"Americans will not be fooled. This $900 billion, 2800 page bill is not health care reform. It fails to fix what is broken and risks breaking what already works," US Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J Donohue said in a statement.
"It will drive up health care costs and make coverage less affordable for businesses and families. It marks a major step down the road to a government-run health care system. It will further expand entitlements and explode the deficit, and raises taxes by a half a trillion dollars at the worst possible time," he said, adding that American jobs and growth are at risk thanks to the decision by the House.
The Chamber president warned that should the legislation passed by the House become law, it will work through all available avenues - regulatory, legislative, legal, and political- to fix its flaws and minimise its potentially harmful impacts.
"Through the largest issue advocacy and voter education program in our history, we will encourage citizens to hold their elected officials accountable when they choose a new Congress this November," he said.
Noting that the business community is strongly committed to providing quality health care to its employees, Donohue said: "While today's decision will make that task more difficult and expensive, businesses and the Chamber will continue to promote reform that curbs costs, improves wellness, reins in frivolous lawsuits, expands consumer choice, and removes the inefficient heavy hand of government from decisions that should only be made by doctors and patients."
The US Chamber of Commerce is prepared to work with the administration, Congress, governors, companies and their employees and the medical community on real health care reform that improves quality, choice and access for all Americans, he said.