WYSO Local News
(2009-09-10)
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YELLOW SPRINGS, OH
(WYSO) -
President Obama made his case for how to fix health care Wednesday night. He described his proposal as bipartisan. But here in Ohio, support for the plan remains divided along party lines.
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Ohio Republicans are convinced that the plan is a huge government take over that will be economically destructive. GOP Congressman Mike Turner of Centerville says the President's plan is too costly.
"It really has Americans taken aback that he would stand in front of the American people and say I have a 900 billion dollar spending plan that's not going to cost a dime. No one believes that. And it's certainly something that people are concerned about in this heightened time of spending and deficits," says Turner.
The numbers just don't add up, according to Republican Senator George Voinovich. He says he won't support any plan that isn't affordable.
Meanwhile, Ohio Democrats are pleased with the President's plan. Representative Mary Jo Kilroy of Columbus says she's glad the public option is still on the table. Fellow Democratic representative, Zach Space, liked that the President reached across the aisle for compromise on the plan.
"We need to stop arguing about ideology. We need to do what we can to extricate the vitriolic political process that's become enmeshed in this entire debate and do what's right for this country, do what's right for American's and fix health care," says Space.
The President did open the floor to some issues that are key to Republicans, like medical malpractice reform. But also made it clear that we would not "waste time" with those who opposed him for solely political reasons. © Copyright 2012, WYSO
