DJOU: PRESIDENT IS CORRECT ON HEALTHCARE REFORM NEED, BUT WRONG ON THE GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTHCARE OPTION

Charles K. Djou, a Honolulu City Councilmember and Republican candidate for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District, reacted to the president’s address to a joint session of congress this afternoon.

“President Obama delivered a good speech.  The president correctly highlighted the real need for healthcare reform.  But we need to do healthcare reform right.  The continued push for a massive $1 trillion government healthcare insurance program is the only key aspect of the address I disagree with,” stated Djou.  “Our nation should focus on real reforms that make sense without breaking the taxpayers’ bank including medical malpractice tort reform, allowing the inter-state sale of health insurance and equalizing the tax treatment of corporate and individual health insurance.”

Djou is running for Congress in 2010.  Prior to his election to the City Council, Djou served in the Hawaii State House where he was the minority floor leader.

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Hawaii GOP Chairman Responds to President Obama's Address to Congress

By Jonah Ka'auwai

President Obama told America nothing new in his speech tonight. The American people are just not buying into the theatrics and grandeur. Like his colleagues in the Democrat party, his promise to give everyone everything will deliver everyone nothing.

The speech’s major contradiction was promising the vast improvement in access and choice without addressing how he would pay for this massive new government entitlement program in the long term. Yes, premiums will address the initial cost, but what about the long-term cost?

The public option that many Americans oppose is still on the table. Government takeover of health care is still the goal for Democrats in Congress. Any government option will be unfair in a free market system.

There is tremendous opportunity to improve our current health care system, a system that ranks among the world’s best in quality and innovation. It seems to me that many of President Obama’s proposed reforms can be done without the massive overhaul Democrats have been trying to force on America.

Reform of government-run Medicaid and Medicare programs will save Americans over $180 billion. Through medical tort reform defensive medicine practices will decrease and medical costs across the board while improving the quality of care. Why continue to advocate for the passing of this health care experiment that for weeks now Americans have rejected when real solutions are within our reach?

These are attainable solutions that, if Democrats in Congress abandoned their attempt to create new government bureaucracy, could have and should have passed through Congress a long time ago.

Jonah Ka‘auwai is the State Chairman of the Hawai‘i Republican Party

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