Boehner Challenges Speaker Pelosi to Allow Vote on GOP Health Care Plan

http://gopleader.gov In an appearance this morning on CNNs State of the Union, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) challenged Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to allow a debate and vote on the Republican plan to make health care more affordable and accessible at a price our nation can afford. Boehner outlined the GOP's smart, fiscally responsible reforms in the weekly Republican address after Speaker Pelosi unveiled a 1,990-page government takeover of health care that raises taxes, destroys jobs, and cuts Medicare benefits for seniors. On the economy, Boehner noted that the trillion-dollar stimulus isnt working and asked, where are the jobs? On Afghanistan, Boehner reiterated his concerns about the dangers of delaying a decision on U.S. troop levels. Lastly, Boehner stated his opposition to the Obama Administrations decision to provide H1N1 vaccinations to Gitmo detainees before vulnerable American populations. Following are full video and key excerpts from Boehners interview with State of the Union host John King:

BOEHNER CHALLENGES SPEAKER PELOSI TO ALLOW A VOTE ON GOP HEALTH CARE PLAN:

What Im hopeful for is to take these eight or nine ideas and put them together in a bill thats being scored right now by the Congressional Budget Office and present it on the House floor during this debate. And Im hopeful that Speaker Pelosi will allow us to offer an alternative. But what we do is we try to make the current system work better. We take a step-by-step approach by allowing people to buy insurance across state lines, allowing small businesses and other groups of individuals to group together for the purpose of buying health insurance at lower costs like big businesses and unions can. We need to do something about junk lawsuits. I think that one of our proposals is to give grants to states who have innovative programs to help bring down the cost of health insurance.

And, 34 states, today, have high-risk pools for those with pre-existing conditions. We want to encourage all states to have these. And we put more money into these high-risk pools so that we can bring down the cost of health insurance. And at the end of the day, what were doing with our proposal is lowering health care insurance premiums lowering cost and expanding access. I would hope that the Speaker would allow us to have a debate and a vote on our proposal.

BOEHNER SAYS THE TRILLION-DOLLAR STIMULUS ISNT WORKING, ASKS WHERE ARE THE JOBS?:

The President said that when he signed the bill that unemployment would not exceed eight percent. Now, we have unemployment at nearly 10 percent. He also said that jobs would be created immediately and the fact is, they havent. Most of the so-called jobs that have been saved or created are government jobs, even though the President promised that 90 percent of these jobs would be private sector jobs. Three million Americans have lost their jobs since the stimulus was signed into law. And yes, the economy grew last month. But after $1 trillion of an economic stimulus plan was spent, probably another $7 or $8 trillion that the Fed has pumped into the economy, I would hope that weve seen some economic growth. But Americans all around the country continue to ask the question, where are the jobs?

BOEHNER EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT DELAY IN PRESIDENT'S DECISION ON FUTURE OF U.S. STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN:

The President made clear that we are not going to withdraw from Afghanistan. But it looked for every reason in the world to put off a decision. And, the longer this decision hangs, the more jeopardy and the more danger our troops on the ground there are in the middle of. Im concerned about this delay. I would hope that the President would make a decision and make it soon.

BOEHNER OPPOSES OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PLAN TO PROVIDE H1N1 VACCINATIONS TO GITMO DETAINEES:

I dont think its a good idea. The Administration probably didnt think it would be very popular either, thats why they announced it on Friday night. We have prisoners in my home county who are going to get H1N1 shots while there are vulnerable populations who want the shots who cant get them. I just think thats wrong.