Wyoming on the block

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

By Ben Cannon

Enzi, Barrasso players in GOP healthcare defensive.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming - Wyoming Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso have been key players in the Senate Republicans’ dogged resistance to the healthcare reform legislation, sharply denouncing some De- mocrats for allegedly swaying holdouts votes with promises of  Federal money.

On Monday, C-SPAN broad- cast a speech Sen. Enzi delivered on the senate floor in which he accused Democratic leader Senator Harry Reid (Nev.) of outright bribery.

“Last night Leader Reid bought votes with trillions of your hard-earned dollars,” Enzi
said in his speech, excerpts of which were included in a release from the office of Wyoming’s senior senator. He continued,

“Leader Reid cut sweetheart deals for Nebraska, Florida and Louisiana, just to name a few. This would never happen in Wyoming because buying votes is illegal, as it should be.”

The Casper Star-Tribuneon Monday reported that a provision in the healthcare overhaul would actually boost Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals in Wyoming, but the state’s U.S. Senators remained staunchly opposed.

Sen. Barrasso, an orthopaedic surgeon before he went to Washington two years ago, has become a leading voice of Republican opposition, appearing multiple times recently on Fox News and C-SPAN.

On Fox News, Monday, Barrasso said he and another Republican represent the only
doctors in the Senate, and that both men, as experienced medical professionals, believe the bill is too flawed and will raise taxes and raise healthcare costs.

Barrasso told host Patti Ann Brown: “We know that there are things that we could do and should do to improve healthcare in this country and make it more affordable and available and accessible. But this bill doesn’t do it.”

Appearing Tuesday in an interview on C-SPAN, Barrasso said he had proposed 19 separate amendments to the legislation, but that they were rejected by Democratic leaders.

“Harry Reid said ‘no’,” Barrasso said.

Wyoming Democrats, meanwhile, blasted Enzi and Barrasso following their votes on Sunday against advancing Reid’s healthcare bill, saying the senators are obstructionists to reform due to Republican ties to special interests.

“Senators Enzi and Barrasso, along with their Republican colleagues in Congress, have proven once again that they are willing to do anything to protect health insurance companies at the expense of health care for their constituents,” said Wyoming Democratic Party spokeswoman Brianna Jones.

“Last night, in a historic vote on health insurance reform, Senators Enzi and Barrasso chose to fall in line with the GOP and ignore the real need for reform in the state of Wyoming,” said state party Chair Leslie Petersen. “Reform will bring greater access to Wyoming residents and greater support to Wyoming healthcare providers.”

Wyoming Democrats said the higher reimbursement rates in the provision could help draw doctors to Wyoming, especially the state’s vast rural areas. It’s unclear how much Wyoming will see of the proposed $2 billion that will be divvied among Wyoming and four other “frontier” states: Utah, Montana and the Dakotas.

“We want to see that rural areas are supported and also attract talented and younger physicians,” Jones said, noting that Wyoming has a high number of aging physicians nearing retirement. “We feel this [proposed healthcare overhaul] is a great way to do this.”

As of Tuesday, the Senate was expected to vote on the bill on Dec. 24.

Barrasso said the push to decide on the bill before Christmas was arbitrary and in haste.

“Harry Reid doesn’t want members of the senate to go home for the holidays and talk to the folks at home who overwhelmingly oppose this bill that they are trying to force through in the dead of night,” he said.

Dr. Brent Blue, a Teton District Board of Health member, said the board has taken no position on the proposed legislation, but said the current version could benefit Wyoming by drawing more primary care doctors – pediatricians, family practitioners –
in a state with “too many specialists.”

“From my perspective they’re not going as far as they could to establish a program that covers all Americans,” Blue said.

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Wyoming on the block | Planet JH News Article: General News

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