Amid attacks from a national conservative group, Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, says he wants to make absolutely clear that he opposes health-care reform proposed by President Barack Obama, and that an alternative Bennett seeks is not designed to create compromise with Obama.
"This is not a step towards a deal with Obama. I am opposed to everything that Obama is asking for, as is every other Republican," Bennett told the Deseret News editorial board Wednesday.
"This is not 'Let's Make a Deal' between the Healthy Americans Act (pushed by Bennett) and what Obama wants, and find something in the middle," he said.
The Club for Growth, a national conservative group, has launched a $90,000, two-week TV ad campaign against Bennett, in part due to worries that his bill might lead to compromise with Obama.
Bennett said his proposal "is only viable once (the bill by) Obama is dead." Bennett also said the Congressional Budget Office has ruled his plan would be budget-neutral for its first two years and then would actually save money.
"The government would have no role in creating a basic benefits plan — that was Hillary care," Bennett said. He said his bill would make insurance portable and allow people even to pull their money from their employer's plan if they find a better one. He said that presents a market incentive to make plans as attractive as possible.
Bennett also said that he does not believe Obama will "get what he wants" entirely in reform.
"At the moment, I think that's off the table. If I may be so bold, I think my work on the Healthy Americans Act has contributed to taking it off the table by saying you can be for an intelligent health-care bill without being for Obama," Bennett said.
Bennett also said The Club for Growth "made no attempt to understand the bill" he is pushing, and said he has mailed to all GOP state delegates a point-by-point response to what he says are distortions and fabrications in its ads.
Meanwhile, The Club for Growth put out another statement Wednesday criticizing Bennett and his bill and even challenged him to debate the topic.
Club president Chris Chocola said, "Under Senator Bennett's bill, the government would take over and run nearly the entire U.S. health-insurance market. Politicians and bureaucrats would decide which health plans are permitted for purchase, leaving Americans with fewer choices and massive tax increases."
Chocola also challenged Bennett to debate "in an open public forum over the substance of our ad and the content of his bill."
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