UPDATE: Kanjorski announces support of health bill; Carney announced support on Saturday

Times Leader staff

Lawmakers in our area have issued statements on how they will vote today on President ’s health care reform proposal.

U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, said in a press release issued just before 6 p.m. today that he intends to vote for the legislation, which he said will be voted on later this evening.

"Today, I will vote for legislation designed to improve the affordability and accessibility of health care. Americans already spend more on health care than the people of any other nation.  If we take no action, health care costs are expected to double over the next 10 years, just as they have over the last 10 years.  It is not the bill I would have written if it were up to me alone, but it is the best we can do at this time," Kanjorski said.

Kanjorski said tonight's vote is one of the most difficult he would cast, primarily because there is much confusion about what the bill will do.

"Senior citizens do not have to worry about losing any benefits because of this bill. In fact, their coverage for prescription drug costs and preventative care will improve," Kanjorski said, adding that no federal funding would be used to fund abortion.

"The bill does not empower the federal government to take over health care. If people are happy with the insurance they have, nothing needs to change," he said.

Kanjorski said the bill allows Americans to choose the health insurance plan that best fits individual and family needs by creating a marketplace of insurance plans.

"For too long, private insurance companies have monopolized how health insurance operates. This bill attempts to rein in those private insurers by prohibiting their most egregious abuses: denying coverage for individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, imposing a lifetime cap on medical care, and limiting the ability of individuals to change jobs without the fear of losing insurance coverage.  It will also enable young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26," he said.

U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock, said in a press release that he will be voting for this legislation “because all Americans should have the same insurance choices enjoyed by members of Congress and their families.”

“If it’s good enough for members of Congress, it is good enough for the people they represent,” Carney said.

The congressman said the bill would provide “quality, affordable health care while reducing the cost burden on our hardworking families and small businesses.”

“It does so in a fiscally responsible manner, reducing the deficit by an estimated $138 billion over the first 10 years and an additional $1.2 trillion in the following decade,” Carney said. “This bill also continues the longstanding ban on public funding for abortion, a factor that weighed heavily on my mind in recent days.”

Meanwhile, the Diocese of Scranton fully affirms the position of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding health care reform. The bishops stated they are opposed to the bill because it would expand abortion funding.

“The Bishops have consistently recognized the need for giving all citizens access to adequate and affordable health care. The Bishops support efforts to provide this, so long as any legislation also protects the rights of the unborn,” the diocese said.

Cardinal Justin Rigali, apostolic administrator, and Bishop-elect Joseph C. Bambera are urging elected officials who represent districts in the Diocese of Scranton to vote against the bill.

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Tory Mazzola said: “Chris Carney’s decision to vote with Speaker Pelosi and ignore his voters who overwhelmingly oppose this government takeover of healthcare will prove to be devastating on Election Day.”

“Just as the Cook Political Report wrote this week, Northeastern Pennsylvanians have no patience for the Democrats’ partisan proposal that cuts Medicare and hurts our economy,” Mazzola said.