SALT LAKE CITY — The national health care debate needs to be redefined, Congressman Jim Matheson told Utah lawmakers Thursday.
Utah's only Democrat in Congress called health care reform an "exceptionally complex" issue that has been reduced to sound bites by partisan politicians and pundits.
"I think this is the most complicated issue I will face in my career, and I think the way the issue has been framed has been less than advantageous," Matheson said. "We're not talking about the actual issues."
The goal of health reform should be to reduce skyrocketing health care costs, an issue that has been lost in the maelstrom of partisan debate, he said.
Reducing health costs is key to bringing down government spending and reducing debt because health care and entitlement costs make up nearly half of the federal budget, he said.
"We won't solve the deficit problem until we solve health care costs," Matheson said. "We can't continue the status quo. We need to define the problem and then we can talk about how to solve it."
Despite what he calls a "tough environment" in Washington, the Blue Dog Democrat said he hopes "cooler heads will prevail."
"I see signs that things will get back in the right direction," he said.
Matheson endorsed the need for states to be involved in the health care debate because a "one-size-fits-all fix doesn't always match up with what's going on on the ground."
Beyond health care, Matheson also addressed questions about the future of energy in Utah.
Although Utah is rich in many resources, he said the state needs to invest more in electric transmission lines.
"We may be able to create power, but if we can't transmit it, we can't realize the full potential," he said.
Utah and the country should pursue stable energy options, Matheson said. "Having more certainty will provide benefits for businesses."
e-mail: jsmith@desnews.com