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Washington, D.C., Mar 21 -

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) released the following statement after voting against the final healthcare overhaul bill:

"As much as party leaders in Washington have tried to make this decision about being Democrat or being Republican, this is not about partisan politics. It's about simple truths. And the simple truth is that you cannot take $500 billion out of a Medicare program that will be bankrupt by 2017 and not hurt our seniors. You can't ask the government to pay for a program that costs nearly one trillion dollars and not expect higher taxes, bigger deficits, and greater debt. You can't give Washington bureaucrats more power over our citizens’ health and expect higher quality service. And you can't place mandates on our employers and citizens and not expect jobs and family budgets to hurt as a result.

"The legislation was crafted behind closed doors and without substantive input from Republicans or Democrats in Congress. Instead of starting with a clean slate and seeking unity on healthcare reform, the majority leadership ignored the input of the American people and relied on legislative scheming and backroom deals to pass the bill.

"I fear that the process used to pass this healthcare bill sets a precedent that is an affront to the principles of transparency and accountability that our nation has been built upon."

Congressman Forbes has introduced an alternative plan to create better solutions in healthcare. The plan is available here.