| Tanner says 'fix what's broken' |
By: Sabrina Bates, News Editor
|
Posted: Thursday, August 20, 2009 4:16 pm
|
Con. John Tanner said the debate about a “health care bill” is much ado about nothing, because a health care bill just doesn’t exist.
Tanner said the current “health care bill” found online is a version of a House committee bill that has been amended three times and never been brought before the Senate.
“That bill is not a complete bill. There is no health care bill in the Senate and this version has been amended by three different committees,” Tanner said in a phone conversation Friday.
The 8th District congressman also said in his opinion, they were a long way away from passing an universal health care bill.
“Maybe somewhere down the line we will. But we need to keep what works and fix what’s broken,” Tanner stated.
He said if people are satisfied with the business-like approach to health care in which the employer helps pay for the costs of insurance, that system should stay in place.
There are issues that arise from the “broken” system that includes escalating costs as well as lack of coverage for pre-existing conditions.
“There was a woman whose daughter was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 22 and a man in Weakley County who has colon cancer. They can’t buy health care for any costs,” Tanner said.
With so much debate, over not only health care, but town hall meetings, Tanner said he chose to conduct “tele-town hall meetings” as opposed to a traditional town hall meeting for his constituents.
“I chose this method for two reasons. One is health care is an intensely personal issue. And two, I have had numerous phone calls from people telling me they can’t get to a traditional town hall meeting because some are shut-ins,” Tanner explained.
He said a tele-town hall meeting allows him to communicate with a larger number of people at the same time. It also eliminates heated arguments and protests to conduct business in a “more peaceful manner.”
“This is fairly new technology. Hopefully it will work. If not, we will do something different. This issue is an American issue, not a partisan issue,” the congressman noted.
He stressed the issue of health care is the most complicated domestic issue facing this country and one that has led to “so much misinformation” being generated that he hopes there can be some public dialogue among everyone, not just Democrats or Republicans.
WCP 8.18.09 |
|
Printer-friendly format
|
|
