Bipartisan Senate Group: Don’t Rush Health Care
Via Roll Call, a bipartisan group of senators on Friday urged Democratic leaders to slow the pace of the health reform debate to ensure that the final product
Jul 31, 202030.1K Shares943.2K Views
Via Roll Call, a bipartisan group of senators on Friday urged Democratic leaders to slow the pace of the health reform debate to ensure that the final product actually reins in long-term health care spending.
“While we are committed to providing relief for American families as quickly as possible,” the lawmakers wrote, “we believe taking additional time to achieve a bipartisan result is critical for legislation that affects 17 percent of our economy and every individual in the U.S.”
The letter to Senate leaders Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was spearheaded by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), with Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) also signing on, according to Roll Call.
The concern stems from the Congressional Budget Office’s damning assessment yesterdayof two health reform proposals already in the works — one from House leaders and the other from the Senate health committee. CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf told the Senate Budget Committee yesterday that both proposals would make the country’s health-spending dilemmaworse, rather than reining in costs as they were designed to do.
A third proposal, currently being drafted by leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, was expected for release this week, but that timeline was extended in the wake of the Elmendorf testimony.
Paula M. Graham
Reviewer
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