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Source: Sioux City Journal
SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., said he's glad the health care reform process has slown, so the best bipartisan bill possible that won't increase the deficit can work through the federal chambers in Washington.
Nelson told the crowd of 200 at his Tuesday afternoon town hall meeting at the Marina Inn Convention Center the bills being discussed in Washington, such as HR3200, have no chance of passage. He said the most defensible bill to be weighed likely will come out of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on which owan Charles Grassley sits.
"There a lot of talk about 'the plan,' but there isn't one," he said.
In the hourlong meeting Nelson heard from 14 people, primarily about health care. Nelson at the beginning asked how many people want to see no reform of health care and about 20 raised their hands.
A man asked Nelson how "we get a handle on all the bureaucracy that it will take to run this," and Nelson said his approach is enact the least government involvement possible through reform efforts. He said he opposes a single-payer system for all Americans.
The two-term senator said health care costs have risen far faster than the rest of the economy -- including health insurance premiums going up by 69 percent since 2000, while Nebraska wages have oNly gone up 21 percent in that time.
Nelson said no positive changes have occurred to make the health care system more responsive or to rein in costs, so there is a need to look at reform.
Linda Griffin of Omaha said she doesn't understand "the rush to push through" health care reform. Nelson noted he helped slow the process down with a letter he and five other senators sent asking to move off the Aug. 1 deadline for a bill that once existed.
Retired nurse Nancy Sivill of Omaha cited a need for some tweaking of the health care system, but not the $1.7 billion overhaul some have estimated, since the country can't afford it.
"Congress has been spending money all year on unstimulating stimulus programs," Sivill said to the biggest applause of the event.
Nelson also held a meeting Tuesday in Norfolk prior to appearing in South Sioux City and he's held six town halls in the August congressional recess. He said the meetings haven't resulted in some of the shouting and jostling of other national events, since Nebraskans conduct themselves well even while disagreeing.
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