Idaho reaction to the congressional vote on the health care bill
Gov. Butch Otter: “States like Idaho are working hard to create public-private healthcare partnerships and facilitate local solutions. Big federal programs aren’t the answer. It’s even more important now for patients and practitioners, hospitals and health insurers, employers and employees to work together, because Congress and the White House got it wrong. All this will do is keep states and the marketplace from making healthcare more affordable and accessible while imposing a legacy of untold debt on our children and grandchildren.”
Idaho Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko: “Today’s disastrous vote on the health care bill in the House of Representatives demonstrates how out of touch Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional Democrats are with the American People. Instead of starting over and working on a bipartisan agreement, Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi chose to ram through a bill that costs way too much money, puts government in control of personal health decisions, cuts Medicare, and grows government — while doing nothing to control the skyrocketing costs of healthcare. “The American people want true health care reform that isn’t about politics, but rather about the families, businesses and economy of the nation. Obama, Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress have continued to fail the American people, and today’s vote is proof that they still aren’t listening. Democrats can expect to pay the consequences at the polls in November, here in Idaho and across the nation.”
U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick: “I voted no today because I was elected to listen to my constituents, seek the best possible information and use my best judgment to make the right decision for Idaho.
“It was a difficult vote because, like all Idahoans, I truly do care about improving the health-insurance system, about reducing costs and about improving care. But I voted against this bill because it is critical to the long-term fiscal health of the country that we not get this wrong.
“Nevertheless, I remain committed to working on what comes next. We must enact comprehensive tort reform. We must bring more providers to rural communities. We must increase the number of primary-care physicians. We must improve mental and physical care for our returning military veterans. We must work to reduce the costs within the health care system. We must decrease the Medicare rate disparity that hurts states like Idaho. We must shift the basis for medical payments from procedures to outcomes. And I offer my firm commitment to hold the administration accountable for their promise that this legislation will not add to the deficit.
“Whether you supported or opposed this bill, surely you agree that we must now work together to move beyond the rhetoric and anger that has so divided our nation. There are too many important issues facing this nation for us to allow the divisions created by this vote to remain beyond this vote.
“No one should ever be elected to be a blind loyalist to a political party, on any issue, but we owe the people we represent nothing less than our deep commitment to work together on the issues facing this nation. The people of Idaho have such a commitment from me.”
SOURCE: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/22/1126443/idaho-reaction-to-the-congressional.html#ixzz0iw5srJyO
Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.