WASHINGTON – Wisconsin’s 1st District Congressman Paul Ryan voted against a takeover of our nation’s health care system, opposing H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010.

After months of twisting arms, Democratic Leaders convinced enough Members of their own party to defy the will of the American people and support the Senate health bill which was crafted in secret, behind closed doors. In a historic abuse of legislative budget rules, the Majority also jammed through a "fixer" bill in an attempt to paper over the deeply flawed Senate bill.

Together, these bills would exacerbate our fiscal crisis by adding trillions of dollars to our debt burden, raise taxes on families and small businesses by more than $500 billion, and dramatically expand the federal government's role in personal health care decisions. Most unfortunately though, these bills will do little to make health care more affordable or accessible for the American people. These bills do not represent reform; they represent an ideological power-grab.

In advance of tonight’s vote, Ryan delivered the following remarks on the House floor:

“Health care affects each and every one of us. It is the most personal thing there is. And yet, here we are debating whether the government should have a bigger role in making those decisions.”

“The government-knows-best philosophy advanced on the floor by the Majority today is paternalistic, arrogant, and at odds with our nation’s unique character. We are fast approaching a tipping point in which more Americans depend on the government than on themselves for their livelihoods – a point where, we, the American people trade in our commitment and concern for our individual liberties in exchange for government benefits.

"This fight will continue. Despite what happened here tonight, the fight to reapply our founding principles is not finished; it's just a steeper climb. And it's a climb we will make."

Additional resources from Congressman Ryan on his concerns with Washington’s health care power grab, and his efforts to promote better health care solutions:

• Video: Paul Ryan raises a point of order on the unfunded mandates in H.R. 3590 
• Video: Congressman Ryan discusses the costs and consequences of passing the Majority’s health care legislation on Fox News Sunday 
• Video: Paul Ryan testifies before the House Rules Committee on the reconciliation bill 
• Op-Ed: “The Final Chapters in the Health Care Debate”, JournalTimes.com
• Video: Paul Ryan discusses the implications of the health care bill on The Charlie Rose Show 
• Video: Congressman Ryan seeks clarification on the CBO’s report on the true costs of health care overhaul
• Op-Ed: “What Real Reform Should Look Like”, The Washington Post