Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.Car.) said Tuesday that there is clear bipartisan rejection in the Senate of several key White House initiatives, including energy and health reform. Graham said the Senate will continue to work on prudent legislation, but the legislative proposals from the White House are risky to American consumers and are unsustainable.

"I think the one thing I can tell you is that the public government option is not going to make it," Graham said. "That's all I can tell you. I think there is a lot of talk about different approaches, but the government option will kill private sector competition."

Republicans have been concerned about growing budget deficits and many, including Graham, believe that entitlement reform in areas like Medicare and Medicaid must be made if the Obama administration proceeds with its attempt to overhaul the nation's health care system.

"We can't have sustainable health care reform until you address the two government programs that exist today," Graham said. "Medicare and Medicaid combined in about ten years, are going to be the equivalent of today's entire budget. They're are on a unsustainable growth path."

Democratic lawmakers view cap-and-trade legislation as a possible source of income for health care reform. The hurdle for Democrats is finding a way to obtain majority support for such legislation in the Senate. According to Graham, the legislation was rejected in a bipartisan fashion because "it would create a $680 something billion cap-and-trade tax. . . that will have really hurt the American consumer and business."

Other opponents of cap-and-trade legislation argue that it will force businesses to relocate to countries without such laws, and that it will alienate poor communities by forcing taxes to increase.