Enzi: Democrats Can't Write a Bipartisan Bill on Their Own

Washington, D.C. – After meeting with President Obama today to discuss health care reform, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said he remains committed to developing a bipartisan reform bill but warned that locking Republicans out of the process won’t deliver genuine reform that most Americans want.

“I believe there is a way forward that can get the support of 75 to 80 Senators, but the bill Democrats released yesterday doesn’t cut it,” Enzi said. “Democrats can’t write a bipartisan bill on their own – they need to start listening to Republican ideas.”

Enzi again said that Republicans would strongly oppose any proposal that included a government-run plan, which would force millions of Americans to lose their health insurance and drive them into a program where Washington bureaucrats ration care.

“A government-run plan would deny Americans their choice of doctor, and would give Washington bureaucrats the power to ration and deny care,” Enzi said. “This would violate the pledge we’ve heard from President Obama and others, that if you like the care you have, you can keep it.”

Enzi said that Republicans will expect a full analysis from the Congressional Budget Office on the cost of a bill before any Committee action.

“This will be the most sweeping legislation Congress has considered in a generation, and Senators must have a full understanding of how much it will cost. We can’t act on a bill without knowing the price tag.”

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