GOP senator blasts Dems health care proposals

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Bipartisan support may have faded further from reality Saturday when the ranking member of the Senate Health Committee condemned Democratic health care proposals which he said would “make our nation’s finances sicker.”

In the GOP’s weekly radio and Internet address, Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyoming, said that a comprehensive health care reform bill should decrease costs and be deficit-neutral. He said that the Democratic bills put forth “fail to meet these standards.”

Democrats have proposed some cuts to Medicare which would be used to cover uninsured Americans. Enzi accused Democrats of “raid[ing] Medicare” and said “savings from Medicare should only be used to strengthen Medicare.”

“These bills would expand comparative effectiveness research that would be used to limit or deny care based on age or disability of patients,” Enzi said.

Enzi also said that his colleagues in the Senate have put forth amendments that would “protect Americans by prohibiting the rationing of their health care.” He continued, “The Democrats showed their true intent by voting every amendment down.”

After making clear Republicans’ dismay with Democratic proposals, Enzi urged President Obama and Democrats in Congress to “reject the go-it-alone path that they are currently on.”