Boyd to support health care reform legislation

PANAMA CITY — After much speculation, Rep. Allen Boyd announced Friday he will support a version of health care legislation that is expected to be voted on by the House of Representatives on Sunday.

Boyd was one of the few remaining Democrats who had not made public how they were going to vote. The Monticello Democrat voted against a version of health care legislation in November.

“Throughout this entire debate, I have consistently said that responsible health care reform will embody four key principles:  It will reduce costs, increase access, ensure patient choice and not add to the federal deficit,” Boyd said in a statement. “This bill is not perfect, but I believe it meets these four principles of responsible reform by providing the largest middle-class tax credits for health care in our nation’s history and preserving a patient’s ability to choose their own doctor.”

Boyd said he was disappointed in a provision that would allow the federal government to handle student loans, as opposed to student loan companies. The measure could threaten 700 jobs at Lynn Haven’s Sallie Mae processing facility.

“I am disappointed that the student loan issue is included in the health care bill.  I have had many conversations with Sallie Mae, the Department of Education and the White House, and I believe there are a number of steps we can take to prevent job losses at the Lynn Haven facility. I will continue working with Sallie Mae and Education Secretary (Arne) Duncan to ensure that this new process will not jeopardize the future of the hard-working people in Lynn Haven,” Boyd said.

The vote on health care put Boyd in a precarious political position. Many local constituents encouraged Boyd to oppose the legislation, calling it too pricey and a government takeover, while Boyd’s primary opponent, state Sen. Al Lawson, who supports the reform legislation, had been sending out press releases slamming Boyd for wavering on his vote.

When news broke that Boyd was a yes vote, Lawson said he was “pleased to learn Allen Boyd (is) flipping from supporting insurance companies to voting with the people of his district,” a statement read.

Leading up to Boyd’s official announcement, speculation grew as a host of undecided Democrats made their vote public. After the Congressional Budget Office scored the legislation and determined the reform legislation would cost $940 billion over the next decade but cut the federal deficit by $130 billion in the first 10 years and $1.2 trillion in the second 10 years, undecided Democrats began making their votes known.

Though the CBO score did not immediately elicit an answer from Boyd on his vote, it did appear to play a role in his decision-making process. When the Wall Street Journal asked Boyd about the bill on Thursday — in light of the CBO report — he said, “Sounds better, doesn’t it?”

Republicans have blasted the CBO report, saying the nonpartisan agency can only score the information they are given.

Rubio comments

U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio today issued the following statement regarding Congressman Allen Boyd's and Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas's announcements that they will vote in favor of ObamaCare this Sunday:

"It's unconscionable that Rep. Boyd and Rep. Kosmas intend to vote for a bill that will ramp up spending, increase taxes, hurt seniors and lead to government-run health care. Now is a time for principled leadership, not Washington-style politics that ignores Floridians and imperils our nation's future.

"Floridians deserve leaders they can trust to not bend in the wind on a critical issue like this, either to the demands of party bosses or to try to win a primary."

Thurman praises Boyd

Florida Democratic Party Chair Karen Thurman released the following statement commending Congressman Allen Boyd (D-North Florida) for his support for healthcare reform:

"We are closer than ever to enacting meaningful healthcare reform in our nation and today those efforts took a giant step forward as Congressman Allen Boyd announced that he would support the healthcare reform legislation currently in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Congressman Boyd has relentlessly fought for his constituents best interests and has been working for decades to enact smart policies that will improve North Florida and our state.

"By standing with the President, Congressman Boyd is working to provide the largest middle class tax credit for healthcare in our nation's history and put families and small businesses - not insurance companies - in control of your healthcare decisions.  And he's helping bring to an end some of the worst practices the insurance industry has engaged in for decades, such as denying coverage because of a pre-existing conditions, dropping your coverage when you need it most, or unjustly raising your premiums beyond affordability.

"I commend Congressman Boyd for his decision and for working everyday to improve the lives of his constituents and all Floridians in the state."