Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today released the following statement from ABC President and CEO Kirk Pickerel on the House passage of the health care reform legislation:
“While many are calling this bill ‘historic,’ the only thing historic about the health care reform bill is the record level of new taxes and federal government mandates placed on America’s construction industry.
“Not only does this legislation ignore the clear objections of the majority of Americans, but is fails to bend down the cost curve and increases the tax burden on businesses, particularly construction contractors, at a time of record high unemployment.
“Twenty-seven percent of the construction industry is currently unemployed, and it is truly unconscionable that our elected leaders think that now is the appropriate time for broad new government mandates and infringements on American businesses and a half trillion dollars in new taxes.
“To truly reform the health care system, Congress must explore every means available to help reduce the cost to the American public, including medical malpractice tort reform and the inclusion of Small Business Health Plans to allow workers in small businesses and the self-employed to join together to obtain the same economies of scale, purchasing clout, and administrative efficiencies from which employees of large employers and union-sponsored plans currently benefit.
“The choice of 219 House members to ignore the will of the American people last night will have consequences for many of them this November at the polls,” said Pickerel.
About Associated Builders and Contractors
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association with 77 chapters representing 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms with two million employees. Visit us at www.abc.org.