200 Economists & Experts Call ObamaCare “A Barrier to Job Growth,” Urge Repeal

8/8/2019 200 Economists & Experts Call ObamaCare A Barrier to Job Growth, Urge Repeal

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January 18, 2011

The Honorable John Boehner The Honorable Harry ReidSpeaker of the House Senate Majority LeaderWashington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Mitch McConnellHouse Minority Leader Senate Minority LeaderWashington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

Dear Speaker Boehner, Minority Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, and Minority Leader McConnell:

To promote job growth and help to restore the federal government to fiscal balance, we, theundersigned, feel that it would be beneficial to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and AffordableCare Act (P.L. 111-148). Too many Americans remain unemployed and the United States faces adaunting budgetary outlook. We believe the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a threat toU.S. businesses and will place a crushing debt burden on future generations of Americans.

A Barrier to Job Growth: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains expensive mandatesand penalties that create major barriers to stronger job growth. The mandates will compete for thescarce business resources used for hiring and firm expansion. The law also levies roughly $500 billion innew taxes that will enter the supply chain for medical services, raising the cost of medical services. Atthe same time that businesses juggle the potential for higher interest rates or higher taxes, thesemedical costs will translate to higher insurance premiums, further increasing the cost of operating a

business in the United States.

A Massive Spending Increase and a Crushing Debt Burden: The Patient Protection and Affordable CareAct is fiscally dangerous at a moment when the United States is already facing a sea of red ink. It createsa massive new entitlement at a time when the budget is already buckling under the weight of existingentitlements. At a minimum, it will add $1 trillion to government spending over the next decade.Assertions that these costs are paid for are based on omitted costs, budgetary gimmicks, shiftedpremiums from other entitlements, and unsustainable spending cuts and revenue increases. A morecomprehensive and realistic projection suggests that the Affordable Care Act could potentially raise thefederal budget deficit by more than $500 billion during the first ten years and by nearly $1.5 trillion inthe following decade.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act does not constitute real health care reform. The firststep is to remove barriers to stronger job growth and to help restore fiscal balance to the nationsbudget by protecting taxpayers, American business, seniors, families, workers, and health careconsumers from the damage that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will cause.Congress should start with a clean sheet of paper and adopt initiatives that would encourage providersto offer higher-quality care at lower costs; reduce the cost pressures that threaten to bankruptMedicare and Medicaid; and give every American access to more options for quality insurance.


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Respectfully,[Affiliations shown for purposes of identification and do not constitute institutional endorsement.]

Douglas Holtz-EakinPresident, American Action ForumFormer Director, Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

June ONeill Professor of Economics, Baruch CollegeFormer Director, Congressional Budget Office (CBO)First Chair, Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics

Joseph AntosWilson H. Taylor Scholar in Health Care and Retirement Policy American Enterprise InstituteFormer Assistant Director, Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Arlene HolenSenior Fellow, Technology Policy InstituteFormer Associate Director Congressional Budget Office (CBO)Former Associate Director White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Brian S. WesburyChief Economist, First Trust Portfolios LPFormer Chief Economist, Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress

Arthur B. LafferChairman, Laffer Associates

First Chief Economist, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)Former Member, Economic Policy Advisory Board

Jim CaprettaFellow, Ethics and Public Policy CenterFormer Associate Director, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

James D. Mietus, Ph.D.Independent Economist and Policy AdviserFormer Economist, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Michael BoskinProfessor of Economics, Stanford UniversityFormer Chairman, White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)

William NiskanenFormer Action Chairman and Member, White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)Chairman Emeritus, Cato Institute


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Earl L. GrinolsDistinguished Professor of Economics, Baylor UniversityFormer Senior Economist, White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)

Mark H. ShowalterProfessor of Economics, Brigham Young UniversityFormer Senior Economist, White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)

Scott BaierAssociate Professor of Economics, Clemson UniversityFormer Senior Economist, White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)

Larry LindseyPresident, The Lindsey GroupFormer Director, National Economic Council (NEC)

Todd G. BuchholzManaging Director, Two Oceans ManagementFormer Senior Economic Adviser, The White HouseFellow, Cambridge University

Edward C. PrescottW.P. Carey Chaired Professor of Economics, Arizona State UniversityEconomist, Federal Reserve Bank of MinneapolisNobel Laureate in Economics

William Poole

Distinguished Scholar in Residence, University of DelawareSenior Fellow, Cato InstituteFormer President, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Kevin HassettDirector, Economic Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute (AEI)Former Economist, Federal Reserve Board of Governors

Mario J. Crucini, Ph.D.Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)Senior Fellow, Globalization and Monetary Policy Institute, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Stephen J. EntinPresident and Executive DirectorInstitute for Research on the Economics of TaxationFormer Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy, Department of the Treasury

Kathleen B. Cooper, Ph.D.Senior Fellow at the Tower Center for Political Studies, Southern Methodist UniversityFormer Undersecretary for Economic Affairs, Commerce Department


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Diana Furchtgott-RothDirector, Center for Employment PolicySenior Fellow, Hudson InstituteFormer Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Labor

Carl J. DahlmanSenior Economist, RAND CorporationFormer Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of DefenseFormer Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

David MalpassPresident, Encima GlobalFormer Deputy Assistant Secretary, Treasury DepartmentFormer Deputy Assistant Secretary, State Department

Thomas R. Saving

Jeff Montgomery Professor of Economics, Texas A&M UniversitySenior Fellow, National Center for Policy AnalysisFormer Public Trustee, Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds

Timothy PerriProfessor of EconomicsAppalachian State University

Allan DeSerpaProfessor of EconomicsArizona State University

Nancy RobertsProfessor of EconomicsArizona State University

Clarence R. DeitschProfessor of Economics and Labor RelationsBall State University

Courtenay C. StoneProfessor of EconomicsBall State University

John Bethune, Ph. D.Kennedy Chair of BusinessBarton College


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E. S. Savas, Ph.D.Presidential ProfessorSchool of Public AffairsBaruch College/CUNY

David VanHooseProfessor of EconomicsBaylor University

Kenneth V. GreeneDistinguished Professor of EconomicsBinghamton University

E. F. StephensonProfessor of EconomicsChair, Department of EconomicsBerry College

David E. SpencerProfessor of EconomicsBrigham Young University

Michael L. MarlowProfessor of EconomicsCal Poly

Donald J. OswaldProfessor of Economics (Retired)

California State University, Bakersfield

Cathleen J CoolidgeAssociate Professor of EconomicsCalifornia State University, Chico

Charles W. Baird Ph.D.Professor of Economics, EmeritusCalifornia State University, East Bay

Alan Rufus Waters, Ph.DProfessor Emeritus of International BusinessCalifornia State University, Fresno

G. Michael Phillips, Ph.D.Professor of Finance, Real Estate, and InsuranceCalifornia State University, Northridge


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Allan MeltzerProfessor of Political EconomyCarnegie Mellon University

Yuri N. Maltsev, PhDProfessor of EconomicsCarthage College

Jason E. TaylorProfessor of EconomicsCentral Michigan University

Dr. Lawrence BrunnerAssociate Professor, EconomicsCentral Michigan University

Arthur T. Denzau

Professor of EconomicsClaremont Graduate University

Marc D. WeidenmierWilliam F. Podlich Associate Professor of EconomicsResearch Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)Claremont McKenna College

Robert TamuraProfessor of EconomicsClemson University

Phoebus J. DhrymesEdwin W. Rickert Professor of EconomicsColumbia University

Charles W. CalomirisHenry Kaufman Professor of Financial Institutions, Columbia Business SchoolColumbia University

Richard V. BurkhauserSarah Gibson Blanding Professor of Policy AnalysisCornell University

Antony DaviesAssociate Professor of EconomicsDuquesne University

Richard E. EricsonProfessor and Chair of EconomicsEast Carolina University


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Minh Q. DaoProfessor of EconomicsEastern Illinois University

Paul H. RubinSamuel Candler Dobbs Professor of EconomicsEmory University

Richard F. MuthFuller E. Callaway Professor of Economics, EmeritusEmory University

Ronnie DavisGraduate Faculty--EconomicsFlorida Institute of Technology and Averett University

Henry G. Manne

Dean EmeritusGeorge Mason University School of Law

Dr. Anthony B. SandersDistinguished Professor of FinanceGeorge Mason University

James BurnhamDistinguished Service ProfessorDuquesne UniversityFormer Staff Director, President's Council of Economic Advisers

Douglas, C. FrechtlingProfessor of Tourism StudiesGeorge Washington University

Richard J. SweeneyProfessor of International FinanceMcDonough School of BusinessGeorgetown University

W. Ken FarrChair & Professor of Economics, Department of Economics & FinanceGeorgia College & State University

Christine RiesProfessor of EconomicsGeorgia Institute of Technology


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Gerald GayProfessor of FinanceGeorgia State UniversityFormer Chief Economist, Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Christopher R. InamaSenior Adjunct ProfessorGolden Gate University

Charles N. Steele, Ph.D.Associate ProfessorHillsdale College

Gary WolframProfessor of EconomicsHillsdale College

Ivan Pongracic, Jr.Associate ProfessorHillsdale College

Nikolai G. Wenzel, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of EconomicsHillsdale College

John LunnRobert W. Haack Professor of EconomicsHope College

John A. TatomDirector of Research, Networks Financial InstituteScott College of Business, Indiana State University

Tom LehmanProfessor of EconomicsIndiana Wesleyan University

Richard J. CebulaDavis College of BusinessWalker/Wells Fargo Endowed Chair in FinanceJacksonville University

Timothy MathewsAssistant Professor of EconomicsKennesaw State University


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W. Mark CrainWilliam E. Simon Professor of Political EconomyLafayette College

Nicole V. CrainProfessor of EconomicsLafayette College

James L. HuffmanErskine Wood Sr. Professor of LawLewis & Clark Law School

Richard J Grant, Ph.D.Professor of Finance & Economics, College of Business,Lipscomb University

Don M. Chance

James C. Flores Endowed Chair of MBA Studies and Professor of FinanceLouisiana State University

W. Douglas McMillinMack Hornbeak Endowed Professor in EconomicsLouisiana State University

Otis W. GilleyDistinguished Professor of EconomicsLouisiana Tech University

Frank Spreng, Ph.D.Professor of Economics and Director of the MBA ProgramMcKendree University

John P. CochranDean, School of BusinessProfessor of EconomicsMetropolitan State College of Denver

William R. HartProfessor of EconomicsMiami University (Oxford, OH)

F. Owen IrvineProfessor of EconomicsMichigan State University

Michael C. DavisAssociate Professor of EconomicsMissouri University of Science and Technology


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Richard E. La Near, Ph.D.Professor of Economics and FinanceEmeritus J.R. Kuhn Professor of FinanceMissouri Southern State University

Stephen A. Tolbert, Jr.Lecturer, EconomicsMontgomery County Community College

Micha GisserProfessor Emeritus of EconomicsUniversity of New Mexico

James B. RamseyProfessor, Department of EconomicsNew York University

R. Morris CoatsProfessor of EconomicsNicholls State University

Barry K. GoodwinWilliam Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor EconomicsNorth Carolina State University

John SeaterProfessor of EconomicsNorth Carolina State University

Michael WohlgenantWilliam Neal Reynolds Distinguished ProfessorNorth Carolina State University

Gerald R. Jensen, PhD, CFAProfessor of FinanceNorthern Illinois University

Joseph M. Jadlow, Ph.D.Professor of EconomicsOklahoma State University

Douglas K. AdieProfessor of EconomicsOhio University

Richard VedderDistinguished Professor of Economics, Ohio UniversityAdjunct Scholar, American Enterprise Institute


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Paul EvansProfessor of EconomicsOhio State University

Frank Wykoff Eldon Smith Professor of Economics, EmeritusPomona College

David A. BratProfessor and Chair, Department of Economics and BusinessRandolph-Macon College

Fred E. FoldvaryDirector, Civil Society InstituteSanta Clara University

David R. HendersonResearch Fellow, Hoover InstitutionStanford University

Dino FalaschettiGleed Endowed Chair, Seattle UniversityAssociate Professor of Law and Economics, Florida State University

Norman Lefton, PhDAdjunct Associate Professor at the School of BusinessSouthern Illinois University, Edwardsville

Lawrence J. Belcher, Ph.D.Professor of FinanceStetson University

David G. TuerckProfessor of EconomicsSuffolk University

Edgar K. BrowningProfessor of EconomicsTexas A&M University

Frank EganAssociate Professor of EconomicsTrinity College

Dorla A. Evans, Ph.D.Professor of Finance, Department of Accounting and FinanceUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville


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Larry L. RossProfessor of EconomicsUniversity of Alaska Anchorage

Lawrence SouthwickUniversity Research Scholar, Finance and Managerial Economics DepartmentUniversity at Buffalo

Leon WeggeProfessor of Economics EmeritusUniversity of California, Davis

Avanidhar SubrahmanyamGoldyne and Irwin Hearsh Chair in Finance, Anderson School of ManagementUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Lee E. Ohanian

Professor of EconomicsUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Richard RollProfessor of Finance, Anderson School of ManagementUniversity of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Professor Richard L. SmithPhilip L. Boyd Chair and Professor of FinanceUniversity of California, Riverside

A. Edward Day, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Economics (retired)University of Central Florida

Steven N. KaplanNeubauer Family Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance, Booth School of BusinessUniversity of Chicago

Eugen F. FamaRobert R. McCormick Distinguished Service Professor of Finance, Booth School of BusinessUniversity of Chicago

Robert E. Lucas, Jr.John Dewey Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, Department of EconomicsUniversity of Chicago

Barry W. PoulsonProfessor of Economics (retired)University of Colorado at Boulder


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Jane H. LillydahlProfessor Emerita, Department of EconomicsUniversity of Colorado at Boulder

Sanjai BhagatProfessor of FinanceUniversity of Colorado at Boulder

Michael CosgroveProfessor, University of DallasPrinciple, Econoclast

Eleanor D. CraigAssociate Chair & Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Delaware

Richard Agnello

Associate Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Delaware

Stacie E. BeckAssociate Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Delaware

James B . ONeill Professor of EconomicsDirector, Center for Economic Education and EntrepreneurshipUniversity of Delaware

C. Thomas Howard, Ph.D.Professor, Reiman School of FinanceUniversity of Denver

Ronald W. WardEmeritus ProfessorUniversity of Florida

Jeffrey H. DorfmanProfessor, Department of Agricultural and Applied EconomicsThe University of Georgia

James MoncurProfessor Emeritus of EconomicsUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa

Paul R. GregoryCullen Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Houston


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Roy J. RuffinM.D. Anderson Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Houston

R. Ashley LymanProfessor Emeritus of Economics and StatisticsUniversity of Idaho

Peter F. ColwellProfessor Emeritus, Department of FinanceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

William P. AlbrechtProfessor of EconomicsUniversity of Iowa

Michael R. Montgomery

Associate Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Maine

Jon ReismanAssociate Professor of Economics and Public PolicyUniversity of Maine at Machias

Richard E. JustDistinguished University ProfessorUniversity of Maryland College Park

Ronald. L. Promboin, Ph.D.Adjunct ProfessorUniversity of Maryland University College

Coldwell Daniel, IIIProfessor EmeritusUniversity of Memphis

Michael ConnollyProfessor of Economics, University of MiamiProfessor of Finance, Hunan University

Christopher Douglas, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Michigan-Flint

Mark J. Perry, Ph.D.Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI)Professor of Finance and Business EconomicsUniversity of Michigan-Flint


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Stephen Parente, Ph.D.Minnesota Insurance Industry Professor of Healthcare FinanceDirector, Medical Industry Leadership Institute (MILI)University of Minnesota

William F. Shughart IIF.A.P. Barnard Distinguished Professor of EconomicsThe University of Mississippi

Joseph HaslagProfessor and Kenneth Lay Chair in EconomicsUniversity of Missouri-Columbia

Susan FeigenbaumProfessor of EconomicsUniversity of Missouri at St. Louis

Arthur M. Diamond, Jr.Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha

Robert E. ChatfieldProfessor of FinanceUniversity of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)

Evangelos Otto SimosProfessor of Economics, University of New HampshireEditor, Journal of Business Forecasting

Chief Economist, e-forecasting.com

Jim F. CouchProfessor of EconomicsUniversity of North Alabama

Alan C. ShapiroIvadelle and Theodore Johnson Professor of Banking and Finance EmeritusMarshall School of BusinessUniversity of Southern California

Joel W. Hay, PhDProfessor, Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and EconomicsUniversity of Southern California

John G. MatsusakaProfessor of Finance and Business EconomicsCharles F. Sexton Chair in American EnterpriseUniversity of Southern California


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Joseph ZoricAssociate Professor of Economics and MBA DirectorFranciscan University of Steubenville

Roger MeinersProfessor of EconomicsUniversity of Texas at Arlington

Barry J. Seldon, Ph.D.Professor of Economics and Political EconomyUniversity of Texas at Dallas

Nathan J. AshbyAssistant Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Texas at El Paso

Timothy P. Roth, PhD

A.B. Templeton Professor and Chairman, Department of Economics and FinanceUniversity of Texas at El Paso

Robert CollingeProfessor of EconomicsUniversity of Texas at San Antonio

John E. MurrayProfessor, Department of EconomicsUniversity of ToledoAuthor, Origins of American Health Insurance

Richard T. SeldenCarter Glass Professor of Economics EmeritusThe University of Virginia

David L. Kendall, Ph.D.Professor of Economics and FinanceChair, Department of Business and EconomicsUniversity of Virginia's College at Wise

Luke M. FroebAssociate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Free EnterpriseVanderbilt University

Larry Van HornAssociate Professor of Healthcare ManagementExecutive Director of Health Affairs, Owen Graduate School of ManagementVanderbilt University


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Judy SheltonSenior Fellow and Co-Director of the Sound Money ProjectAtlas Economic Research Foundation

Warren CoatsMonetary Policy Advisory, Central Banks of Afghanistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, and ZimbabweCurrency Director, Cayman Island Monetary Authority

Grace-Marie TurnerPresidentGalen Institute

Richard W. Rahn,ChairmanInstitute for Global Economic Growth

Merrill Matthews

Resident ScholarInstitute for Policy Innovation

John W. DiamondEdward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public FinanceJames A. Baker III Institute for Public PolicyChief Executive Officer, Tax Policy Advisors, LLC

Mike SchuylerSenior EconomistInstitute for Research on the Economics of Taxation (IRET)

Paul Howard, Ph.DSenior ScholarManhattan Institute

Daniel R. FeenbergResearch AssociateNational Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

John C. GoodmanPresident, CEO and Kellye Wright FellowNational Center for Policy Analysis

Benjamin ZycherSenior FellowPacific Research Institute

John R. Graham,Director, Health Care StudiesPacific Research Institute


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Carlos BonillaPartner, Airline ForecastsFormer Special Assistant for Economic Policy, President George W. Bush

Robert GenetskiPresidentclassicalprinciples.com

James F. SmithChief EconomistEconForecaster.com

Dorsey D. Farr, Ph.D., CFACo-FounderFrench Wolf & Farr

R. David Ranson

President and Director of ResearchH. C. Wainwright & Co. Economics Inc.

Donald L. LuskinChief Investment OfficerTrendMacro

Robert D. NiehausPresident and Principal EconomistRobert D. Niehaus, Inc.

200 Economists & Experts Call ObamaCare “A Barrier to Job Growth,” Urge Repeal

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