HARRISBURG – Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason was disappointed to see the U.S. Senate Finance Committee’s passage of the government-run, taxpayer-funded health care plan sponsored by U.S. Senator Max Baucus.

“Today is a sad day for the millions of American families who are now one step closer to having to foot the bill for President Barack Obama’s and the Democrats’ plans to nationalize our health care system,” Gleason said. “This government-run, taxpayer-funded health care plan will drastically expand the role of the government in the lives of everyday citizens while increasing taxes by as much as $4,000 per year for hardworking American families. In addition, the staggering $400 billion in taxes on small businesses will kill jobs and force even more families to become dependent on their government.

“It’s time for President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress to stop spending our taxpayer dollars with reckless abandon and start working with Republicans to create concrete, pro-growth solutions to our health care situation that will take steps to improve the lives of the millions of Americans who are currently without proper medical coverage.

“I call on all members of Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation to stand up for their constituents and reject these plans for government-run, taxpayer-funded health care.”

The group America’s Health Insurance Plans released a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers that estimates that the Democrat U.S. Senate health care bill will add $1,700 annually to the cost of family insurance coverage by 2013.  They predicted that by the year 2019, prices could rise to $4,000 a year in costs for families and individual premiums could rise by $1,500. (“White House Tries to Strike Down Insurance Industry Criticism Ahead of Key Vote,” Fox News, 10/12/09, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/11/insurers-escalate-criticism-health-overhaul/)