C-SPAN showed the bill passing 219-212 as time expired on the House vote Sunday evening.
Here are the statements NMPolitics.net received from New Mexico politicians following the U.S. House’s vote in favor of historic health-care legislation Sunday evening.
From U.S. Rep. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.:
“Today’s vote to reform our broken health insurance system defines who we are as a nation.
“My vote today puts an end to insurers rejecting you because you have a pre-existing condition. My vote today closes the Medicare prescription drug doughnut hole. My vote today gives small business owners tax credits so their employee coverage will be more affordable. My vote today reduces the deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next two decades. My vote today holds insurance companies accountable.
“This debate has been long, thoughtful and emotional. And even though we have seen statistics manipulated, misinformation encouraged, and the very patriotism of our fellow citizens called into question, I am confident that my vote today falls on the right side of history.
“The benefits of reform will be large and immediate for New Mexicans, and our nation will be stronger and healthier because of it.”
From U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M.:
“Today, Congress passed historic health insurance reform that will make coverage more affordable and secure for those with insurance, extend coverage for those without insurance, and hold insurance companies accountable.
“Health insurance reform stops insurance companies from denying people for pre-existing conditions. It provides more choice. It lowers costs and reduces our deficit. It stops insurance companies from dropping people who are sick. It helps small businesses by giving them tax credits. It helps seniors by making prescription drugs more affordable.
“While this legislation does not solve every problem facing our health insurance system, it does make important steps toward reforming our broken health insurance system, and I’m proud that we were able to pass legislation that will put the people of New Mexico ahead of health insurance companies.”
From U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.:
“For years our health care system has been broken. New Mexicans have been forced to pay increasingly higher insurance premiums – in some cases only to learn that their coverage is very limited or that they have been dropped for a pre-existing condition. Hundreds of thousands more New Mexicans have had to live without insurance, putting their health and their families’ financial stability at risk.
“Congress has been talking about fixing our health care system for decades. Indeed, we have made adjustments around the edges, but they haven’t fixed the problem. Premiums have continued to rise, health care costs have spiraled out of control and quality care has suffered.
“The legislation Congress has passed and can now send to the president contains the help New Mexico families need. It will help contain rising costs, improve the quality of care, expand coverage to the uninsured and do so in a way that significantly reduces our national deficit. This is a very good bill for New Mexico and the country.”
From Republican 1st Congressional District candidate Jon Barela:
“This bill will increase the cost and decrease the quality of health care in America. That’s why New Mexicans, and Americans in general, have been so adamantly opposed to this legislation. They did not ask for a government takeover of their health care system, but Martin Heinrich and Nancy Pelosi have decided to force it upon them anyway.
“In addition, the health care scheme would include nearly $200 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage, and it is estimated that the IRS will need to hire 16,500 additional workers to enforce all the new taxes and penalties in the plan.
“Furthermore, the process Martin Heinrich, Nancy Pelosi and leading Washington politicians used to pass this unpopular bill did not represent American democracy well. It wasn’t bipartisan, it wasn’t inclusive, it wasn’t honest, and it wasn’t transparent. It was reckless, distorted and thoroughly undemocratic; it’s no wonder Americans are feeling ignored, angry and shunned.”
“As I’ve said before, there’s not a shred of independence in Martin Heinrich, and it’s time for him to be held accountable. Families in our congressional district do not need or want higher taxes, cuts to Medicare, or more government intrusion into their personal lives. But with him as their representative, that’s exactly what they’re getting. New Mexicans deserve a congressman who will work for our interests, and not simply salute the left-wing policy prescriptions or shady maneuvers of his party bosses.”
From Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Steve Pearce:
“Today Nancy Pelosi got her way against the will of the majority of the country. She passed yet another trillion dollar spending bill that will destroy jobs and drive up the deficit.
“I care about New Mexico families and the health care they receive, and believe that changes must be made to the current health care system, but this legislation does not help the people who need health care. It certainly does not impact our state and country in a positive way. The final version of this bill still spends too much, increases taxes on individuals too much and puts too much government in our health care system. If elected, I will work Congress to repeal the parts of this bill that are harmful to our economy.
“It is unfortunate that health care could not have been addressed in smaller pieces of legislation that everyone could have read and understood – and agreed upon. The flaws in the legislation became even more apparent this week when backroom deal after deal was exposed. If the legislation was good for America, as the speaker claimed, why were so many members of her party afraid to vote in favor of it?
“Washington needs to quickly refocus on getting our economy moving, creating jobs and reducing spending – that is something Americans have been asking for Congress to address for over a year. I sincerely hope that is now the priority.”
From Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Turner:
“March 21st will be remembered as the day Americans lost great measures of freedom. We are no longer free to choose our insurance. We are no longer free to have a relationship with our doctors that is free of government interference. For a hard day’s work, we will now keep far less of what we earn. Our federal government has taken control of one-sixth of our economy.
“Like most Americans, I believe that we need a real and comprehensive plan that will reduce the cost of health care in the U.S., eliminate fraud and waste, and enhance access through the private insurance markets, without raising taxes or imposing fines.
“This bill fails to deliver. Besides failing to address the real problems with our health care system, the new health care legislation actually threatens with jail time those Americans who choose not to purchase health insurance and imposes fines on businesses who do the same.
“Can you imagine being thrown in prison for not buying health insurance? Where does the federal government’s control over our freedoms end?”
“There were too many closed-door meetings and back-room deals that preceded the approval of this bill. If the bill were so good, would Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have had to bribe members of Congress for their support?”
“Once the federal government stops fully paying for Medicaid in 2016, states will be required to begin to share the cost of the bill. New Mexico is already bankrupt and additional, unfunded federal mandates cannot be tolerated. We need a solid, common sense solution that actually brings down costs and removes waste in the health care system. This plan is not it.”
One thing that’s missing is a statement from U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, D-N.M., who, unlike Heinrich and Luján, voted against the bill – something he had announced previously and explained.
Update, March 22, 8:25 a.m.
From U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M.:
“As the state with the second-highest uninsured rate in the nation, New Mexico can’t afford the status quo when it comes to health care. Too many New Mexicans today are struggling to find insurance, or are struggling to afford or to hold onto the insurance they already have. The legislation approved by the House would change that. With this vote, we move another important step closer to giving every New Mexican – and every American – access to quality, affordable health care.
“This legislation won’t solve all of the problems we face as a nation regarding health care. But it will help us meet many of the most acute challenges that we face today. It will extend coverage to 32 million Americans, close the prescription-drug doughnut hole for seniors, prevent insurance companies from discrimination based on pre-existing conditions and gender, and reduce the deficit by $143 billion in the first 10 years.
“The bottom line is this legislation puts American families and small business owners – not insurance companies – back in control of their own health care. As we begin our work this week, it would serve all of us well to remember this: Americans have waited generations for health care reform. They are ready for us to act. I look forward to our work in the Senate this week, and to sending this package to President Obama to sign into law.”
Update, March 22, 9:35 a.m.
From state Sen. Dede Feldman, D-Albuquerque:
“The passage of federal health care reform is an historic step forward for families in New Mexico. I am proud to stand with the more than 1,000 other state legislators from around our great nation who worked together over the past year to support health care reform. State legislators have long been on the front lines of the battle for accessible, affordable quality health care for their constituents, and the effort of the White House Working Group of State Legislators for Health Care Reform was critical to making this victory for American families possible.
“Now that federal reform has passed, I intend to work just as hard to make sure that it is implemented effectively in our state, so that quality health care becomes more affordable and more accessible for all of our families.
“During the session, we passed my Senate Joint Memorial 1, which will set up a Health Care Reform working group to iron out implementation issues, under the leadership of the state insurance commissioner. We need to do our own reconciliation – making sure state insurance regulations square with the new ones in the federal reform, and preparing our high risk pool and Medicaid program to receive federal funds.
“With the second highest percentage of uninsured in the nation, we have lots of opportunities to take advantage of.
“I particularly want to thank Sen. Jeff Bingaman, whose work on the Senate bill resulted in many unheralded benefits to New Mexico, particularly in addressing our shortage of health care providers and supporting many of the pilot programs here to encourage prevention and primary care, which will bring down costs in the long run.”