GOP Spinning Health Care -- Again

With every legislative hurdle that Health Care reform clears, its chances of passing becomes more likely.

Even hardened opponents to health care reform admit that Democrats achieving 60 votes to bring the bill to the Senate floor for debate increases the bill's eventual success:

"Any senator (who) votes for this bill has to know that there's a 97 percent chance that this bill ends up passing" -- Sen. Kyl (R-AZ)

We aren't sure where that number comes from, but we'll take those odds. Kyl, by the way, is the minority whip in the Senate, so his words are pretty telling of Republican fortunes.

So, as usual, Republicans have resorted to doing what they do best -- trying to scare and mislead the public.

The latest attempt to do so has been the rather outrageous claim that the health care reform bills amount to a stack of paper which is longer than "War and Peace." While the bill is large, you would have to combine both the House and Senate versions of health care reform to get near the length of Tolstoy's tome.

So instead of spinning the issue beyond recognition, lets break down the number of what health care reform will mean to New Mexico:

• 434,000 uninsured New Mexicans would get insurance coverage through reform,
• 249,000 residents would be eligible for tax credits to purchase coverage,
• 292,000 seniors would receive preventative care services,
• 22,700 businesses would be eligible for tax credits to help make insurance more affordable

These numbers are nothing to scoff at -- in fact, they represent just a small portion of the way in which health care reform will benefit our citizens. Read more ways which health care reform benefits New Mexico.

Once again, the GOP is only trying to divert attention from the fact that they continue to offer no real solutions to our country's biggest challenges.