[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S677-S678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, as we meet here in Washington this 
week, unemployment continues to hover around 10 percent. Tens of 
millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet. The national 
debt is at a staggering all-time high. In response to all this, the 
administration wants lawmakers to go down to the White House to talk 
about a health care bill Americans have already rejected resoundingly. 
The American people thought the debate on this approach to reform was 
over. They issued their verdict on the substance of the Democratic 
bills and the process that was used to force them on the public. Yet 
here we are, once again, being told by the White House we have to 
consider the same health care bills that caused such a backlash across 
the country in December. Democrats either aren't listening to the 
American people or they are going down the same road they have gone 
down again and again over the past year: put a bill together behind 
closed doors and then try to force it through Congress along a party-
line vote and ultimately onto a public that doesn't want it.
  Americans don't want to be told what is best for them. They call the 
shots. What they are telling lawmakers in Washington to do on health 
care is to stop and start over. They want us to put the old bills on 
the shelf, pull out

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a clean sheet of paper, bring all the parties together, and start over.
  They are telling us they want a new bill. It is no wonder, since the 
bills we have seen would slash Medicare, increase taxes, and lead to 
higher insurance premiums. You could call this kind of approach many 
things, but you can't call it reform. Americans want real reform. That 
is what I had hoped Thursday's meeting at the White House would 
present, an opportunity for us to share the best ideas and work 
together on commonsense solutions. I am disappointed the White House 
seems to view it instead as an opportunity to simply restart where we 
left off in December. Americans don't know how else to say it. They are 
not interested in reform that starts with either of these two bills. 
The American people have been quite clear about that. They are not 
interested in reform that starts with either of these two bills.
  If you think they are mad about the process they have seen so far, 
wait until Democrats in Washington completely ignore them and try to 
jam these bills through one more time. People aren't interested in so-
called reform that raises costs instead of lowering them. They are not 
interested in massive cuts to Medicare. They are not interested in new 
taxes at a time when we are already struggling. They are not interested 
in a government-run health care system that will inevitably lead to 
delays and to rationing. They want step-by-step reforms that address 
the core of our problem, which is cost, not grand government schemes 
that only expand existing problems, increase our debt, and extend the 
reach of government further and further into our lives.
  Reform is necessary. Unfortunately, it seems Washington Democrats are 
so wedded to their own flawed vision of reform that they would rather 
have nothing at all done about health care than to implement the kinds 
of changes Americans want.
  When it comes to solving problems, Americans want us to listen first 
and then, if necessary, offer targeted, step-by-step solutions. Above 
all, they are tired of a process that shuts them out. They are tired of 
giant bills negotiated in secret, then jammed through on a party-line 
vote in the middle of the night. It should be clear by now, Americans 
are tired of grand schemes imposed from above. They have been telling 
us exactly that for an entire year. Incredibly, our friends on the 
other side still don't seem to get it. But Americans see what is going 
on, and that is why they will reject this bill one more time.
  I yield the floor.

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