Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.-09) issued the following statement after voting in favor of HR 5, the Protecting Access to Healthcare Act, which cancels part of "Obamacare." It repeals the part of the health care law which establishes a powerful board of unelected bureaucrats called the “Independent Payment Advisory Board”, whose sole job will be to rein in the unsustainable costs of Medicare, not through responsible restructuring, but by rationing health care. IPAB is required to achieve specified savings in years where Medicare spending is deemed “too high,” according to "Obamacare."
“Today’s vote is another positive step by House Republicans towards canceling the entire Obamacare law. The creation of this board of unelected bureaucrats is yet another tentacle of the Obama Administration digging its way into the doctors-patient relationship. As Obamacare is written, IPAB would be above the law: It can’t be held accountable. Its decisions cannot be challenged in court. It cannot be challenged by the elected lawmakers in Congress. Quite simply, it is the very worst kind of government intervention into the private lives of Americans.
“So far, all of the Democrats’ promises about Obamacare have fallen flat. They promised this law would create jobs. It didn’t. President Obama promised Americans his law would lower premiums. The Congressional Budget Office said last week that Obamacare’s mandates will force premiums to rise by $2,100 per family. The President said his health care law would ‘bend the cost curve.’ The CBO estimates Obamacare will cost taxpayers twice as much as originally ‘promised.’ Obamacare is yet more government Americans simply cannot afford.”