DODGE CITY – In a statement released today, the Tim Huelskamp for Congress campaign is demanding that Jim Barnett explain to the voters and the press why in 2007, he introduced an Obamacare-like health care plan for Kansas.
"Jim Barnett is committing political malpractice by posing as a conservative. Unfortunately for him, he has a 'pre-existing condition', that should disqualify him," says Huelskamp campaign manager David Ray. "Jim Barnett's 'pre-existing condition' is his liberal record of supporting a government-run health care scheme in Kansas."
In 2007, Senator Jim Barnett introduced SB 309, a piece of legislation known as the Kansas Health Care Connector Act, which contains many of the key provisions present in Obamacare, such as an individual health care insurance mandate for all Kansans as well as giving the government the authority to withhold tax refunds and garnish wages up to $10,000 of those who fail to purchase insurance through the government exchange. The legislation would have also imposed massive new employer mandates.
“President Obama recently told TV host Matt Lauer that, ‘when you actually look at the (health care) bill itself, it incorporates all sorts of Republican ideas,’” said Ray. “President Obama was right. Republicans like Jim Barnett were pushing this horrible government takeover long before Barack Obama was elected.”
"We are challenging Jim Barnett to explain to the voters -- and the press -- why he thought it was a good idea to push for a Kansas version of Obamacare," said Ray.
The Barnett health care plan did not pass the legislature, but hearings were held and the testimony is “damning” according to Ray. Several groups testified against the legislation, including the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, American Family Insurance Group, and Coventry Health Care of Kansas.
Attached to this news release: A feet sheet on SB 309
