A leading Senate Democrat warned Friday that if health-care reform legislation fails to slow rising costs, the months-long political debate will be a "wasted exercise."
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota, told members on the Senate floor, "If whatever is done here on the floor of the United States Senate doesn't effectively find a way to put the brakes on health-care costs, we will have wasted a lot of time."
The remarks came as Dorgan signaled his forthcoming entry – and that of the full Senate, not just committees – into the next phase of the legislative process, when all 100 members eventually consider merged legislation of two bills now being fashioned by Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and caucus colleagues.
"I've not been part of a Gang of Six. I've not been part of the Finance Committee or the HELP (Health, Labor and Pensions) Committee, so I'm a Gang of One,” Dorgan said. “We’re going to have 60 or 70 Gangs of One that have never had the chance to offer amendments and suggestions on health-care.”
The “Gang of Six” refers to six Finance Committee Senators who met for months to hash out a compromise bill, which ultimately only received the vote of a single committee Republican, Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.
Highlighting how Senators will want to make their mark on merged legislation, changing it yet again from the version that will emerge from Reid’s private meetings, Dorgan continued by saying the bills under consideration do not do enough to reduce prescription drug costs, and that he plans to offer an amendment on that score.
“We get to pay the highest price in the world for name-brand drugs,” he said. “It’s just not fair. That is just not fair.”
Meanwhile, Democrats from states with more conservative constituencies, such as Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, are expressing hesitation about aspects of the House health-care bill, which includes a public option with a state-level opt-out provision.
Asked whether he could side with such a provision if it becomes part of a final bill, he said, “It'll be very difficult for me to vote for that provision. It would be very difficult to vote to shut off debate.”
House Republicans continue to call for the process to be slowed down – and for members to have ample time to review their version of the bill, which amounts to more than 1900 pages.
“I think it’s just a monstrosity,” Rep. John Boehner, the Republican leader, told Fox.
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