Blue Dog: ‘Excellent idea’ to start over on health care reform
PERRY, Florida (CNN) – Acknowledging his amazement at the crowds gathered to debate health care at his town halls, Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Florida, faced three large gatherings on Monday with many questioners voicing skepticism about the proposals being debated in Washington.
“Never have I had this attendance … that is a good thing,” Boyd said as he started his third event of the day.
Boyd, in his seventh term, represents a conservative area in northern Florida. A fiscal conservative, he is part of the group of House Democrats known as the Blue Dogs.
At the first event of the day in Cross City, he held up a copy of the bill passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee and embraced by the congressional leadership.
“I cannot support this bill in the version it is in now,” he said. “We can do better. We can make it better.”
He emphasized to the skeptical crowds that he will work to reduce quickly-rising medical costs; that any bill must not add to the deficit; and that Blue Dogs like himself fought to delay consideration by the full House of Representatives to allow members to hear directly from constituents during the August recess.
When a questioner, Ray Evans, said he believed the President wants to do too much at once and asked whether Boyd would “be willing to scrap everything” and start over to do pursue reform more incrementally, the congressman responded: “I think that is an excellent idea … we may end up there.”
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Pat Says:
Any national health plan will be a good thing for the Empty Suit. Socialism is happy to get it’s infection laden foot in the door.
For purely selfish reasons I don’t want the US to go the way of Canada and the Brits. If I need high quality medical work right now, I can head to the US with cash in hand. Not if the government runs it, you can bet your bottom dollar, only the Empty Suit and Komrads of the PolitBuro will get that.
Posted on August 18th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
UV Says:
Well, I for one prefer Canada’s ‘Universal Health Care’ System. I believe health care is just too important to leave it to the ‘for profit private health care’ sector to supply.
Another health care system comparison chart, this time from the BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8201711.stm
Posted on August 18th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Mac Says:
Who knows? Maybe Canada will learn something out of this American adventure…?
Posted on August 18th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
UV Says:
‘Learn something from the American adventure’ Yup – dont bring your guns to public forums and look in amazement how Canadians love their ‘Universal health Care.’ Yes, we have problems but their the exception and not many Canadians would want what the Americans have, particularly if you have just lost your job and the health benefits that go with it.
Posted on August 19th, 2009 at 7:21 am