch, well then maybe that would be excusable. But it’s much more than that.

“It’s been reported that that perhaps as many as one-third of those who have been able to complete the online enrollment process might not actually have insurance coverage at all. Apparently, the enrollment information isn’t always being transmitted to the insurers in a large number of cases.

“Can you imagine going to your doctor or to a hospital in January only to find out you’re not actually insured?

“Well, the President says his team is working out the kinks in the website. Now, I hope that’s true.

“It sure seems like there’s a long way to go. But let’s assume that the website problems eventually get fixed. Sadly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“Before Obamacare became law, the President often told everyone that, and I quote, ‘if you like the health insurance you have, you can keep it, period.’ End quote.

“Well, millions of Americans are now finding out that was never true. The fact is, Obamacare was designed to cancel many plans that people had and people liked – the President now admits as much.

“But this is creating excruciating choices. I recently heard from a woman from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. She has multiple sclerosis – has for years – and Obamacare kicked her off an insurance plan that worked for her for many years.

“Yes, she can get a plan in the new health care exchange. In fact, it turns out there are two options available to her. One of the options would let her keep her doctor. The other would pay for her medication. And neither plan will do both.

“These are the kinds of painful and unfair choices millions of people now face.

“Now, if you have not yet been directly harmed by Obamacare, consider yourself fortunate.

“But take the time to listen to your friends, family, and neighbors. They’ll tell you stories of lost coverage, higher costs, enrollment errors, not to mention lost jobs and fewer hours working. It’s a disaster for our country, and it’s only going to get worse.

“But this is the holiday season, and we should offer some hope and good cheer. The truth is, there are good reasons for hope, if we can just change direction.

“There are common-sense, bipartisan solutions to our health care problems that don’t require Obamacare’s wholesale government take-over of the system.

“Now, in a nutshell, we can make insurance more accessible, more affordable, and more responsive to individuals and families. And put patients and their doctors in charge of health care decisions, instead of politicians and government bureaucrats.

“We can help those with preexisting conditions purchase affordable insurance.

“I’d like to give individuals the same tax benefits enjoyed by employers buying insurance for their employees.

“We can make it easier to carry health insurance from job to job or to purchase it across state lines.

“We can help small businesses pool together to get quality coverage for their workers at lower prices.

“We can rein in frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits that drive up medical costs for everyone.

“The problem with Obamacare isn’t just a glitch. It’s fundamental and it’s taking away our freedom. At the heart of the program is the idea that the government should decide your health coverage – what you require and how much you should pay. Never mind what you want, what you need, and what you can afford.

“But working together, we can put an end to the dropped coverage and higher costs that the Obamacare law is forcing on so many.

“I think Americans should be free to choose the insurance coverage that’s right for them. That choice should not be in the hands of the Obama Administration or at the mercy of malfunctioning government websites.

“Thanks for listening. And Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy holiday season to everyone.”

Weekly Republican Address Renee Ellmers 12/07/13 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT PODCAST VIDEO

Weekly Republican Address Renee Ellmers 12/07/13 FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT PODCAST VIDEO WASHINGTON, DC – Delivering the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) talks about the House’s ongoing focus on jobs and shares stories from constituents struggling to cope with the effects of the president’s health care law. Rep. Ellmers serves on the House Energy & Commerce Committee and is chair of the Republican Women’s Policy Committee.

The full audio of the address is here. Download MP3 for PODCAST

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT - Remarks of Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) Weekly Republican Address U.S. Capitol December 7, 2013.

Merry Christmas, everyone, and hello, my name is Renee Ellmers, and I represent North Carolina’s Second Congressional District

Like many of you, I’m frustrated with the president’s health care law, especially where jobs and working families are concerned. I say this not only as a congresswoman and chair of the Republican Women’s Policy Committee; I say it as a nurse and the mother of a son in college.

After all, it’s often women who make the health care decisions for our families. We put a lot of time and thought into these choices and how they’ll affect our budgets

So by canceling your insurance – despite a promise to let you keep your plan – the Obama administration is essentially saying it knows what’s best for you and your family. Not only that, they are making you pay more – usually much more – and in many cases, taking away the doctors you’ve been seeing for years.

If you want to talk about a ‘war on women,’ look no further than this health care law.

Just consider some of the stories I’ve heard from folks in my district.

Marian from Pittsboro told me that she and her husband received cancellation notices and that the replacement would double their premiums. When she called to ask for help, the insurance company told Marian that if she doesn’t sign up for a new plan, the law requires that they enroll her in the “suggested policy.” This increase, she says, will consume their gas and grocery money for the month. She now sees no choice but to cancel their insurance altogether.

Kent and Ulli from Cary are in their mid-50s and they report that their premiums are about to jump from $248 to $968 per month. That is nearly four times higher. Ken and Ulli have always preferred a high deductible policy because they work hard to stay in good health and when they do need care, they like to shop for the best value. But as we have seen, this administration thinks it knows better than they do.

And then there’s Liz from Sanford. She’s a small business owner with only two employees: herself and her husband. Their premiums went up 127 percent on account of the new law. Liz told me that she and her husband are regular, hardworking, healthy Americans. She said “we are not wealthy. I really don’t know what will happen in the future.”

Seeing so many hardworking people have to spend the holiday season wondering ‘what’s next?’ – it’s heartbreaking. And it’s wrong.

These families wouldn’t be in this boat if those who wrote the law had listened to hardworking taxpayers instead of relying on insurance companies and big businesses. Even now, these same entities are the ones getting special delays, breaks, and workarounds from the White House.

Families who work hard and play by the rules deserve some basic choices, fairness and relief.

That’s why the House has passed legislation to delay the individual mandate for all Americans and let you keep the plan you like. These proposals are among the dozens of House-passed jobs bills awaiting action in the Democratic-run Senate. Leaders there, however, continue to stand in the way of the American people.

For our part, Republicans will continue to listen, focus on jobs, and give this law the scrutiny it deserves. We’re also going to keep pressing the president to do the right thing. If the president won't scrap this law, isn't it time for him to delay it for all Americans before it does further harm?

On behalf of all of us here, let me wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Thank you for listening.