Rep. Heath Shuler bucked the leadership of the Democratic Party on Saturday night and voted against a landmark health care overhaul bill.
Shuler was among a handful of Democrats who opposed the bill which passed Saturday night.
“This legislation costs $1.055 trillion and fails to include sufficient cost-containment and deficit reduction measures,” Shuler said in a written statement. “This bill will not reduce the federal government's spending on health care over the long term. Any reform that does not control long-term costs will be shortsighted and unwise.”
Shuler said the legislation does not do enough to root out waste, fraud and abuse in existing federal health programs. He said reform should reward healthy lifestyles and prevent excessive medical procedures.
SOURCE: Asheville Citizen-Times
