WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s address to Congress on the topic of health care reform:

“It is obvious to me after spending the last month in Mississippi that the people in our state, like the American people in general, are very skeptical about what the president has been trying to sell. 

“As I talk to Mississippians, they are very wary of thousand-page bills and huge government expenditures time after time, including last year’s bailout and the economic stimulus bill passed earlier this year.  All of this is occurring when we have an unemployment rate of 9.7 percent and a deficit of $1.6 trillion this year alone.  This is certainly not the time to take on another trillion dollar entitlement program.

“We can achieve bipartisan health care reform, but we cannot get there using any of the proposals currently before Congress.  I urge the president to take a step back and begin working with members of both parties to implement reforms that are much less divisive and will not break the bank.  Whether it is allowing small businesses to form associated health plans, allowing individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines, or by curbing frivolous lawsuits, there are a number of measures that could pick up bipartisan support and help make health care more affordable and accessible.”