Washington, D.C.—U.S. House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.) today hailed the passage of a Republican motion offered by Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) that would require the Department of Defense to report the additional costs of complying with President Obama’s health care law. The Republican effort was included in H.R. 5103, the IMPROVE Acquisition Act, by a near-unanimous vote of 419-1.
“According to the Administration’s own estimates, the President’s health care law will cost hundreds of billions of dollars more than previously advertised,” said McKeon. “The Department of Defense is particularly susceptible to these higher costs. Secretary Gates went so far as to warn that increased health care costs are ‘beginning to eat us alive’ in testimony before Congress last fall.”
“The American people deserve to know the actual costs of President Obama’s health care law. By requiring the Department of Defense to report on the actual and expected yearly costs for complying with the new law, we should be able to gain a better understanding of what the true costs are,” concluded McKeon.
The Buyer motion would require the Department of Defense to report to Congress by April 1, 2011, on:
- The additional acquisition cost to the Department of Defense associated with compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–152).
- The additional cost, if any, contained in an offer or bid or proposal in response to an invitation for bids or a request for proposals issued by a component of the Department of Defense for a health care contract bid or proposal associated with compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
- The incurred cost of compliance for the preceding year for all health care contracts, including contracts for medical supplies; health care services, administration, and medical personnel; durable medical equipment; pharmaceuticals; and health care-related information technology.
To view Rep. Buyer’s motion to recommit, please visit https://republicans.armedservices.house.gov/gallery/gallerydetail.aspx?GalleryID=88.
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