3 Utahns in House vote 'nay' on health reform

Utah's three House members all voted against the Democratic health-care reform bill Saturday, contending it is too expensive and does not reform the nation's health-care system enough.

That was easy for Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, because all Republicans but one opposed it.

But Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, was one of 39 moderates who bucked his party in a vote that passed by a 220-215 tally. It was so close that President Barack Obama even visited the Capitol to try to firm up Democratic support.

"It (the bill) costs too much and doesn't reform enough," Matheson said.

He had sought changes for months without success, including negotiating with Obama in the White House as chairman of the Blue Dog Caucus of moderates.

Matheson announced Friday he would oppose the bill and said party leaders did not try to change his position Saturday because of his long-known stances on key provisions. Matheson also skipped the Capitol meeting with Obama.

Matheson said his final decision to oppose the bill came after a meeting this week with the head of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Matheson said he asked, "Does this really control these out-of-control costs or not? And basically he said, 'No, it doesn't.' "

Matheson said the bill contains "dozens and dozens of important issues related to health care." But, "we need to cover the uninsured and do it in a way that is fiscally responsible and control a system that's growing too fast," and the bill fails in that.

Matheson said he has more hope in a Senate version of the bill "that actually meets some of the criteria I'm talking about, so it shows it can be done," and hopes its provisions advance as the House and Senate work out differences in their bills. Matheson adds the "do-nothing option really is unacceptable because the cost growth we are experiencing in this country is just destroying our economy."

Meanwhile, Bishop said, "This is a massive power shift away from the states …. What is horrendous for Utah is this bill stops and guts and destroys what Utah is doing on a state level and the gains we have made."

It will also be expensive, he said.

"They took 10 years of revenue projections to balance off six years of costs. That's the type of gamesmanship that has gone on," he said. "That means an increase in premiums or a tax increase for everyone, or in some cases He also complained, "A power shift like this really should be approved with far more of a consensus." Bishop added, "(House) Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi twisted more arms to pass this bill than this legislation will ever be able to fix."

Chaffetz called the Democratic bill "an assault on freedom," and "another $1 trillion government takeover."

"The idea that the federal government can force you to purchase insurance coverage is appalling," and "it's amazing that it will be a federal crime if you don't purchase insurance," he added.

Chaffetz also said, "This essentially will raise taxes on every American at a time when people cannot afford it." He said he hopes for improvements in negotiations with the Senate, "but we conservatives are vastly outnumbered."

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