Utah senators blast Dems on health care

WASHINGTON — Utah's senators — still stinging from an early morning vote Monday that likely will allow health care reform to pass the Senate by Christmas — are blasting away at Democrats, saying they are giving Americans immense debt and public funding of abortions, and it's all nonreturnable.

"The Obama administration and the Senate Democrats have wrapped up a giant Christmas gift for Americans that will be passed down to future generations: tax increases, higher premiums, cuts to Medicare and trillions of dollars in spending that will drive the country further into debt," said Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah.

"Unfortunately, this Christmas gift doesn't come with a return policy," he said.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, complained about how Democrats held a 1 a.m. vote Monday that just passed with the required 60 votes, done at that hour to meet timing requirements to pass the bill by Christmas. He complained it came only after leaders "bought" votes to win support from some key senators by giving Nebraska, Vermont and Massachusetts special deals on Medicaid subsidies.

"Who will pay for these special deals?" Hatch asked the Senate. "The answer is simple: Every other state in the union, including Utah."

Hatch also complained that a compromise on abortion language, included to win the support of pro-life Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., is weak and will allow public financing of abortion anyway, despite provisions to allow some states to opt out of abortion coverage and some designed to keep public and private funds separate and not allow use of public money for abortions.

"This provision does nothing to prevent one state's tax dollars from being used to fund abortions in other states. In other words, tax dollars from Nebraska or Utah could be paying for abortions in California or New York," Hatch said.

Bennett echoed that in a written statement. "It is outrageous that the Obama administration is touting this bill as a chance to make history … The bill is historic because it ensures that for the first time, taxpayer dollars will be used to pay for abortions."

Bennett added, "After making back-room deals in exchange for votes, the Democratic leadership voted in the middle of the night to continue to jam through their multi-trillion, job-killing health care bill, despite the will of the American people."

Hatch similarly said the latest amendments — made to attract the final, needed votes among Democrats — "represent everything that Americans hate about Washington right now: Chicago-style back-room buy-offs at the expense of American taxpayers."

This story was reported from Salt Lake City.

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