Rep. Cantor Can't Be Bothered By The Uninsured

Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the House Republicans' plan for health care reform does next to nothing to reduce the number of uninsured Americans.  Despite promising to increase access, the Republican bill would only provide coverage for "about 3 million people by 2019, and would leave about 52 million people uninsured." By comparison, the Democrats' plan would extend coverage to 36 million people. 

This morning on The Takeaway, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) attempted to defend his party's failure to increase access for the uninsured:

CELESTE HEADLEE: Do you agree that the essential philosophical difference between your plan and that of the Democrats is that they're trying to get universal coverage, you're just trying to get the cost of health insurance down?

REP. CANTOR: No, I don't believe that. I believe that we Republicans want everyone to have access to health care as well. We just go about it in a different way: a much smarter, more reasoned approach.

Later in the interview, Cantor touted the supposed benefits of allowing people to buy insurance across state lines, prompting Headlee to return to the issue of the uninsured.  "For the millions of people who are uninsured, I don't think it's a question of cost," she argued. "I don't think that saving a hundred dollars by shopping across state lines is going to help get those people insured."

But Cantor tried to change the focus, essentially arguing that the uninsured aren't a major concern.  "Well, let's look at what we're talking about in terms of what 'the uninsured' actually means in this country," he said. 

Finally, it should be noted that Cantor continued his well-documented, shameless hypocrisy regarding the CBO.  When Headlee challenged whether tort reform will significantly lower costs (it won't), Cantor countered, "I think the Congressional Budget Office would differ with your conclusion" (see above). However, after the CBO refuted his argument against clean energy legislation in June, Cantor claimed that the office was "losing its credibility." 

Listen to the full interview here.