By John Boehner
Browns victory shows working families reject Democrats agenda.
The American people have spoken loudly and clearly: They do not want Washington Democrats government takeover of health care. Some dont like the tax hikes some dont like the Medicare cuts some dont want government bureaucrats getting between them and their doctor but whatever the reason theyre yelling Stop.
Jamming this monstrosity through now would set off a political firestorm especially if the House blindly rubber-stamps the Senate health care bill. That is exactly the kind of Washington arrogance that the people of Massachusetts overwhelmingly rejected.
The Senate bill is a disaster: 2733 pages $470.7 billion in Medicare cuts $518.5 billion in tax hikes and $26 billion in new federal mandates imposed on cash-strapped states. Actually one state Nebraska is exempt from these mandates as part of a sweetheart deal now infamous as the Cornhusker kickback. It is so unseemly USA TODAYs description not mine that the lawmaker who cut the deal Sen. Ben Nelson has already disavowed it.
Still Democrats say the Senate bill is better than nothing because if they fail to act after months of work on the issue they will lose the confidence of the American people.
That ship has already sailed.
Scott Browns victory in the Massachusetts Senate race is a clear sign that working families are rejecting Democrats job-killing agenda even in the bluest of blue states.
Democrats can break the health care logjam today by scrapping this government takeover and working with Republicans who have proposed the only health care bill that would lower premiums by up to 10. (Learn more by visiting
http://www.gop.gov/solutions/healthcare.)
If recent history is any guide however Democrats will continue to circle the wagons wasting even more time and energy Congress should be devoting to helping small businesses create jobs and getting the nations fiscal house in order.
In the end what made Scott Browns victory so compelling was not his party affiliation but the power of his plea for a return to common sense and the excitement of his grassroots supporters. This political rebellion has been brewing across the country for months now and Washington Democrats continue to ignore it at their peril.
