FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sunday, 3.21.10  10:42 PM

CHARLESTON, SC – The vote on health care in the U.S. House is proof the liberal Democrat leadership in Congress is not listening to the American people and the voters of South Carolina, said Carroll Campbell - Republican Candidate for Congress in South Carolina’s First Congressional District.

“Americans, including those like me who participated in the Tea Party rallies, have repeatedly said that we want health care reform that lowers costs and improves care not this big government, big tax, big spending health care plan pushed by Obama and Pelosi,” said Campbell.

“I have spoken out against this wasteful spending plan since day one. We simply must get government spending under control, and this plan spends billions and billions more on increasing the amount of government bureaucracy between patients and doctors,” Campbell said, “Many voters here in South Carolina believe this is one more step toward government controlled, socialized health care in America. Americans do not want this plan.”

Campbell noted particularly troubling parts of the liberal Democrat’s plan:

Massive New Government Spending: The Congressional Budget Office estimate of costs for just the first 10 years is nearly $1 trillion dollars, or $940,000,000,000.00. Liberal Democrats claim it will lower deficit spending, but only a career politician would commit to spend nearly a trillion dollars and say it will save money.

Harmful New Tax Increases: Just when our economy is trying to recover, the liberal Democrat plan includes $569.2 billion in tax increases - proving that old-time politicians can’t help themselves when it comes to taxing and spending.

Huge Expansion of IRS Power: The plan will require IRS agents to verify if you have “acceptable” health care coverage. If they decide that you do not, the IRS has the authority to fine you up to $2,250 or 2 percent of your income (whichever is greater) for failure to prove that you have purchased “minimum essential coverage.” To pay this fine, the IRS can confiscate your tax refunds. Reports are the IRS may need to hire as many as 16,500 additional auditors, agents, and other employees to investigate and collect billions in new taxes from Americans. Furthermore, nearly half of all these new individual mandate taxes will be paid by Americans earning less than 300 percent of the poverty level.

Federal Funding of Abortion: Some Democrats say that the President will later work to ensure that the federal government does not begin funding abortions. However, this bill when signed into law puts the steps in place to allow the federal government to fund abortions with taxpayer dollars. I firmly oppose this move and any attempt to use taxpayer money to pay for abortion.

Carroll Campbell has been a consistent and outspoken critic of expanded government and the huge amounts of new spending coming out of the current Congress.

Carroll Campbell served as Treasurer and Secretary of the South Carolina State Ports Authority's Board of Directors. He is a successful small businessman who previously worked for Fortune 500 South Carolina employers. Serving on past and current Boards of Directors for the South Carolina Economic Development Association, the University of South Carolina’s Board of Visitors, the Newberry College Board of Trustees, the Richland Memorial Hospital Center for Cancer Treatment, Ducks Unlimited, and as Past Chairman of the Palmetto Alzheimer's Association; Carroll Campbell has been a leader in the state of South Carolina.
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