President Obama held a “Jobs Summit” last week, where business leaders from all over the country gathered to discuss ways to increase employment and get the economy moving again. During a holiday season where one out of every ten Americans is out of work, that’s an important discussion to have.
Well, with all due respect to the president, I have a suggestion that will do more to further employment in America than anything that was discussed at the jobs summit:
Congress should abandon this job-killing health care bill.
Prior to coming to the Senate, I spent over thirty years in the business world. I have run several small and large businesses that have created thousands of jobs. Indeed, it is the private sector, not Washington DC, that creates jobs. All Washington can do is get in the way.
And when it comes to job creation, this health care bill gets in the way – in a big way.
Last night, I listened as one of my constituents – a Democrat, mind you –complained about the rising costs of providing health care for the employees in his small business. He is optimistic that the Democrats’ bill will help lower costs. He didn’t realize that the bill we’re now considering is loaded with mandates and requirements that will raise both health care premiums and personal and corporate taxes.
The logic here is very simple. Every dollar that a small businessman spends on health care premiums, taxes, or other government fees is a dollar that can’t be passed on in wages to an employee. That forces the business owner to face the cruel reality of either lowering wages for everyone or cutting some employees off the payroll altogether.
Put simply, this health care bill means more lost jobs.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Small business is the engine of the economy. It’s irresponsible to jam through a health care bill that would devastate the very businesses that can get our country back on track. That’s the wrong approach, and it’s not what Americans want.
We need to focus on free market principles to fix our broken health care system. This bill fails to do that.
If we’re going to make real progress on health care and in job creation, we need to scrap this bill altogether.
Mr. Bennett,
I was just reading your newest email regarding Obamacare. What can we do to help convince one Democrat to vote down Obamacare. Would it help to do a poll? Write letters of concern? What can we do to sway someone? Is there someone who seems to be on the fence?
Thank you so much for all you’re doing! Keep at it!
Paige Norton
Only one question I ask all Washington. If this new health plan is so good will ALL of Congress, Executive branch and Judicial be on the same plan as the rest of the common folks?
As it is now one line says congress will be exempt from this bill.
When the ‘common people’ see “leadership by example” then confidence will be restored.