Congressman Joe Wilson's statement on healthcare reform

Oct 13 2009

Participating in his first full length radio interview since his famously shouted “You Lie” remark during President Obama’s address to Congress propelled him into the media spotlight, Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) appeared on the nationally syndicated Neal Asbury Show on WZAB-AM. Congressman Wilson attributed his dramatic vocal response to a “town hall moment,” a visceral reaction to what he inherently knew was Obama’s misrepresentation of the citizenship immigration policy.

Congressman Wilson likened his response to the kind of spontaneous reaction he is seeing during full capacity town hall meetings he is holding in his congressional district.

“I respect President Obama, but we have the right to disagree, especially when he promotes an immigration policy related to health insurance that I knew was meaningless. The proof is that two days after the joint session, the citizen verification policy was overhauled,” said Congressman Wilson, who was elected to the United States Congress in 2001. He was grateful that President Obama and other Democratic leaders accepted his apologies, and was particularly grateful that the Republican Conference supported him, as did his staff and constituency.

Congressman Wilson is convinced that the Democrats don’t want the American people to understand the issues related to healthcare, and is angry that consumers are being treated as if “they are stupid – which they are not; they’re just looking for answers and explanations.”

“At least 95 percent of my constituents support what Republicans are trying to do. Our HR 3400 is a good bill, and a logical alternative to the proposed HR3200 being promoted by the Democrats, which is a Trojan Horse for a government option that would create bizarre rules and regulations likely to be controlled by a ‘Health Czar’ with the power to interpret these regulations. Our bill really reflects the power and potential of free enterprise,” said Congressman Wilson, who outlined some of the provisions of HR 3400: choice of affordable private options; consumers can keep their current coverage; tax incentives will be created for the insured; coverage will be allowed to cross state lines; and the bill will promote tort and medical liability reform.