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The Congressional Budget Office’s new estimate that the federal deficit will reach $7.14 trillion over the next ten years isn’t making Americans feel any more comfortable about supporting President Obama’s healthcare reform plan said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) in a conference call on Tuesday.

“We are running trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, and with these updated numbers that CBO is coming out with, clearly the fiscal picture has worsened...and I think that animates a lot of people’s concerns about an expansion of healthcare.”

Thune, who has held a few town hall events on healthcare in his home state during the August recess, said that the country’s fiscal situation is causing some folks to oppose certain elements of reform, such as the public option provision endorsed by Obama.

“A real concern on people’s minds is ‘Why are we looking now at doing something that will add costs, build on programs that are already halfway to bankruptcy...and on an unsustainable trajectory.’”

Thune, of course, was referring to Medicare, the government's heath insurance program for senior citizens. He did, however, say that Senate Republicans are open to supporting Medicare spending cuts that would “find savings” for the plan.

Thune reiterated his support for a recent report put out by the non-partisan National Federation of Independent Business Association. The study concluded that the three healthcare bills that have passed the House would increase taxes, and as a result would harm small businesses across the country.

Thune stated confidently that no Republican will support a comprehensive healthcare bill, although he suggested that a more incremental bill could achieve bipartisan backing in the Senate. However, Thune sounded skeptical that Democrats would allow Republicans to be a part of the legislative process once the bill shifted back to the House.

Thune also expressed doubts over the possibility that Democrats may attempt to pass legislation through the process of reconciliation, which would require lawmakers to split the bill into pieces and then vote on the different parts individually.

“As a policy matter, they could do it. As a political matter, it’s really difficult. Americans don’t want to see something jammed through,” said Thune. He added that although reconciliation is hard to understand, many of his constituents would oppose its use by Democrats on the grounds that “something as large as healthcare could be passed on a party line vote.”

Thune articulated that Republicans want healthcare reform to address issues like tort reform and long-term sustainability of Medicare. He maintained that Republicans are supportive of provisions that would prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to customers with pre-existing conditions, but suggested that most in the party are wary of a bill that includes any sort of mandate on individuals to obtain health insurance.