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House Republicans Ignore 46 Million Uninsured

by The Hill - 05/01/06 5:23 PM ET

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) accused House Republicans of ignoring the issue of increasing numbers of uninsured Americans.

It is more than a little ironic that President Bush’s remarks on health care today come on the same day that marks the beginning of ‘Cover the Uninsured Week.’ The fact is, there are 46 million uninsured Americans today, an increase of 6 million over the last five years. The President’s continued insistence on Health Savings Accounts as a remedy for America’s health care crisis shows that Republicans have no plan to help the uninsured. But at least President Bush is raising the issue; House Republicans are ignoring it.

Hoyer continued

Instead, the Republican response to covering the uninsured seems to stop at HSAs, which will undermine traditional group insurance and discourage American families from seeking important preventative care. I hope that, unlike the debate on Social Security, Republicans will set aside their partisan agenda and join Democrats in finding a workable solution. The health of America’s people and America’s future depends on realistic bipartisan action.