U.S. CONGRESSMAN BILL JOHNSON Proudly Representing Eastern and Southeastern Ohio

Marietta Times
By Evan Bevins
Published July 31, 2012

Marietta resident Donald Evans knows what he thinks U.S. Congressman Bill Johnson's No. 1 goal should be.

"You've got to start (with): Get rid of Obamacare," said Evans, 82.

Speaking with a group of eight residents and employees of the O'Neill Center during a "senior sit-down" at the center in Marietta Monday morning, Johnson, R-Ohio, said he's voted against the president's health care overhaul 33 times. Since most of its components were recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, the focus has now shifted to repealing the law, he said.

"It's going to ruin the best-quality health care system in the world," Johnson said. "It's going to stop job creators from growing and expanding and hiring more people?"

In addition to the O'Neill, Johnson, a Marietta resident, made two other stops in the city Monday. In the afternoon, he took a tour of the recently opened Harmar Community Center, then held a veterans roundtable at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5108.

Although Johnson is running for re-election this fall against Democrat Charlie Wilson, whom he unseated in 2010, Monday's activities were part of his regular Congressional duties, not campaign stops, said Ben Keeler, Johnson's district press secretary.

"What makes my job doable and satisfactory is being able to talk and hear from people like you," Johnson said at the close of the meeting.

The purpose of the session was to talk about issues important to seniors, including Medicare and Social Security reform. As it is currently set up, Medicare will be bankrupt by 2024, Johnson said.

"We've got 10,000 baby boomers coming into the system every day," he said. "It's putting quite a strain on the system."

Johnson said he is backing a plan to keep existing Medicare benefits in place for people 55 and older, while creating new options for those 54 and younger.

"They will have the same kinds of options for health care, say, that a member of Congress does. We will all be in this boat together," he said.

Asked what that format might look like, Johnson said details were still being worked out, but it would likely involve premium support based on income.

Sara Beaver, a part-time benefits specialist at the O'Neill Center, said she felt the meeting was a good opportunity for residents and was disappointed more people didn't turn out. Although she is a Democrat, she said it's important to her to know the Republicans' take on various issues.

Beaver questioned Johnson's description of the health care overhaul as a tax increase, noting that although the Supreme Court upheld the requirement the imposition of a penalty on people who didn't buy health care as a tax, it would only apply to certain people.

"It's not an across-the-board tax," she said.

Johnson said there are other provisions in the legislation that will affect all taxpayers, including limiting the amount of money that can be placed in tax-free health savings accounts and increasing taxes on health insurance providers.

"Who do you think they're going to pass those taxes on to?" he said.

Discussing the need for Social Security reform, Marietta resident Ron Kuhn, 55, asked Johnson why his payments into the fund went down even though he's willing and able to pay more.

Johnson said that reduction was intended as a temporary measure of relief but has remained in place because of the economic struggles that persist in the country.

While people like Kuhn may not need the relief, other people still do.

"It's a tough pill for a lot of Americans to swallow, to take another $40 out of their paychecks," Johnson said.