U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) appeared on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ this morning and discussed the following issues. Below are excerpts of his comments: ON HEALTH CARE REFORM: "Winning is stopping and starting over and getting it right. I don't know anybody in my Republican conference in the Senate who's in favor of doing nothing on health care. We obviously have a cost problem and we have an access problem. But there's a very big difference about whether or not it's appropriate to have a major rewrite of about one sixth of our economy in the process. My members just don't think that's the right way to go. We want to fix the health care system, but we don't want to do or have a half trillion dollar over 10-year cut in Medicare - not to make Medicare more sustainable, but to start a new program for others. We don't think it's a good idea to raise taxes on small businesses and on individuals in the heart of a recession. There are some serious differences about what ought to be done."
ON A RECONCILIATION PROCESS TO PASS HEALTH CARE: "Look, it's not about winning or losing, and it's not about the President, it's about American health care and getting it right. And if they try to use this legislative loophole called reconciliation, what they'll be doing, in effect, is jamming through a proposal to rewrite the economy with about 24 hours of debate. Basically, a legislative loophole to do a massive rewrite of one sixth of our economy. I think that that will produce a very, very severe reaction among the American people, who are already, according to the Gallup poll, not in favor of the direction we're taking on this very important issue."
ON REPUBLICAN ALTERNATIVES TO THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE PROPOSALS:"The definition of winning is to stop and start over and do it right. Things like targeting junk lawsuits against doctors and hospitals. Things like equalizing the tax code so that individual purchases of health insurance get the same tax deduction that corporations do. Things like incentivizing wellness programs that encourage people to do something about smoking, about being overweight, about high cholesterol, high blood pressure, lack of exercise. There are plenty of things we could do without having the government step in and in effect, try to take over one sixth of our economy."
ON WHETHER THE PRESIDENT WILL SIGN A HEALTH CARE BILL: "I hate to make predictions. This is not a game, this is a serious matter. We're dealing with America's health care. We really need to get it right and we'll be glad to work with the administration to get the right outcome."
ON THE NATIONAL DEBATE: "Well, I certainly agree with the President and disagree with President Carter that this great national debate we're having right now has anything whatsoever to do with race. The American people are concerned when they see the government running banks and insurance companies and car companies and now want to, in effect, take over almost 20 percent of our economy, our health care. These are the kinds of things about which there ought to be a very spirited debate and we're in the process of having that here in this country.
ON AFGHANISTAN: "The president enjoys very strong support among Republicans in the Senate for what he's doing in Afghanistan. We are, however, disturbed by reports from your network, CNN, that he was, in effect, asking General McChrystal to delay his recommendation. We think it is time to receive the recommendation."
ASKING GENERALS MCCRYSTAL AND PETRAEUS TO COME BEFORE CONGRESS: "We would like to see General McChrystal and General Petraeus come up to Congress, like they did during the Iraq surge and give us the information about what they're recommending. We think the time for decision is now. . . . when you delay a decision like this, you, arguably, maybe unnecessarily, endanger the lives of our soldiers. If we need to change strategy, if we need to increase the troop strength there, I think the president will enjoy a lot of support among Senate Republicans.
. . . We're looking forward to hearing publicly what General McChrystal has to say and what the president's going to recommend. I think the sooner he can make that decision, the better. . . . Look, General Petraeus did a great job with the surge in Iraq. I think he knows what he's doing. General McChrystal is a part of that. We have a lot of confidence in those two generals. I think the President does as well. I think he ought to follow his advice."
ON BIPARTISANSHIP: "Well, I like the president personally a lot. I do think he's governing on the domestic side, governing very much on the left. I was hoping he would govern as he campaigned, which was in the center. If he were in the center on most of these issues, I think he would be enjoying a lot more Republican support than he's getting right now, which at least on the health care debate at the moment is none."
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