Top Democrat Calls for Waiving of PAYGO to Address Healthcare

November 11 - Democratic representative Pete Stark, chair of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, declared yesterday that Congress should waive its PAYGO rules to pass a fundamental reform of the healthcare system and to avoid massive Medicare payment cuts to physicians. Stark cited the waiving of PAYGO for other spending measures like the $700 billion dollar rescue package and Iraq war costs, and asked why large numbers of uninsured should not represent an equally urgent priority. US Budget Watch estimated that plan for health care reform put forward by the Obama campaign would add $52 to $106 billion to the deficit in 2013.