Bennett Votes Against Senate Health Care Bill

Statement

Says this bill is NOT what Americans wanted for Christmas

Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) issued the following statement Thursday after voting against final passage of the Democrats' health care bill in the Senate:

"On the eve of Christmas, the Senate Democrats and Obama administration chose to shut out the voices of the people and jam through a health care bill that the majority of Americans oppose. This bill will impact every American, restructure one-sixth of the economy and shape the future of the United States. Something of this importance should never be made on a partisan basis and should never exclude the voices of the people.

"Despite overwhelming opposition, the Obama administration is claiming the passage of this bill as a historic victory. How can anyone label a bill that hikes up taxes, increases insurance premiums, slashes Medicare benefits and raises health care costs as a 'victory?' In a desperate effort to make history, the Democratic leadership bought votes and made backroom deals that will be paid for by the taxpayer. That is not how legislation should be made.

"When taking up health care reform, the goal was to make health care costs go down, not up; and to ease the burden on American families, not strap them with higher taxes and premiums. The goal was to reform the broken health care system, not exacerbate it only to leave our children and grandchildren with a larger mess to clean.

"This health care bill is not what Americans wanted for Christmas. They want it stopped and although today's vote is disheartening, the fight against a government takeover of health care is not over because the final bill still needs to be written in consultation with the House of Representatives, whose version was even worse. As senators go home and feel the anger of their constituents, there is still a chance that at least one will change his or her mind. One more is all we need to stop this."

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