"Behind the Lines" Update from Senator John Cornyn of Texas.

Here’s the latest update on the $2.5 trillion Reid health care bill provided by Senator John Cornyn, Republican Senator from Texas.
More of the same. News outlets are reporting that some Senate Democrats have reached an agreement on the health care plan. This new ‘agreement’ is nothing more than a repackaged government plan that will reduce competition and raise health care premiums for hard-working Americans. Senate Moderates have yet to voice their support for this ‘deal.’

Job-killing Policies. I participated today in a press conference with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and executives from 70 major U.S. corporations who have come out in opposition to the Reid health care bill because of its job-killing mandates. If signed into law, the Reid bill will penalize employers, especially small businesses, in fines totaling $28 billion if they do not meet Washington’s new mandates and regulations. The economic evidence is undisputed; these types of mandates on American businesses will simply result in lower wages, reduced hours, and job cuts.

Subsidized Abortions. Senate Democrat Leaders refused to even allow a fair up-or-down vote on an amendment offered by fellow Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska that would have prevented any federal funding of abortions under the Reid health care bill. As it stands, if the Reid bill is signed into law, millions of taxpayers will be forced to fund procedures that go directly against their personal beliefs and convictions.

If you like your current health care plan, you may not be able to keep it. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has concluded that the Reid health care bill will result in 9-10 million Americans losing their current health care coverage. This breaks the President’s promise that, “If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.”

Back Door Plan Trojan Horse For Government Takeover. According to new analysis requested by my office, there is vague language in the 2,074-page Reid health care bill that creates a loophole to allow states to ban all private insurers from the insurance exchange under the Reid bill, thereby eliminating competition and only offering government-run health care to their residents.

Higher Taxes. The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation has concluded that under the Reid bill, 42 million individuals and families with income under $200K will pay higher taxes. If President Obama signs this bill into law, he will have broken his promise: “I can make a firm pledge: under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase – not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”