Senator Merkley Getting An Earful On Health Care

By Evan at August 3rd, 2009.

According to an article from the Bend Bulletin, Oregon’s newly minted junior U.S. Senator may be getting more than he bargained at town halls with constituents concerned about President Obama’s health care proposals.

The Bulletin reports:

Attendees pressed Merkley on subjects ranging from illegal immigration to global warming to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but health care and proposed government reforms of the health care system dominated. Most in attendance were unconvinced that proposed reforms would do more good than harm. The senator asked for a show of hands to determine who thought current proposals were “crazy” or “reasonable” — crazy won out by a margin of at least 5 to 1.

When pressed about where he stands on the current reform proposals, Merkley rambled off a laundry list of options he said were on the table, including a single-payer system.  That last “option,” however, is one that President Obama has repeatedly argued, (at least, as of late) is just a canard being used by opponents to stop reform from advancing.

Now if you’re thinking Senator Merkley didn’t get the right song sheet, hold on, because he seems to sing more in tune with Obama in a later answer about the need to rush through the so-called reform measures:

Asked why the health care industry as a whole needs to be reformed when around 85 percent of Americans are insured and largely satisfied with their insurers, Merkley said he’s not sold on any particular solution yet, but that the problems that currently exist will continue to grow if not addressed. Merkley said the cost of health care is doubling every seven years, and currently consumes about 17 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, compared to around 10 percent in Europe and 7 percent in Canada.

At the end of the article, the reader still doesn’t know where Jeff Merkley stands on health care. Is he for a government-run “public option,” or not? At present, it probably benefits the state’s junior senator to hide behind the current chaos of proposals being “all over the map.”

Sooner or later, Oregonians are going to want to know where Merkley stands on this issue.  The question is, after continuing to hear from skeptics and critics during the August recess, whether the state’s junior Senator will be prepared to answer.

Tags: Bend Bulletin, featured, Health Care, Jeff Merkley, Oregon, Senate

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