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SOUTH SALT LAKE -
The lone Democratic congressman in Republican-dominated Utah, Congressman Jim Matheson said Saturday he will vote against a massive health care reform bill. Matheson's announcement came after an impassioned plea by President Barack Obama to have health care reform pass in a Sunday vote.
"I am saddened that the year-long debate on health reform has resulted in legislation that is too expensive, contains too many special deals, does not contain health care costs and will result in increases in health insurance premiums and therefore I will vote against the legislation," Matheson said in a statement to Fox 13 News on Saturday afternoon.
"Health care affects every Utahn in different but profoundly important ways. Controlling rising health care costs, increasing quality and value and improving access to health care and to affordable health insurance coverage remains critical to me. But the wrong kind of reform--reform which increases health care costs-- will leave our nation worse off."
Matheson was facing increased pressure from both sides of the heated debate. Protesters for and against had gathered outside the congressman's offices here, and his phone was ringing non-stop with constituents urging him to vote either for or against the multi-billion dollar overhaul. Television ads had recently run claiming that President Obama had "bribed" Matheson to vote for health care, by appointing his brother, Scott Matheson, to be a federal appeals court judge. It was a charge that was quickly denounced, even by Matheson's GOP colleagues in congress.
In his statement to Fox 13, Matheson pointed to the costs as a major reason for his "no" vote.
"I look at lessons learned from the Massachusetts state health care reform effort. It illustrates what happens when universal coverage is extended without controlling costs: even more patients funneled into a broken system. Insufficient healthcare provider training resulted in too few healthcare providers to treat patients. Even with subsidies from the state, low-income families are not able to afford their health insurance," he said.
Matheson still pledged to work in a "bipartisan way" to fix health care. The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Sunday on the health care reform legislation.
FOX 13's Ben Winslow reports.
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"I am saddened that the year-long debate on health reform has resulted in legislation that is too expensive, contains too many special deals, does not contain health care costs and will result in increases in health insurance premiums and therefore I will vote against the legislation," Matheson said in a statement to Fox 13 News on Saturday afternoon.
"Health care affects every Utahn in different but profoundly important ways. Controlling rising health care costs, increasing quality and value and improving access to health care and to affordable health insurance coverage remains critical to me. But the wrong kind of reform--reform which increases health care costs-- will leave our nation worse off."
Matheson was facing increased pressure from both sides of the heated debate. Protesters for and against had gathered outside the congressman's offices here, and his phone was ringing non-stop with constituents urging him to vote either for or against the multi-billion dollar overhaul. Television ads had recently run claiming that President Obama had "bribed" Matheson to vote for health care, by appointing his brother, Scott Matheson, to be a federal appeals court judge. It was a charge that was quickly denounced, even by Matheson's GOP colleagues in congress.
In his statement to Fox 13, Matheson pointed to the costs as a major reason for his "no" vote.
"I look at lessons learned from the Massachusetts state health care reform effort. It illustrates what happens when universal coverage is extended without controlling costs: even more patients funneled into a broken system. Insufficient healthcare provider training resulted in too few healthcare providers to treat patients. Even with subsidies from the state, low-income families are not able to afford their health insurance," he said.
Matheson still pledged to work in a "bipartisan way" to fix health care. The U.S. House of Representatives will vote on Sunday on the health care reform legislation.
FOX 13's Ben Winslow reports.
SEND US YOUR NEWS, WEATHER AND SPORTS PICTURES! www.fox13now.com/pics
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! @fox13now
VISIT US ON YOUR CELL PHONE! http://mobile.fox13now.com
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