2009-11-06 Democrats spend too much, accomplish too little

2009-11-06 John Kline Post-Bulletin \US/healthcare/reform/2009\US/Congress/111 http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=12&a=424317 Kline: Democrats spend too much, accomplish too little Democrats spend too much, accomplish too little  Our nation is at a crossroads. The course we chart now will forever transform our health care system and send ripples through our economy, our communities, and our homes.

Down one path, we see $1.3 trillion in new government mandates, bureaucratic red tape, and stifling tax increases. On the other, we see a package of targeted reforms aimed at solving our most pressing challenges in a way our nation can afford.

Choices in Washington are not always so stark. Lawmakers often reach across the aisle to work with political foes on sensible solutions to our nation's challenges. Unfortunately, the Democratic majority in Congress has cast bipartisanship aside in their quest to orchestrate a government takeover of our nation's health care system. The result is a highly partisan, financially irresponsible proposal that has polarized the nation. It didn't have to be this way.

For months, I've been calling on my Democratic colleagues to press the 'reset' button and embrace commonsense, targeted solutions to strengthen and reform health care. Democrats have instead left Republicans with no alternative but to propose our own plan. It's a plan I'm proud of, and one that would significantly improve health care affordability and access. Yet I would have preferred to join Democrats at the negotiating table to develop a plan together. ... This is so full of distortions and errors that it's not even funny... starting with the claim that Republicans tried to reach across the aisle to Democrats. Democrats repeatedly attempted to include Republican suggestions in the health care reform bills in order to gain their support, seriously compromising reform efforts in the process -- and yet Republicans continued to oppose any ideas tainted with the "Democrat" label. It was only when Democrats finally stopped trying to appease the Republicans that progress started to occur.

Also, the GOP has come up with a healthcare reform "plan" at least once before -- it contained absolutely nothing concrete. This time they have done somewhat better in the "concrete" department, but their "plan" basically legislates in the exact opposite direction on every key point on which the idea of "reform" is based.

&ldquo;For months, I've been calling on my Democratic colleagues to press the 'reset' button and embrace commonsense, targeted solutions to strengthen and reform health care. Democrats have instead left Republicans with no alternative but to propose our own plan.&rdquo;   