Mark Critz on Why He Opposed the Health Care Bill But Won't Vote to Repeal It

Johnstown, Pa.

In the special election to fill the late John Murtha’s House seat, Republican businessman Tim Burns and Rep. Murtha’s director of economic development Mark Critz, the Democratic candidate, debated tonight in a high school auditorium in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The debate, moderated by a local TV station and newspaper, was lively, and both candidates seemed well-matched.

Burns defended himself Critz’s claims that the Republican favored the privatization of Social Security, the Fair Tax, and had shipped jobs overseas. Critz defended himself from Burns’s claims that Critz would be a reliably liberal vote for Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama and wouldn’t vote to repeal the health care bill.

After the debate concluded I asked Critz to explain his position that he would have voted against the health care but opposes repeal and about the health care law's provision to cover abortions.

TWS: Mr. Critz, you would have opposed the health care bill, correct? CRITZ: Correct. TWS: So why don’t you support repeal of the health care bill? CRITZ: Because I think in this part of the world, you know what we do? We work with what we have and we look forward. We try to fix what we have instead of going backwards. TWS: And do you think the health care bill currently—the law—pays for abortions? CRITZ: No, I don’t.

One of Critz’s staffers then told me that the candidate was going to talk to supporters and when he was done, they’d give me some time to talk to him.

So I stepped aside for a couple minutes and when Critz appeared to be finished talking to supporters I asked him, “have you read the health care bill—the abortion provision, sir?”

Critz didn't respond.

I asked him as he walked outside the auditorium: “Mr. Critz, doesn’t the law say that at least one insurance plan in every exchange would cover abortion, Critz responded with silence again.

And, just to be safe, I asked a third time and he didn’t respond. Critz then entered a vehicle, and I walked away.

During the debate, after Burns articulated his firmly anti-abortion position, Critz replied: “I think we’ve reached a watershed. We actually agree on something.” As the crowd applauded, Critz asked, “Can I say ‘ditto’?”