Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th) today issued the following statement regarding the President’s speech on healthcare before a special joint session of Congress:
 
           “I share the President’s desire to see Congress make real progress on healthcare reform.  In fact, I doubt there was anyone in his Congressional audience who believes the status quo is acceptable.  The price of care continues to rise, a lack of medical malpractice reform is driving up premiums and forcing doctors to practice costly defensive medicine, and too many struggling families are finding high-quality coverage to be simply out of reach. 
 
           “However, the choice here is not between pursuing the same big-government, big-spending ideas and doing nothing, as the President seemed to imply.  Improving our healthcare system is a goal we can accomplish -- together -- without driving away high-quality private coverage options, without imposing new tax burdens on small businesses struggling to stay afloat, and without placing government bureaucrats between patients and their doctor. 
 
           “Tonight’s speech was an opportunity for the President to turn a new page, set aside old demands, and tell Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to move quickly on commonsense, bipartisan ideas that can work now to reduce costs, improve accessibility, and raise the quality of care.  These are ideas like Association Health Plans to help small businesses offer employees the same affordable coverage that large employers can offer, improved health IT, expanded coverage for pre-existing conditions, enhanced preventative care, and more. 
 
           “Unfortunately, I think much of what we heard tonight simply recast old arguments about government-run healthcare, and will do little to sway the minds of Members who just spent the August break in their districts, listening to the valid concerns of the people who sent them to Washington and count on them to get this right.
 
           “I was very pleased to hear the president indicate that he would be willing to consider good ideas from those across the aisle.  I applaud him for that and stand ready, just as I have throughout this debate, to help bring a bipartisan bill to the floor.  However, the track record of this Administration, as well as that of House and Senate leaders, suggests that alternative ideas are likely to continue falling on deaf ears. 
 
           “I also was pleased to hear the President finally mention medical malpractice reform as a potential part of the equation.  However, cosmetic changes such as renaming the public option a “co-op,” inserting so-called trigger, or agreeing only to a few medical malpractice “demonstration projects,” as the President indicated, will not satisfy the concerns of those who want meaningful changes that will make this bill work better for all Americans.
 
           “As always, it was a pleasure to listen to the President speak before Congress.  I hope that Congress will interpret his visit as a call to action on a bipartisan solution, and not simply a rallying cry for urgent action on a flawed proposal.”

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