Shelley in the News

Press Office /

State Journal Editorial Cites Capito Alternative to Trillion Dollar Pelosi Health Bill

Editorial: Congress' Overreach: Health Care Reform

November 5, 2009

The American people are seeing their elected representatives in Washington ponder the future of health care. It's not a confidence-inspiring exercise.

First, polls say most Americans do not want government involved in their personal medical decisions.

Second, many citizens recognize government is equipped to promise heaven on earth while extracting hellacious expenses from taxpayers.

And, finally, We the People are becoming increasingly aware too many politicians are willing to demonize their opponents, assign victim status to as many people as possible and cut all sorts of deals as long as they ultimately can declare victory. Demonstrating political might is more important than behaving in a fiscally prudent way.

That leads to an obvious question: Would the proposed Washington-styled cure for health care do more harm than good? Can we be sure the remedies proposed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her allies would not create enormous disadvantages for employers, their employees and their employees' families?

Make no mistake: The American health care system is not perfect. Congress can and should work with health care providers and insurance companies to improve access to care and address insurance portability and affordability. But our political class is engaged in a major overhaul of health care delivery rather than working to improve elements of the system.

What we have is a battle between those who believe in the merits of big government -- with its attendant big costs -- and those who believe in the promise of the American marketplace.

Some lawmakers have proposed more practical solutions than the nearly $1 trillion, 1,990-page bill Pelosi is championing. The Medical Rights and Reform Act of 2009 would create an interstate market for health insurance, allow young adults to have access to their parents' insurance and encourage wellness initiatives. The proposed legislation also includes tort reform.

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., is a co-sponsor of the bill, and she believes it provides needed reforms but does not wreck the budget and pillage taxpayers.

Today, congressional leadership is emboldened, flexing its muscles to reshape American health care. But those leaders ultimately must answer for their actions. They have a lot riding on their plan to deliver heaven on earth.

Americans who question the Pelosi health care initiative have an opportunity to let their representatives in Congress know how they feel about this latest version of government overreach.

To read this story in its entirety, visit the State Journal website.