U.S. Senator Tom Coburn said President Obama’s speech about healthcare last week missed the point.

“President Obama is right that Congress can agree to many of the goals he outlined, and he was wise to acknowledge that those on the other side of aisle are equally committed to reform and have, in fact, produced ideas and solutions to achieve our common goals,” Coburn said, noting that his bill includes a detailed proposal to set up state-based exchanges that empower individual consumers rather than government or insurance company bureaucrats.

“However, the President still faces a fundamental challenge that the House and Senate healthcare bills as currently drafted do not line up with the plan he described. If the President means what he says, he needs to tell House and Senate Democrats to start over.

“Both the House and Senate bills do, in fact, set the stage for healthcare rationing, taxpayer-funded abortion and a government takeover of the health care system.

“Suggesting that these radical provisions are the result of scare tactics or spin, rather than the decisions of committee leaders, is counterproductive.”

Coburn said the American people are scared of a single-payer system because many key figures shaping the bill, including the President, have said a single-payer system is their preferred solution, and because independent groups have concluded that the public option could cause more than 100 million Americans to lose their private health insurance.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 17th, 2009 and is filed under Front Page Stories.