Monday
Jul132009
GOP Senator Calls For Do-Over On Health Care Reform
Monday, July 13, 2009 at 4:15PM
By Justin Duckham-Talk Radio News Service
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) believes that congressional Democrats have taken the wrong approach to health care reform and suggests hitting the proverbial reset button.
"My advice would be that we start over," Alexander said during a pen and pad session with reporters. "The main focus should be on the cost of health care for the 250 million Americans who already have it and on the cost of their government once we get through this legislation."
Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who also attended, took issue with the optimistic language the Obama administration has been using to describe the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
"It's becoming increasingly apparent to the American people that this administration and House Democrats are out of touch with this economy," Pence argued. "The President on July 1st actually said that the stimulus bill had 'done its job'."
Alexander agreed, comparing the statement to a much derided misstep from the previous administration.
"I think his comment...sounds an awful lot to me like 'Mission Accomplished', and President Bush was held accountable for that and I think President Obama should be held accountable for this," Alexander said, referencing former President Bush's 2003 appearance in front of a banner marked "Mission Accomplished" prior to the worst days of the Iraqi insurgency.
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) believes that congressional Democrats have taken the wrong approach to health care reform and suggests hitting the proverbial reset button.
"My advice would be that we start over," Alexander said during a pen and pad session with reporters. "The main focus should be on the cost of health care for the 250 million Americans who already have it and on the cost of their government once we get through this legislation."
Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who also attended, took issue with the optimistic language the Obama administration has been using to describe the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
"It's becoming increasingly apparent to the American people that this administration and House Democrats are out of touch with this economy," Pence argued. "The President on July 1st actually said that the stimulus bill had 'done its job'."
Alexander agreed, comparing the statement to a much derided misstep from the previous administration.
"I think his comment...sounds an awful lot to me like 'Mission Accomplished', and President Bush was held accountable for that and I think President Obama should be held accountable for this," Alexander said, referencing former President Bush's 2003 appearance in front of a banner marked "Mission Accomplished" prior to the worst days of the Iraqi insurgency.
Reader Comments (2)
Lamar Alexander: "bla bla bla bla bla . ." Mike Pence:"bla bla bla bla bla bla . . ."
Useless words and unreasonable ideas. Cost control is integral, and must go hand in hand with, all new ideas for funding health care reform. So, it's already being done Lamar and Mike.
Unless you count increased taxes as cost control, idiot, there is absolutely nothing in health care deform exept that--a deforming of the system so that the government takes over at whatever cost. The whole thing is a dependency-first, grateful-vote-later exercise that has nothing to do with cost containment and only lip service to "affordable health care" and "universal coverage." In short, a typical Democrat ruse to create a permanent majority-party status AT ANY COST TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.