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Local leaders deride bill passed by House

House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio walks toward the floor as the House prepares to vote on health care reform. AP photo by Alex Brandon

Alex Brandon/STF House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio walks toward the floor as the House prepares to vote on health care reform. AP photo by Alex Brandon

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By Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writer 12:29 AM Monday, March 22, 2010

Passage of the health care reform bill in the U.S. House of Representatives made history Sunday, March 21, according to local politicians who strongly disagreed on whether the legislation would bring relief to struggling families or batter the economy with its cost.

House Minority leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, drew hisses from Democrats as he criticized their overhaul of health coverage. Boehner said the vote “disgraces” the values of history’s lawmakers. And he said voters will hold House members to account for passing the bill.

“We have failed to listen to America. We have failed to reflect the will of our constituents,” Boehner said.

Justin Coussoule, a Democrat from Middletown challenging Boehner in November, called the vote a victory.

“We made history tonight and passed what American leaders have sought for 100 years,” Coussoule said.

U.S. Rep. Michael R. Turner, R-Centerville, voted against what he called “the $1 trillion government takeover of our nation’s health care system.”

“I opposed this bill because it will increase budget deficits and decrease the quality of our health care services,” Turner said. “It will cut more than $500 billion in Medicare resulting in reduced health care for seniors.”

Rene Oberer, who is running against Turner in the Republican primary this May, believes the bill will devastate the economy.

“When I’m elected, I’ll do everything I can to repeal the bill,” Oberer said.

U.S. Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek said starting over from scratch would have been the best course for true health care reform, to take a step-by-step approach to lower the cost for health care to make sure it’s affordable to families.

“The current health care system must be reformed, but I fundamentally disagree with how this bill attempts to accomplish this as it creates a huge expansion of government with less individual choice and will push additional unfunded mandates on states,” he said.

U.S. Senate candidate Rob Portman of Cincinnati, who was in West Milton Sunday, speaking at the Miami County Republican Convention, said his major problem with the bill is the cost.

“It’s a budget busting, job killing bill. The system is broken and needs to be reformed, but not this way,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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