Republican Party of Louisiana Chairman Roger F. Villere, Jr. released the following statement in response to President’s Obama’s health care summit today:

“Today’s White House Health Care Summit was nothing more than PR stunt by Barack Obama and Washington Democrats hoping to feign bipartisanship in the hopes of resurrecting a reckless health care experiment that the American people soundly reject.  Rather than a real attempt to find common sense solutions to our nation’s health care system, today’s summit focused on defense of unpopular Democrat proposals and providing cover for Democrats to ram through government-run health care via a parliamentary trick called reconciliation.

I was hopeful when President Obama called this summit that he would hear Republican ideas for incremental reforms to make health care more affordable, more accessible, and put an end to junk lawsuits.  Unfortunately, while Obama may have heard our ideas, itwas quite clear that those ideas were falling on deaf ears and the Democrats will not scrap their proposals and start over as the American people want.”

Background

The American People Reject The President’s Health Care Plan

Quinnipiac: “American Voters Still Disapprove 54 – 35 Percent Of Obama’s Health Care Reform Plan, but they say 52 – 44 percent they want Congress and the President to keep trying on health care reform rather than giving up and moving on to other matters.” (“U.S. Voters Split On Obama, Down On Everyone Else, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds,” Quinnipiac, 2/11/10, link)

Rasmussen: “Forty-One Percent (41%) Of Voters Favor The Proposed Health Care Plan, While 56% Oppose It.” (“51% Fear Government More Than Private Health Insurers,” Rasmussen, 2/24/10, link)

PEW: “More Americans Continue To Generally Oppose (50%) Than Generally Favor (38%) The Health Care Bills Being Discussed In Congress.” (“Obama’s Ratings Are Flat, Wall Street’s Are Abysmal,” Pew, 2/12/10, link)