Biden Speaks on Health Care, Slams McCain Plan

Well the airwaves, newspapers and Internet are full to bursting with news and commentary related to the Presidential race, particularly now that the VP choices have been made on both sides of the aisle.

On the Democratic Party's side, Sen. Joe Biden is moving forward as an outspoken and determined VP choice for Sen. Obama. In a recent speech in Mehlville, Missouri, speaking to a socially conservative, predominantly blue collar crowd, he tied the growing unease about health care to the rising unemployment that the community has recently experienced. He then issued a no nonsense warning to the crowd about the net result of the McCain proposal on this subject.

Via Jo Mannies at STL Today:

[...]taxing American workers' health care is not the answer, he said. Under McCain's plan, Biden said, a person earning $50,000 a year, with employer-provided health care worth $12,000 a year, would be subject to income taxes on all $62,000. Now, no taxes are levied on their health care benefits.

McCain has been highlighting his proposed $5,000 a year tax credit to offset some of that tax hike, but Biden said that at least $7,000 would still be subject to the tax.

Sen. Biden then went on to state that the change in structure proposed by the McCain ticket would cause more employers to drop health care coverage. An assertion that carries quite a punch, especially in the context of the American working class.

At a town hall earlier that day, Sen. Biden called it a "moral obligation" for the government to make health care available to all U.S. citizens.

SOURCE: "Bid focuses on healthcare, rips Republicans, in Mehlville stop" 09/10/08
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