Dr. Coburn Commends President Bush’s Initiatives to Reform Health Care; Reduce Dependence on Foreign Oil
Coburn/Martinez to reintroduce legislation similar to Bush’s health proposal
January 23, 2007
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released the following statement tonight in response to President Bush’s State of the Union Address:
“President Bush deserves credit for delivering a speech filled with specific, realistic and substantive proposals. Congress now has to decide whether to work with President Bush in a spirit of bipartisan compromise or continue its ‘do-nothing’ habits voters rejected in November,” Dr. Coburn said.
“As Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned last week, the right time for Congress to get serious about fixing challenges like health care was ten years ago. If Congress continues to ignore this problem, the next generation of Americans will be the first to inherit a lower standard of living. President Bush has outlined a series of proposals that will reverse our slide toward socialized medicine and put consumers back in charge of their health care dollars and decisions. By empowering individuals and promoting competition, the President’s common sense proposals will make health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans,” Dr. Coburn said.
During the last session of Congress, Dr. Coburn cosponsored with U.S. Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) “The Tax Equity and Affordability Act,” S. 3754, which contained many of the reforms President Bush outlined tonight. Senators Martinez and Coburn plan to reintroduce an updated version of S. 3754 tomorrow.
“I also commend President Bush for his determination to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and improve our energy security,” Dr. Coburn added. “By reducing our gasoline usage by 20 percent over the next ten years through conservation and investments in new technology we will weaken potential enemies and terrorists. Some of the nations we depend on for oil supplies directly or indirectly support terrorism. It is unconscionable that the American people pay what amounts to an ‘al-Qaeda tax’ every time they fill their tank with gas.”
“Finally, I applaud President Bush for calling on Congress to reform the earmark process and reduce the total number and cost of earmarks. However, I would urge the President to use his leverage to take more aggressive steps. For example, the President simply can refuse to implement the earmarks that are slipped into so-called report language because those earmarks are not legally binding. As Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-IL) recently said during floor debate, pork projects in report language have no more legal authority than ‘a note to your sister.’ Ninety-five percent of all earmarks are funded in this manner. The President should also send Congress a message and pledge to veto any ethics and lobbying reform bill that is weaker than the version passed by the House,” Dr. Coburn said.
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