Repeal backers’ lips sealed

I dare you to try to get a straight answer from any of our Idaho or Eastern Washington representatives in Congress about their real reasons for supporting repeal of the health care bill. They say it’s too costly, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis says repeal adds $230 billion to the debt over 10 years.

Republicans say those numbers are wrong and try to prove it by adding $208 billion in Medicare physician reimbursements and $115 billion in other costs to their cost analysis. The true facts are that the Medicare reimbursement has been adjusted regularly since the flawed formula was adopted in 1997. These costs are wholly independent of the bill they want to repeal and will be incurred as part of other programs.

Last year’s health care bill actually saves money. If you doubt me on this, just ask your representative to Congress why it was necessary to exempt that repeal bill from the new rule prohibiting legislation which adds to the federal debt.

Sid Wurzburg

Spirit Lake