Perriello defends health-care vote; opponents picket his offices
Rep. Tom Perriello, D-5th, and supporters today defended his vote in favor of the $1.2 trillion health-care overhaul, while an anti-tax group picketed his offices in Martinsville, Danville and Farmville.
"I thought it was important to solve this problem because families are being crushed under the cost of skyrocketing premiums," Perriello said during an afternoon conference call with reporters.
The bill that the U.S. House passed late Saturday did not include everything Perriello wanted, such as provisions allowing interstate competition and portability, as well as provisions addressing tort reform.
But the congressman said it would reduce the deficit, offer affordable premiums for middle-class families, and provide "a lifeline of health care in our small towns and rural communities."
Perriello, whose district stretches from Charlottesville to the North Carolina line, is at the heart of Virginia's health-care debate.
After winning his seat last year by 727 votes in an election that went to a recount, Perriello held 21 health-care town-hall meetings this summer to listen to constituents of his closely divided district.
He was one of four Virginia Democrats who voted in favor of the measure backed by President Barack Obama. Two Virginia Democrats, Reps. Glenn Nye of the 2nd District and Rick Boucher of the 9th District, joined the five Republicans in Virginia's U.S. House delegation in voting against the bill.
Boucher held a news conference in Bristol today to explain his vote against the bill. According to The Associated Press, Boucher said he is concerned that a government-run insurance plan could jeopardize hospitals in the region because it would not do enough to counter the disparities in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements between rural and urban areas.
Perriello's support of the health-care measure has made him a target of Republicans in 2010. They are seeking to avenge his 2008 defeat of incumbent Virgil H. Goode Jr., a Republican.
Shortly after Saturday's vote, Ben Marchi, state director of the anti-tax group Americans for Prosperity, issued a news release titled "AFP Coming After Perriello!"
"Tom Perriello's career was pronounced dead at 11:16 p.m. EST on November 7, 2009," Marchi wrote. "Cause of demise: Political malpractice."
The group plans to continue picketing Tuesday at Perriello's Charlottesville office.
But Perriello also will gain support Tuesday. Americans United for Change, a group founded in 2005 to help defeat then-President George W. Bush's effort to privatize Social Security, will start running a TV ad on broadcast and cable channels in Roanoke to thank Perriello for backing the health-care bill.
Among those supporting Perriello on today's call were a physician, a community health-center executive and a minister.
Ellen Jessee, a small-business owner from Collinsville in Henry County, said the health-insurance premium she pays to cover her 10 employees has increased $1,000 a month because of a lack of competition.
"We're paying the most expensive prices because we're small and we can't negotiate lower prices," she said.
Martinsville resident Shuna Ingram told reporters on the call that she lost her health insurance when she lost her job last September. She was healthy -- and then she had a car accident.
"I was putting off going to the hospital, debating a couple of hours back and forth, because I didn't have health coverage," she said.
Reader Reactions
Interested Read,
Those without insurance today are costing all of us. Cover those persons and all of the items you doubt become much easier.
That is obvious math - not the fuzzy math the heathcare insurance industry perpetuates today!
I’m appalled a Perriello’s attitude about this new bill—“I thought it was important to solve this problem because families are being crushed under the cost of skyrocketing premiums,“ Perriello said. Also he said “it would reduce the deficit, offer affordable premiums for middle-class families, and provide “a lifeline of health care in our small towns and rural communities.“
Please tell me how this will reduce the deficit and offer affordable premiums and provide a life line of health care in our small towns and rural communities? All of this seems to be fuzzy math.
You don’t spend MORE money to save money. We don’t need 2,000 pages of nonesense to run this program. If so, it’s too complicated, nobody has read it or understands it.
All of his town hall meetings this summer apparently did no good and he didn’t listen, but instead voted with the herd.
I’m glad to see the democrats finally going forward without republicans, to hel with bi-partisanship. Morons like cantor, boehner, and john inhofe are pathetic politicians it doesn’t matter what legislation is proposed if its progressive they wont vote for it.
considering a democrate congress keeps approving WAR spending and have been for several years…you can not blame Bush for everything.
Why are we still there, why did congress continue to fund our actions, but preach against it..and do nothing.
Oh right, you could blame Bush and none of the liberals would know the difference
...lol Bush….try Congress…and the dems in control.
It was govmint sub prime mortgages, Freddie and Fannie that ruined our economy. And anytime anyone got close to blowing the whistle on the writing on the wall and predicting the collapse, Democrats like Christopher Dodd, Barney’s Frank and Maxine Waters vehemently defended the institutions responsible for leading us to an eminent collapse.
Govmint ruined the economy, not a few bonuses received by few.
If you don’t like AIG, don’t buy their products and services.
Can’t say the same about govmint.
Republicans are now blubbering about those poor unfortunate AIG executives whose greed nearly destroyed the world economy. Next thing you know they will be nominating Scrooge for sainthood.
vamama… your boy is keeping those wars alive, so what are you crowing about?
And if you don’t think the UAW isn’t padding the pockets of every Democrat in Congress as thanks for giving them 60 percent of GM, you’re dumber than Perriello.
And try answering this… if the government can’t run a simple flu vaccine program, a medical program for vewterans or seniors, a simple delivery service like USPS or even a stupid cars for clunkers program, how is government going to run an 80-million-person health insurance program?
Don’t worry. No liberal can answer it because the answer is government can’t run it. Our taxes are going to explode if this ignorance becomes law, and this clown from Buckingham County is a reason why. And I’m going to do all I can to vote his bleep out of office next year.
I love that Republicans are now crying about debt and spending. At least Dems want to keep the money at home and not starting wars and padding their own pockets.
His constituents should take a page from the ACORN, SEIU (Big Labor Union), Obama Chicago style thug politics.
That group organized and transported harassers to the private homes of AIG execs to intimidate them, their wives and children.
Forget Perriello’s offices. Go to Perriello’s private residence.
After all, you did learn that legal intimidation tactic from Obama’s people.
Perriello, do you honestly think that this is going to take care of the problem of people getting “crushed under the cost of skyrocketing premiums?“ If you do, you’re dumber than a box of hair.
What you voted for is tax increases for everyone. You voted for the socialist cause of government ordering people to get health insurance even if they don’t want it. You voted for allowing people who have even less knowledge of health care than the people the insurance companies use now to make decisions for what your constituents will be able to get.
You made an absolutely ignorant choice to back your party instead of doing the right thing, and it will cost you your job next year. One-term Tom is what they’re going to call you.
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