Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - With the health care legislation expected to go before the house for a vote on Sunday, the woman who wants to take over the 25th congressional seat is criticizing Congressman Dan Maffei's support of the bill.
Ann Marie Buerkle isn't hiding the fact the she's vying for Congressman Dan Maffei's seat, and she isn't silencing her stance on health care either. "We are respectfully asking that our congressman reconsider his position on health care," she said.
Health care is expected to remain one of the top ticket issues in November's election, and it's already shaping up to be the big difference between both candidates. "It has divided the nation because I think most American's agree that we need healthcare reform but not in this version," said Buerkle. "So there is a very distinct difference between the Congressman and myself."
The current reform that Congressman Maffei supports expands health care to the uninsured, bars insurance companies from denying coverage and requires Americans to health insurance or pay a fine.
On the other hand, Buerkle is calling for an approach that phases in changes to the health care system instead of a complete overhaul. "We need to throw out junk lawsuits. We need to make health insurance portable people need to be able to go across state line and get health insurance. Health insurance needs to be competitive."
Congressman Maffei's office offered a written response to the Buerkle's approach:
"Dan Maffei has worked hard on this legislation for nearly a year, he's very familiar with what's in the bill. He knows that the CBO just said yesterday it's going to reduce the deficit by over a trillion dollars. He knows it's going to make insurance accessible to millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. And he knows it's going to lower costs for families and businesses that are being crushed under the current system. Perhaps if Ms. Buerkle read the bill herself, she would know that a number of her suggestions are actually IN the bill right now- like lowering cost, preventing insurers from unjustly canceling a policy, and allowing young adults to stay on their parents' plans for longer.
"Ann Buerkle can dream all she wants to about a fantasy Republican health care plan. The fact is, the Republican health care plan can be summed up in two words: 'do nothing.' We can't afford to do nothing. We have to fix our health care system."
