Angie Craig: “this week the Senate is engaged in an extremely important debate about the direction we as a Congress want to take in…”

“this week the Senate is engaged in an extremely important debate about the direction we as a Congress want to take in ensuring health care for all Americans. I recognize that the bill we are debating this week is literally one that focuses on children's health. But, I believe the design of this legislation and who we are targeting tells us something about how the majority in the Senate believes we should provide health care for all of our citizens. This bill lays out one way to provide health care coverage in this Nation. It says ``increase taxes, increase government spending, and have the Government provide all health care plans.'' That is a failing formula. And now we are going to use that tax-and-spend formula to move further down the road towards socialized medicine. Under this bill, middle-class taxpayers in Idaho will be supporting health insurance for some families making more money than they are. I strongly oppose the Finance Committee legislation. Instead, I will vote for the McConnell-Lott alternative bill. Let me make it clear that I support reauthorizing the SCHIP program to ensure that low-income children have health insurance. No one should conclude that my vote against this bill is a vote against insuring poor children. My vote is a vote against massive tax increases and out-of-control spending. It is against a tax-and-spend policy that more than doubles the cost of a program for poor children so we can cover those with higher income.”