News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Whitfield on Healthcare Vote

By Angela Hatton

Washington, D. C. – Kentucky congressman Ed Whitfield is expressing his concerns today ahead of a likely congressional vote on a healthcare bill Sunday. Whitfield says his main problems are the reductions in Medicare and the burden the bill would add to the national debt. The Republican disagrees the bill would save 138 billion dollars over ten years, as estimated by the budget office.

"They're only able to do that because they're taking the tax increases for ten years and they're only showing costs for six years, because most of the benefits of this plan are going to be pushed out into the future."

Whitfield says he approves of some parts of the bill, such as a provision that would prevent insurance companies from denying an individual because of a pre-existing condition. He disagrees with President Barack Obama's statement that this vote is the last chance to get healthcare passed. Whitfield believes a restructured plan is still possible.