Survey of 2014 Senate campaign websites: on Health Care


Amanda Swafford: Dramatically strengthen Health Savings Accounts

We can also bring more individuals back into the healthcare industry by deregulating physician's assistants and nurses. Not every ailment requires a visit to the doctor when it can be easily diagnosed and treated by trained and qualified professionals. Alternative healthcare options, including medicinal marijuana, should also be allowed equal entry to the market. This gives the individual more power and responsibility for making healthcare decisions.

We should also dramatically strengthen Health Savings Accounts. Incentives for healthcare under the current tax code should not depend on meeting special gross income thresholds engineered by Congress. And the FDA should be audited and possibly replaced with voluntary, free market groups made up of both industry and consumer driven organizations to monitor, protect and research what is actually demanded by those utilizing the goods & services produced.

Source: 2014 Georgia Senate campaign website, AmandaSwafford.net Sep 30, 2014

Thomas Ravenel: We can't afford any more socialized medicine

Premiums for the average family with an employer-provided plan actually increased by $2,400 a year at the end of Obama's first term. And they are still going up. We can't afford any more socialized medicine. That's why ObamaCare should be immediately repealed and replaced with a free market system that allows interstate competition among insurers and equal tax treatment between individual purchasers and corporations. Federal red tape that kills innovation and efficiency should be slashed.
Source: 2014 S.C. Senate campaign website, RavenelForSenate.com Sep 1, 2014

John Buckley: Less government in healthcare; more individual choice

The path to reform of America's health care lies precisely in the opposite direction of ObamaCare: less government, more individual choice. Enabling consumers to attain direct control of their health insurance, rather than obtaining coverage through their employers or through the government, will provide the incentives to control costs. The lack of 1st-party cost-consciousness, where currently the bulk of medical expenses are paid for by 3rd-party payors, contributes to a spiral in the overall cost of health care. The result is that millions find health care insurance unaffordable; but that problem is due to the government's distortion of the health care market in the first place. Freeing consumers to purchase health insurance offered across state lines, allowing an open market with respect to consumer choice on benefits, co-pays, and catastrophic coverage, and equalizing the tax consequences of purchasing health insurance directly from an insurer are immediate steps to health care reform.
Source: 2014 West Virginia Senate campaign website JohnBuckley.org Aug 31, 2014

John Buckley: ObamaCare is a Big Government bacterial infection

Too much government has messed up the health care system in the United States. ObamaCare, also known as the Affordable Care Act, has disrupted the health insurance coverage of, and increased premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for, millions of Americans. Worse, its perverse incentives draw millions of others into greater dependence on government health programs. In addition, it will significantly slow economic growth and kill jobs. Obama's continuing patches, "fixes," delays, and selective exemptions only highlight that ObamaCare is an ongoing disaster. It was fraudulently sold ("You can keep your doctor if you want to"), hastily packaged ("we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it"), and rammed through despite the public's consistent opposition.

My opponents propose an aspirin to "fix" the government mess; I propose market-based solutions as an antibiotic to Big Government's bacterial infection.

Source: 2014 West Virginia Senate campaign website, JohnBuckley.org Aug 31, 2014

Shenna Bellows: Supports ObamaCare & universal health coverage

Source: 2014 Maine Senate campaign website BellowsForSenate.com Aug 31, 2014

Gordon Ball: ObamaCare is over the top, but keep the good parts

The Affordable Healthcare Act has a number of good provisions:We cannot roll back these and other necessary provisions, because they are too important for American families. However, any legislation that is over 2,200 pages long and is administered by the IRS is, from its inception, way over-the-top. We must fix this, retaining provisions that benefit citizens and throwing out the bad ones. It is inconceivable to me that anyone in Congress read all of this bill before it was passed.
Source: 2014 Tennessee Senate campaign website, GordonBallSenate.com Aug 7, 2014

Sam Rankin: Tort reform plus higher deductibles & co-pays

Source: 2014 Montana Senate campaign website, SamRankin.com Jul 27, 2014

Sam Rankin: ObamaCare is the worst bill ever passed by Congress

ObamaCare is a disaster to our health care system. I fully oppose ObamaCare. It is one of the worst, if not the worst, bill ever passed by Congress and signed into law by this president. Even the president knows it's a disaster, as he has changed the provisions over 25 times. The people of West Virginia need a Senator that will work to help people who have insurance, keep their insurance; those who still need insurance, find a plan and work to keep our doctors seeing patients. And most of all, lower the cost of health care; unlike this failed plan, which has increased costs beyond what people can afford. Congress should begin by passing Tort reform, freezing reimbursements to health-care providers and removing some of the more costly provisions currently required in the ObamaCare plans. I am a health-care provider and I understand what it will take to lower health-care costs for the people of West Virginia.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, ZaneLawhorn.com Jul 27, 2014

Matt Silverstein: Don't re-open the Medicare prescription drug "donut hole"

Instead of protecting and preserving these vital programs, Jim Inhofe plans to end Medicare as we know it. By a proposal supported by Jim Inhofe, thousands of Oklahoma's current seniors would see their out of pocket costs increased by nearly $6,000 per year and forced back into the prescription drug "donut hole." Jim Inhofe believes that in order to avoid cutting benefits in the future, we must cut benefits now. Matt will not support policies that require senior's to foot the bill.
Source: 2014 Okla. Senate campaign website, MattForOklahoma.com Jul 1, 2014

Brad Hutto: Fix ObamaCare, but don't put insurance companies in charge

Brad wants to fix the Affordable Care Act and allow everyone to keep or obtain a plan that best suits their families' needs. He will not support legislation that will put the insurance companies back in charge or return us to a time when insurance could be denied for pre-existing conditions and families could go bankrupt because of lifetime caps.
Source: 2014 S.C. Senate campaign website, BradHutto.com Jun 25, 2014

Connie Johnson: Improve ObamaCare and take advantage of its benefits

Even though Oklahoma is not participating in the Affordable Care Act--refusing to expand Medicaid or to create state health insurance exchanges--Oklahomans still benefit from key provisions in the ACA that Connie supports.
  1. The ACA improves access to insurance coverage and, therefore, care. Insurance companies can no longer deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Oklahomans will no longer lose coverage because of a catastrophic health event.
  2. The ACA promotes health and wellness through free preventive screenings.
  3. The ACA means Oklahoma's young adults can stay on their parents' insurance plan until age 26.
Connie recognizes that the ACA does nothing to address rising health care costs. As our US Senator, she will work to improve the ACA, by advocating for additional cost controls and provisions that address the unique needs of young adults and other specialized groups. Oklahomans deserve nothing less than access to affordable, quality health care.
Source: 2014 Okla. Senate campaign website, cj4ok.com Jun 25, 2014

Dave Domina: Nebraska Wellness Act covers uninsured and saves lives

Dave Domina announced that he will urge Senators in the Nebraska Legislature to pass LB 887, the Nebraska Wellness Act. The proposed law will extend medicaid benefits to approximately 3% of Nebraska's population and reach a group greatly in need of healthcare coverage. Domina note, "I think the evidence establishes that the proposed new law will provide major benefits with nearly no detriments for the State", Domina said. He cited these advantages of the law:
Source: 2014 Neb. Senate campaign website, DaveDomina.com May 15, 2014

Dave Domina: No Medicare vouchers; keep government's promises

I will resist making Medicare a voucher system and insist that Medicare benefits are a promise we must keep. These benefits represent a successful and efficient government program, and I oppose giving this massive block of government services to private companies to operate at retail costs instead of continuing to administer them successfully as they are. My opponent takes the opposite view. Only my position will protect those on Medicare.
Source: 2014 Neb. Senate campaign website, DaveDomina.com May 15, 2014

Joyce Dickerson: Support ObamaCare to expand quality affordable care

We need representation in Washington that will vote your interests and not those of special interests. As your representative in Washington, I will vote to:
Source: 2014 S.C. Senate campaign website JoyceDickersonSC.com May 15, 2014

Jeff Bell: Real universal healthcare: replace Obamacare with tax credit

How is it, so many ask, that America is the richest country in the world and so many people here can't afford healthcare? This is because we have essentially priced ourselves out of a marketplace for healthcare. The emphasis on employer-based insurance at the expense of individually-owned coverage has destroyed the prospects for competitive pricing. We must change this by enabling individuals to purchase and control their own health insurance with a tax credit.

We should repeal Obamacare and redirect its subsidies into a refundable tax credit generous enough to enable everyone to afford catastrophic health insurance. This universal healthcare model would:

  1. create a competitive marketplace for routine healthcare that could be affordable without having to use insurance
  2. allow individuals to own and control their own health insurance and
  3. give a public insurance option to those with chronic illness and preexisting conditions who need government support to become insured.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, Bell2014.com, "Issues" May 2, 2014

Monica Wehby: Prominent and early opponent of ObamaCare

In 2009, while ObamaCare was rolling down the legislative pike, Monica was a prominent opponent of the ACA. She was enlisted to be in a TV commercial which ran across the nation warning people about the dangers of that bill. Monica got a lot of hate mail for that ad campaign and had to change her home phone number, but every one of her predictions has come true.

150,000 people have had their health insurance plans cancelled in Oregon. Premiums have increased. Medicare Advantage benefits for our state's seniors have been cut. The Obama administration is constantly changing its rules and regulations and delaying its mandates. As one person told her, "The Affordable Care Act has made my health insurance un-affordable."

This system is so flawed that it needs to be repealed and replaced with a patient-centered, market-based approach like the one Monica outlined in November of 2013 that increases access that is actually affordable.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, MonicaForOregon.com, "Issues" Mar 18, 2014

Allen Weh: Fix the healthcare train wreck we've got now

Source: 2014 N.M. Senate campaign website, AllenWeh.com Feb 18, 2014

Charlie Hardy: There are sick people unable to get medical attention

Quote of the day from Charlie: "There are sick people in Wyoming who are unable to go and get the medical attention they want. There are kids who want to continue their education, but they can't. We must run, and we must win because of all of these things."
Source: 2014 Wyoming Senate campaign website, RunWithCharlie2014.com Feb 18, 2014

David Clements: Replace ObamaCare with free market solutions

ObamaCare has created a hopelessly complicated medical system that benefits insurance companies and special interests, not patients. We need reforms that will reduce the real costs of health care, not regulations that reduce the 40 hour work week, or the incentive to hire more workers.

I believe in free market solutions, including the ability to sell policies across state lines. This would improve care and reduce costs by aligning the interests of patients, doctors, and hospitals. We should also give consumers the freedom to transition away from the employer-based health care system. By allowing coverage to be tied to an individual, and not an employer, workers can keep their insurance in the event they change or lose their job. As your senator, I will advocate for a sustainable health care system that allows patients and doctors to consider the costs and benefits of each decision. Together, we can restore America's health care system to again being the best in the world.

Source: 2014 N.M. Senate campaign website, ClementsForNM.com Feb 18, 2014

Milton Wolf: ObamaCare is the most disastrous law of our lifetimes

Dr. Wolf's latest Washington Times column discusses more lies by President Obama about ObamaCare, and more problems with the law that Americans will soon face:

"There's just no way around this: President Obama looked America in the eye and lied. The president was so hellbent on 'fundamentally transforming' the country with his health care takeover that he intentionally deceived you--he lied--not once or twice, but over and over again."

"ObamaCare is the most disastrous law of our lifetimes, one that was forced upon us in the most dishonest of ways in order to fundamentally transform America from the Land of the Free into a nation of dependents. The ObamaCare days of reckoning have barely begun, and our only salvation now is to repeal this train wreck in its entirety and to be honest with Americans about what measures actually work: patient-centered, market-driven reforms."

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website: press release, "ObamaCare" Dec 12, 2013

Dan Sullivan: Sued to block ObamaCare as outside bounds of Constitution

As Attorney General, Sullivan sued the Obama Administration over its national health care legislation primarily because he believed that the law exceeded the bounds of the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause. The Supreme Court agreed with this conclusion.

After the 2,200-page ObamaCare legislation was passed, Attorney General Sullivan and a team of attorneys from the Alaska Department of law read the act and analyzed its constitutional implications. Sullivan and his team wrote and submitted a 49-page legal memorandum to Governor Parnell recommending that Alaska sue the federal government over ObamaCare. The Sullivan memo, which was released to the public, was cited by other state Attorneys General offices as an important document in the fight to overturn ObamaCare.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website Sullivan2014.com "Accomplish" Dec 5, 2013

Rob Maness: Empower patients and doctors to make their own choices

The only way to increase quality and access to healthcare while reducing costs is to ensure patients and doctors are empowered to make their own choices. Medical choices made at the provider and patient level are proven to drive down costs while maintaining quality service. I've supervised government hospitals and have been treated by government healthcare most of my life. With no incentive to keep cost down or provide good service, we've seen the lack of quality evident in the government model.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, RobManess.com, "Principles" Nov 30, 2013

Lee Bright: Growth of Medicare & Medicaid create nanny-state dependency

The growth of government in any facet of our lives means less personal freedom, and health care is certainly no exception. Medicaid and Medicare have growth far beyond their originally projected limits, both in terms of enrollment and overall costs. Such programs cause Americans to become increasingly dependent on the government, creating a "nanny state" environment that leads to more national debt and less economic stability.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, BrightForSenate.com, "Issues" Nov 22, 2013

Doug Truax: ObamaCare is a disaster based on ideology

US Senate candidate and health care expert Doug Truax today released the fourth in a series of videos on ObamaCare to educate the public why the 2,300-page law won't work and highlight Illinois families affected by it.

Truax, whose successful business provides health care consulting services, noted that ObamaCare is already wreaking havoc on the middle class in Illinois and the rest of America.

"These are just a few of the thousands of Illinoisans already learning first-hand how ObamaCare is a disaster," Truax said. "These folks were happy with their health care and now they are being forced to pay significantly more. This is a hardship for many Illinois families."

"President Obama and Democrats like Dick Durbin forced a partisan trainwreck of a plan on America without a single Republican vote," noted Truax. "There were plenty of good ideas Obama and Durbin ignored in order to please his ideological base and ramrod the legislation through Congress."

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, dougtruax.com Nov 15, 2013

Ben Sasse: I'm the national anti-ObamaCare Senate candidate

They've called me "the national anti-ObamaCare Senate candidate." I want to roll back ObamaCare, and to explain to the American people what a constructive conservative vision really looks like.

As President George W. Bush's Assistant Secretary of Health, during my time at HHS, I learned A LOT about health care. I've spent the better part of the last ten years in the health care sector, and I have intensely studied ObamaCare. The fact is, I'm one of the few people it seems who has actually read the 2,300 pages of ObamaCare, and let me just tell you--it's worse than you think. I understand the bill, I can explain the bill, and I know how to rip it apart.

The problem with ObamaCare goes way beyond technological glitches. The problem with ObamaCare is that it fundamentally changes the relationship between the Government and our citizens. [We should] repeal ObamaCare and get America back on track.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, SasseForNebraska.com, "Issues" Nov 14, 2013

Jim Rubens: Replace ObamaCare with ideas that harness market forces

To replace ObamaCare and its mandates, I offer these suggestions to reduce deficits and healthcare costs and to increase healthcare quality and access. Unlike ObamaCare, these ideas harness market forces, increase consumer choice and do not require a federal takeover of healthcare.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, JimRubens.com Nov 14, 2013

Jim Rubens: Repeal ObamaCare and replace it with consumer choice

The solution? No more 1,000 page bills like ObamaCare that Congress did not read and the American public did not understand before being passed into law. Repeal ObamaCare and replace it with an effective solution that will reduce healthcare costs, improve healthcare quality and access, and give us more control and choice in our own healthcare decisions.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, JimRubens.com, "Issues" Nov 11, 2013

Mike McFadden: Allow keeping current policies if people choose to do so

With a Minnesota veteran telling Sen. Franken that he can't find the right policy through MNsure, U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden (R-MN) called on Franken to support efforts to allow folk to keep their current policies if they choose to do so. Though Franken has expressed his "frustration" over HelathCare.Gov not working properly, he has stood by the President's healthcare law even though 140,000 Minnesotans will lose their current healthcare plans at the end of the year.

"How many more Minnesotans need to lose their insurance or run into problems with MNsure before Al Franken admits it was a mistake to pass ObamaCare," asked McFadden. "Instead of more hollow rhetoric and empty promises, Sen. Franken needs to support policies that would give everyone the option to keep their current plan. That's what we were promised, and that's what we deserve."

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, mikemcfadden.com, "About" Nov 11, 2013

Pat McGeehan: Repeal ObamaCare; oppose any universal healthcare

As your U.S. Senator I will vote to repeal ObamaCare and oppose any legislation which expands any universal-healthcare. I do not believe government has the authority to force families to buy into a government system.

Small businesses are suffering and on the verge of being closed due to the new polices of our current President. West Virginians deserve representation in Washington that won't play party politics to get ahead. If we are to protect small businesses and jobs, we must repeal ObamaCare.

I believe health decisions are between a doctor and their patient. It is time to get government bureaucrats out of West Virginians' decisions with their doctors.

I have signed the "ObamaCare Repeal Pledge" to vote to repeal ObamaCare and against any bill that provides funding to implement or enforce the law. I will vote against legislation that increases government involvement in healthcare. We must use free-market solutions if we are to fix our current health care problems.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, McGeehan2014.com, "Issues" Nov 11, 2013

Sam Clovis: Repeal ObamaCare, the Unaffordable Care Act

The Unaffordable Care Act should be repealed. Period.

True healthcare reform should be accomplished by examining market solutions and allowing those markets to work. The Congress of the United States should advance tort reform and repeal the McCarron-Ferguson Act, thus allowing individuals in any state to shop for health insurance from any provider. By doing just these two things, estimates are that healthcare costs would be cut by up to 50%. Today, we face premium increases at near triple digit levels with no end in sight.

The current healthcare legislation is already leading to rationing, reduced care availability and will ultimately lead to fewer healthcare professionals available to treat an ever-increasing population. This is not only bad for the nation, it is immoral. This law must be repealed.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, Iowans4SamClovis.com, "Issues" Nov 11, 2013

Cory Booker: ObamaCare is a vital step in the right direction

This is unacceptable, and I firmly support the Affordable Care Act as a vital step in the right direction. I believe that the ACA has begun, and will continue, to significantly transform our health care landscape. For example, right here in New Jersey, the Affordable Care Act has closed the Medicare donut hole for 109,000 Medicare beneficiaries and will save middle class New Jerseyans more than $1,000 per year by 2019.

In Newark, we know that investing up front can produce great gains in the long run, and that the opposite is equally and sadly true. As Mayor I did not wait for the federal government to improve health access for Newarkers.

Source: 2013-2014 New Jersey Senate campaign web CoryBooker.com Nov 3, 2013

Joe Carr: ObamaCare must be defunded and repealed

Repealing or defunding ObamaCare is at the top of my priority list of things to accomplish as your Senator. This one watershed piece of legislation is wreaking more havoc on our economy while simultaneously reducing the quality of healthcare than any one piece of legislation in modern history. The last thing Tennesseans need is for the federal government to dictate their healthcare at the federal level. Healthcare decisions are best made between the patient, their physician and their family--not government bureaucrats. Skyrocketing government spending on Medicare is not helping patients. On the contrary, it's harming our economic future. The effect of ObamaCare is that it is driving hard-working doctors and nurses out of the healthcare profession. The inevitable result is a shortage of doctors who are unable to deliver affordable quality healthcare. ObamaCare must be repealed.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, www.carrfortn.com, "Issues" Nov 1, 2013

Matt Bevin: Defund ObamaCare immediately, then repeal ObamaCare

ObamaCare isn't even fully implemented, and it is already a disaster. When fully implemented, it will raise the cost of healthcare, destroy jobs, and allow government to play an even larger role in our most personal decisions. We need to defund ObamaCare immediately and repeal ObamaCare as quickly as legislatively possible. Washington politicians say they oppose ObamaCare, but they continue to vote for spending bills that fund it. This has to stop. Matt will not vote for any spending bills that fund ObamaCare. None.

Matt believes we need to institute free-market reforms that will actually lower the cost of healthcare, increase choice, and allow patients to make health care decisions with their doctors--not government bureaucrats. We should increase competition by allowing people to buy health insurance across state lines, implement commonsense tort reform, and expand health savings accounts.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, MattBevin.com, "Issues" Oct 25, 2013

Matthew Whitaker: Defund and repeal ObamaCare

I have signed the Senate Conservative Fund's petition to defund ObamaCare, and will vote to repeal this disastrous legislation. ObamaCare was a misguided attempt to replicate the failed healthcare systems of Western Europe. Instead of reforming a broken system, the legislation raised taxes and created a bureaucracy of endless red tape. The law was so impractical that even the liberal Democrats in Congress agreed to delay implementation. There are sensible free market solutions that can fix the broken healthcare system, but first we must stop ObamaCare from making a bad situation worse.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, MattWhitaker.org, "Issues" Oct 20, 2013

Jason Conger: Patients & doctors drive decisions, not lawyers & insurers

The problem with healthcare in America is runaway costs. We need to work on preserving all the good of our current system by making thoughtful changes aimed not at sweeping reform, but on reducing cost and improving results.

We can make healthcare more affordable--and expand its availability. Those two principals should not be contradictory. To do it, we need to broaden our focus from just curing those who are already sick to include educating people about good health choices.

We can encourage health and wellness, shift to an outcome based system for health care, and enact common sense malpractice reform so the patient and doctor are driving healthcare decisions, not lawyers and insurance companies.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, RepJasonConger.com, "Issues" Oct 18, 2013

Chris McDaniel: Stop ObamaCare; stop Medicaid expansion; stop tyranny

We must commit ourselves toward the complete removal of ObamaCare. This law was rammed down the peoples throats using parliamentary tricks from Congress. Numerous projections show ObamaCare will cost much more than expected, that it will hit young Americans hardest.

Put very simply ObamaCare is an abject failure. It must be stopped, and attempts to stop it must be implemented at every opportunity.

Chris has fought against ObamaCare. He supported legislation requiring Mississippi agencies not participate in the federal government scheme. He was lead counsel on behalf of several Mississippians to sue the federal government on the grounds that the individual mandate was unconstitutional. He has fought against federal attempts to force Medicaid expansion onto our state. As your next United States Senator, Chris McDaniel will keep up the fight to eliminate the tyranny of ObamaCare and the attack on the middle class.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, chrismcdanielforsenate.com Oct 17, 2013

Nancy Mace: ObamaCare will be the undoing of our American way of life

I believe ObamaCare will inflict serious harm to our economy and the quality of healthcare in America. In addition, the added burden of the individual mandate and the complete disregard for individual liberty tear at the fabric of what it means to be free.

Long term, ObamaCare will be the undoing of our American way of life. I feel very strongly that we must reverse this terrible policy by using every possible tactic at our disposal; defund, repeal, and legal challenges must all be on the table. We cannot allow beltway pollsters to scare us into surrendering on this defining issue of our time.

Graham said yesterday, "To my Republican colleagues: let's embrace reality. We can't delay or defund at this moment." Senator Graham is a long time dealmaker on Capitol Hill. It's time he quit trying to act as if he is fighting for conservative principles, when, the reality is, he's not.

Source: 2014 South Carolina Senate campaign website, NancyMace.org Oct 14, 2013

Liz Cheney: Urge the repeal of ObamaCare

Speaking to small business owners in Casper, she urged the repeal of ObamaCare and its massive tax burden on the private sector. Speaking to the Chamber of Commerce in Cheyenne, she urged that we reverse Obama's dangerous cuts in defense spending, which are weakening our national security and threaten the loss of jobs at important bases like Frances E. Warren AFB.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, cheneyforwyoming.com, "About" Oct 9, 2013

Mead Treadwell: I will work to repeal ObamaCare

America's healthcare system needs reform but ObamaCare is not the reform we need. I will work to repeal ObamaCare. Already businesses across the country are dropping coverage for spouses, cutting back hours for their employees and insurance premiums are up. Their idea: more government dependence. This is unacceptable. ObamaCare is making it harder for Alaskans to support their families and it is a dangerous program that we cannot afford.

Real healthcare reform must be bipartisan and encourage innovation and competition in the healthcare system. We need to empower individuals with choices, not burden them with more government mandates and more government dependence.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, TreadwellAlaska.com, "Issues" Oct 9, 2013

Owen Hill: Defund ObamaCare; no destructive government mandates

To turn our economy around and create more new jobs [we should] defund ObamaCare and pursue real health-care reform independent of destructive government mandates.

The greatest single hindrance to creating good jobs is ObamaCare. The more we focus on bureaucratic processes rather than giving people the tools and incentives to live healthy lives, the more of a problem we create. ObamaCare is no healthcare law--it is a big-government payout. This is a law that hires 13,000 new IRS agents and no new doctors.

We now find ourselves in the position where better, cheaper health care can be found in many places around the world, but the US is missing out on countless innovative opportunities to empower people to live the best and healthiest life possible.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website owenhillforsenate.com, "Issues" Oct 9, 2013

Shane Osborn: Repeal ObamaCare; it's government intrusion into free market

From farm and health care policy to regulations impacting the banking and finance, Nebraska businesses face a growing burden of over-regulation. Obamacare represents the single greatest government intrusion into the free market. Shane supports the repeal of Obamacare, replacing it with a policy that restores decision-making to the families and medical providers. As U.S. Senator, Shane will advocate for a return to common sense practices so that business can thrive.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, www.shaneosborn.com Oct 9, 2013

Milton Wolf: Replace ObamaCare with PatientCare

Wolf became a nationally known, outspoken critic of ObamaCare and its effects on the practice of medicine. He has also stated that as a Doctor who has cared for thousands of Kansans through the years he knows firsthand the harm that ObamaCare is doing to our country and to Kansas families. He pledged to fight every day for its repeal and to never cast a vote that funds any portion of this terrible law.

"America's health care system should not be centered around the government and it should not be centered around doctors. America's health care system should be centered around patients. I call my plan simply: PatientCare." said Wolf.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website: press release, "Announce" Oct 8, 2013

Joni Ernst: Staunchly opposed to ObamaCare

Repeal and Replace Obamacare: Joni is staunchly opposed to the Obamacare law. Joni supports immediate action to defund Obamacare, repeal it, and replace it with free-market alternatives that put patients first, and healthcare decisions back in the hands of doctors rather than bureaucrats.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, JoniForIowa.com, "Issues" Sep 9, 2013

David Perdue: ObamaCare reduces quality of health care and increase costs

ObamaCare is an overreaching federal program that will actually reduce the quality of health care and increase costs. Potentially worse, it has already been shown to be a deterrent to full-time job creation. The consequences of politicians passing a massive bill without reading it continue to emerge. We need to repeal ObamaCare and replace it with more affordable free market solutions.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, perduesenate.com, "Issues" Jul 25, 2013

Jim Abeler: Led bipartisan effort for health and human services reform

I am a real problem solver and face hard decisions head-on. I think outside the box, consider all sides of an issue, and then make a reasoned, thoughtful decision. I have a strong track record of delivering results through principled work in a respectful manner. In 2011, I led a strong, bipartisan effort to reform Minnesota's health and human services programs--the fastest growing area in Minnesota's budget--that resulted in improved programs and dramatic state savings.
Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, jimabeler.com Jun 18, 2013

Champ Edmunds: ObamaCare: a train wreck of false promises & exorbitant cost

Montana overwhelmingly agrees that government run healthcare is not a step in the right direction. Montana's own senator, Max Baucus, authored the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare), voted for it and now calls it a "train wreck." Meanwhile, insurance rates for Montanans are skyrocketing and small businesses are suffering.

Every Montanan wants healthcare to be affordable, but no Montanan wants the false promises, political favors and exorbitant costs of Obamacare. I support a market solution to healthcare that provides quality care at lower prices.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website www.champ2014.com, "Issues" Jun 6, 2013

Chris McDaniel: No constitutional authority for ObamaCare

Senator Chris McDaniel spoke about the legal theories behind Obamacare. McDaniel said he believes that the federal government does not have the constitutional authorities to mandate healthcare on the people.

McDaniel filed a lawsuit in federal court against Obama's healthcare plan last April.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, press release via WDAM-7 Mar 1, 2013

Jim Oberweis: One-payer systems are not the answer

The Federal Government should do nothing which would have the effect of reducing the quality of health care afforded us. One-payer systems, like those in Great Britain and Canada, are not the answer. Instead, we should take steps to make health care more available & more affordable.

We could create--at the state level--statewide health insurance exchanges, through which the self-employed, and those who work for small businesses which don't provide coverage, could purchase their own lower-cost policies. These policies would be personal and portable, and would be tax-advantaged.

No discussion of health care reform would be complete without taking a look at the need to reform our medical malpractice system. Too many places have made it unaffordable for doctors to stay and maintain a practice. They simply cannot afford the medical malpractice insurance necessary to operate a medical practice. Reforming this system must be a top priority of any health care reform effort.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, JimOberweis.com, "Issues" Nov 1, 2012

Murray Sabrin: ObamaCare is unconstitutional use of Commerce Clause

How did it get this far? Cleverly, big government advocates have hung their hat on the Commerce Clause, which gives the federal government the power to "regulate" interstate commerce. By invoking the Commerce Clause [for ObamaCare], statists have created America's unsustainable welfare state--Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, etc.

An accurate historical reading of the Commerce Clause turns this interpretation on its head. The Founders wanted to make commerce "regular" in the fledgling republic by removing trade restrictions; the Commerce Clause was not intended to give the federal government open-ended power to interfere with business activity.

If all the Supreme Court justices who heard the challenge to ObamaCare this past week were faithful to their oaths to uphold the constitution, they would have castigated the President and the Congress for creating a law that was an affront to the Constitution--and an assault on the American people's liberties.

Source: 2014 Senate campaign website, www.MurraySabrin.com Mar 31, 2012

  • The above quotations are from Survey of 2014 Senate campaign websites.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Health Care.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Karen Handel on Health Care.
  • Click here for more quotes by Mead Treadwell on Health Care.
Candidates and political leaders on Health Care:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R)
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018