Ranking Member's Press
Unfunded Medicaid Expansion in Health Bill Would Hurt States Enzi Fights to Protect States from Costly Federal Mandate
Finance Committee health care bill to protect states facing budget shortfalls from unfunded,mandatory Medicaid expansions. Democrats rejected the amendment on party lines. "The unfunded, mandatory Medicaid expansion in the Finance bill is going to bankruptour states," Enzi said. "The bill already provides additional funding to a select few states,including the Majority Leader's home state. I think we need to give every state that's facing abudget shortfall in this tough economy an exemption fro… Continue Reading
09.23.09
Enzi Leads GOP HELP Committee Inquiry Into Alleged NEA Political Activity
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today led his fellow Republican HELP Committee members in requesting an explanation regarding possible violations of federal law at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Enzi and his colleagues sent the request to NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. In the letter delivered today the Senators questioned the possibility of "taxpayer dollars to engage in lobbying a… Continue Reading
09.16.09
Enzi Statement on Finance Committee Health Care Bill
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., today issued the following statement: "I am disappointed that deadlines took precedence over agreement of the bipartisan group of Finance Committee members, as we worked on a final health care bill. All of the Senators in this group have been working tirelessly and in good faith, and we have made significant progress on many issues. I especially want to highlight the good work of Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, who have r… Continue Reading
09.09.09
Enzi: Don’t Close the Door on Bipartisan Health Care Talks
Washington, D.C. - Following President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on health care reform this evening, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., urged Democratic leaders not to put an early end to productive, bipartisan health care talks, which he said offer the best opportunity to achieve meaningful health care reform."We all want health care reform that will reduce costs, improve quality and expand access without breaking the bank. The bipartisan talks we're having in the Finance Comm… Continue Reading
09.03.09
Enzi Statement on Health Care Reform Discussions Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., today issued the following statement on discussions to reach a bipartisan health care reform bill:
"My position has been consistent from the start. I haven't walked away from ourshared goal of health care reform or compromised the original principles I outlined asessential to any plan for reform. I opposed the Senate HELP Committee bill that passed on astraight party line vote, and I opposed the House bill reported out of Committee on a straightparty line vote. That is not bipartisanship. I have consistently said that I would oppose agovernment-run option. I believe we need to increase not de… Continue Reading
08.25.09
Enzi Asks President to Withdraw Labor Solicitor’s Nomination White House Nominee Ill Suited for Position
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, yesterday requested President Obama withdraw the nomination of Patricia Smith for Solicitor of the U.S. Labor Department based on inconsistent statements and testimony before the HELP Committee. "The Solicitor of Labor must accurately and candidly interact with the Congress. Patricia Smith has unfortunately fallen short in her interactions with our Committee,"… Continue Reading
08.19.09
Enzi: “Go-it-alone” Path Would Lead to Failure for Health Care Reform
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., today said that if the White Houseand Democrat leadership in the Senate choose to shut Republicans and moderateDemocrats out of the health care debate, their health care plan would fail. "If the Democrats choose to go it alone, their health care plan will fail because theAmerican people will have no confidence in it. If we keep working together, we can get a billthat will work and will have broad support in Congress and from the American people," s… Continue Reading
08.17.09
Government-run Health Care Not an Option for Enzi
Washington, D.C. - A government-run option for health care is not an option for U.S.Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., a key figure in the health care debate. Enzi, Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)Committee and member of the Senate Finance Committee, repeated his opposition to agovernment-run health care plan today while addressing the Casper Rotary Club. Over theweekend, Health and Human Services Secretary Katherine Sebelius hinted that theAdministration may be wi… Continue Reading
08.11.09
Enzi Statement on The Passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Enzi Statement on The Passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver I would like to express my deepest sympathy to my friend Senator Kennedy and to the entire Kennedy family on the passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. They have lost a very special presence in their lives, a woman of amazing strength of mind, heart and character who saw the needs of people with intellectual disabilities and devoted her life to making theirs better. All those whose lives were touched by her caring and concern have lost a great… Continue Reading
07.30.09
So Much for Transparency Public Still Waiting on Final Language, Cost Estimates of Health Care Bill
Washington, D.C. - Though two weeks have passed since Democrats approved a partisan health care bill in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, a complete copy of the final bill as amended in Committee remains unavailable for the public or members of the Senate to review, and the bill's supporters have yet to release a final estimate of its costs. "We need to know what's in the HELP Committee bill and how much it costs. Democrats passed this bill through Committee mor… Continue Reading
07.28.09
Wrong Answer For Student Loans: Fewer Choices, More Bureaucracy HELP Committee Ranking Member Enzi Concerned About President’s Student Lending Plan
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the SenateHealth, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee commented today on ananalysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that reveals significantly lesssavings than previously promised under President Obama's proposed mandate that allstudent loans come from the federal government by elimination of the Federal FamilyEducation Loan program (FFEL). "In these times when families are making great financial sacrifi… Continue Reading
07.22.09
Enzi: Students Deserve Lending Options, Not A Government Monopoly
Washington, D.C. - As a key committee in the U.S. House of Representatives passed a massive restructuring of the student aid programs yesterday, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee made the follow statement in support of free marketlending options for students. "I do not support moving every college in Wyoming and across the country to adirect lending program where every student loan is serviced by the 'bank of no … Continue Reading
07.22.09
Enzi Calls President’s Auto Task Force Pension Decision a Mistake Move to Dump Massive Pension Obligations on Federal Government Poses Serious Risks
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee commented today on theannouncement from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) that it will takeover the pension plans for Delphi Corp - the parts manufacturer for General Motors(GM). "This development is inconsistent with the task force's goals to conduct business in atransparent manner and then get the government out of the industry as soon aspossibl… Continue Reading
07.15.09
Enzi: HELP Democrats’ Bill a Prescription for Failure
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) today slammed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee's rubber stamp approval of a healthcare reform bill that nonpartisan experts at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) say will drive up health care costs, increase the national deficit by more than $1 trillion and force millions of Americans to lose the health care they have and like."Based on everything the President has promised and said he wanted in a health care … Continue Reading
07.14.09
Enzi Hails Passage of Amendment to Lower Drug Costs, Save Lives
Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, hailed last night's HELP Committee approval of an amendment that will lower drug costs by creating a pathway for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve new competitors for biologic drugs, like vaccines and cancer treatments."Biologic drugs account for some of the highest costs that people with cancer and other patients face," Enzi said. "Our amendment… Continue Reading
07.14.09
Democrats Reject Effort to Assist Medicaid Patients
Washington, D.C. - Despite evidence that Medicaid beneficiaries have poorer health than other Americans and have difficulty getting the care they need because many doctors do not accept Medicaid patients, Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today rejected an effort to provide Medicaid patients with new options for quality health insurance."Although Democrats keep saying they want to give people options to compete between private plans and government pla… Continue Reading
07.10.09
Obama Says One Thing, HELP Democrats’ Health Plan Does Another Bill Completely out of Step with President’s Goals on Costs, Coverage
Washington, D.C. - In his remarks today in Italy, President Obama put himself squarely at odds with the health care reform plan being pushed forward by Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee when it comes to cutting costs, controlling the deficit and letting Americans keep the care they have. "President Obama again laid out clear goals for health care reform today, and theHELP Democrats' bill doesn't meet any of them," said Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.),Rank… Continue Reading
07.10.09
Houston, We Have a Problem! CBO Analysis of Kennedy Health Bill Highlights One Trillion Problems
Washington, D.C. - After a briefing from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) has requested further analysis of the agency's assessment that the Kennedy health care bill would cost taxpayers $1.2 trillion, force employers to reduce employee wages, and break the President's promise of, "If you like the coverage you have, you can keep it.""CBO's analysis is not a matter of partisan bickering: the experts have spoken and the results are alarming. These estimates confirm… Continue Reading
07.09.09
Democrats Put Higher Income Earners Above Veterans, Unemployed in Health Care Bill
Washington, D.C. - Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor andPensions (HELP) Committee today rejected a proposal from Senator Mike Enzi (RWyo.)to eliminate handouts to higher income workers in the Democrats' health care billand use the savings to expand veterans' health and education benefits, help Americanswho have lost their jobs, or pay down the national debt. "Supporting our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, helping peoplewho have lost their jobs, or at least paying do… Continue Reading
07.09.09
July 9, 2009 Low-Income, Minority Workers and Small Business Hit Hardest By HELP Democrats’ Job-Killing, Wage-Cutting Tax
Washington, D.C. - Lower-income workers, including high school dropouts,minorities and women, would bear the brunt of the job-killing, wage-cutting tax in thehealth bill offered by Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions(HELP) Committee, a Harvard University study shows. Small businesses would havethe most difficulty retaining employees and creating new jobs, according to theCongressional Budget Office (CBO). "This new job-killing tax is going to force employers, especiall… Continue Reading
