Enzi Statement on Health Care Reform Discussions Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., today issued the following statement on discussions to reach a bipartisan health care reform bill:
“My position has been consistent from the start. I haven’t walked away from ourshared goal of health care reform or compromised the original principles I outlined asessential to any plan for reform. I opposed the Senate HELP Committee bill that passed on astraight party line vote, and I opposed the House bill reported out of Committee on a straightparty line vote. That is not bipartisanship. I have consistently said that I would oppose agovernment-run option. I believe we need to increase not decrease private competition andtransparency, and if Congress is serious about reducing the cost of health care we need tolook at some type of malpractice reform.
“Despite some reports, I am still working with Senator Baucus and other members ofthe so-called Gang of Six. These discussions led by Senator Baucus have been productive,and I plan to continue with them. Chairman Baucus has promoted a bipartisan process thatwas absent when the House and HELP Committee bills were drafted. This truly bipartisanapproach is the best way to solve the real health care problems facing our nation becauseboth parties are at the table and working on solutions without being rushed by arbitrarydeadlines.
“In the last paragraph of my Republican weekly address I said that, ‘I hope thePresident and the Democratic-controlled Congress will reject the go-it-alone path that theyare currently on. If they do, we’ll have a chance to truly work on a real bill that will addressthose critical issues. Then we can bring about the reform necessary to decrease health carecosts and increase access to affordable, quality health care for all Americans.’
“That part of my speech is something a lot of people seem to be conveniently ignoringalong with my long record of passing bipartisan bills. I will continue down a bipartisan path inhope of passing a health care reform bill the American people will support.”
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