Last Thursday’s day-long summit between President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans produced little – if any – common ground on the administration’s proposed healthcare reform, and Katy-area Congressman Michael McCaul said he was “disappointed” with the negotiations.
McCaul said Obama and the Democratic leadership were unwilling to negotiate in good faith or back away from the idea of a government-sponsored healthcare plan.
“I am disappointed that the President and Democrats came to the negotiating table today unwilling to waver from a government-regulated healthcare system that Americans continue to say they don’t want,” McCaul said.
Despite the differences, both sides actually agreed on several issues, but those issues were nothing new, McCaul added. Democrats, though, remain unwilling to craft a healthcare bill based on bipartisan issues.
“The discussions produced something we already knew – both parties agree on several key issues such as allowing citizens to buy insurance across state lines, limiting annual and lifetime caps on coverage, preventing insurance companies from dropping coverage and allowing children to remain on their parents’ insurance plans longer,” the congressman said. “However, Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership refuse to consider legislation limited to these items, even though it could pass with bipartisan support and begin to improve our healthcare system.
Instead, McCaul noted, Democrats “stubbornly insist on grouping the things we agree on into a bill that increases government regulation, mandates coverage and limits choice in coverage”
Despite the lack of an agreement during the summit, McCaul pledged to continue to work with Democrats, as long as government-run healthcare is not part of the package.
“I stand ready to pass the reforms we agree on, and willing to debate the more difficult challenges,” he said.
