WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today joined Paul Gallo on the SuperTalk Mississippi network to discuss President Obama’s new health care proposal and Thursday’s health care summit.  Below are some of the key excerpts from the interview: 

Health Care
On the Medicaid expansion in President Obama’s new plan:
• “That’s the new entitlement program.  Now we’re going to put that on top of $12 trillion of [national] debt, and then after that we’re going to say states have to pick up 10 percent of this.  I don’t think Mississippi can do that without raising taxes, without cutting education, the highway patrol, and other functions.”

On why market competition is better than government intervention:
• “I’d rather have a marketplace out there, I’d rather you be able to call over to Texas and buy insurance across state lines if you wanted to, and let the market – with a lot of choices – run the price [of health insurance] down.” 

On Thursday’s health care summit:
• “One thing about it, it will be televised, it will be open for all to see, and it will become more and more apparent that the Republicans that are there at that conference have concrete, good ideas that ought to be tried.”

On the importance of continued citizen participation in the health care debate:
• “We are continuing to point this out on the floor of the Senate.  We’re continuing to call attention to this huge expansion of government, and the people are the ones who can stop this bill.  They’re the only ones who can stop this bill from being enacted.”   

NOTE:  Click here to read Senator Wicker’s recent health care column that outlines his ideas for a step-by-step approach to health care reform.  

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