GOP leader: 'Healthcare bill will dim the light of freedom'

Shortly after a Democrat-backed healthcare bill passed the House late Saturday night, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued a statement denouncing the "2,032-page" bill as a "$1.3 trillion government takeover of health care."

“I came here to renew the American Dream, so my kids and their kids have the same opportunities I had. I came here to fight big-government monstrosities like this bill that dim the light of freedom and diminish opportunity for future generations," Boehner said in a statement.

“Americans want a common-sense approach to health care reform, not Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 2,032-page government takeover that increases costs, adds to our skyrocketing debt, destroys jobs with tax hikes and new mandates, and cuts seniors’ Medicare benefits," the statement added. "Americans asking ‘where are the jobs’ are getting more of the same from out-of-touch Washington Democrats: more spending, more debt, and more government.

“Republicans have better solutions to lower costs and expand access to quality care – especially for those with pre-existing conditions – without adding to the crushing debt Washington has placed on our children and grandchildren," he continued. "Our plan will lower premiums by up to 10 percent, making health care more affordable for families and small businesses. That’s what the American people want, and that’s what Republicans will continue to fight for.”

One Republican joined the Democrats in supporting the bill; 37 Democrats joined Republicans in opposing it. The bill passed the House 220-215.

The Republicans' bill referenced in Boehner's statement was estimated by Congressional auditors to cover just 3 million more Americans by 2019, and leave 52 million Americans without coverage (a net improvement of 5 percent).