Linn County’s lone voice in the U.S. House of Representatives was unwavering in his opposition to the health care reform bill...but it passed anyway. When the votes were tallied Saturday, after a lengthy debate and concessions to anti-abortion Democrats, the Affordable Health Care for America Act survived by a narrow margin. The final vote in the lower house of the U.S. Congress was 220 for and 215 against, in spite of Congressman Graves’ predictions to the contrary. The Sixth District Congressman, in concert with almost every other Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, believed that there were enough Democrats on the fence to sink the historic health care reform bill. But the adoption of an amendment that forbids anyone from receiving federal aid—including enrollment in the proposed public option—to use those tax dollars to pay for an abortion persuaded enough previously uncommitted Democrats in the U.S. House to support the health care reform bill.
Although Linn County’s lone voice in the U.S. House supported the abortion-related prohibition, he voted against the health reform bill along with all but one Republican member of that federal legislative body
Ironically, Congressman Graves primary objection to the Affordable Health Care for America Act was that it was too expensive.
“You can’t add a trillion dollars to the budget and not increase the deficit!” Congressman Graves exclaimed last week.
He had expressed particular concern that small businesses would particularly be harmed by the health reform bill: “This is supposedly just getting after the rich,” Graves said referring to the tax increase for those who earn $500,000 to $1 million or more annually. “There are a lot of businesses out there, farmers included, that file their income tax as an individual, and they go above that threshold,” Graves added referring to the provision in the health care reform bill that exempts small businesses with annual payrolls of less than $500,000 from having to contribute to health insurance coverage. St. Joseph New-Press writer Ken Newton may have been justified in his recent criticism of Graves’ “arithmetic skills” and doubt as to how thoroughly the 6th District U.S. Congressman read the Affordable Health Care for America Act; the bill exempts 86 percent of America’s businesses from any requirement to provide health insurance coverage for their employees. The 8 percent payroll contribution toward that coverage is, however, phased in for small businesses with an annual payroll of between $500,000 and $750,000. Congressman Graves also failed to acknowledge the bill’s provision of tax credits for small businesses with 10 or fewer employees.

- See today's LCL for the full story