Partisan “Go it Alone” Strategy Shouldn’t Be an Option for Healthcare Reform

Former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) – “Few issues are as important, or as personal, to Americans as healthcare, which makes the need for a real commitment to bipartisanship even more important.”

Contact: Chris Barron
(202) 286-4533

(Washington, D.C.) - In response to reports that Democratic leaders are considering options for healthcare reform without any Republican support, former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), President of the Republican Main Street Partnership, issued the following statement:

"For healthcare reform to succeed, Democratic leadership should be working with centrists on both sides to find bipartisan, consensus building solutions - not issuing partisan political threats.

"A 'go it alone' strategy shouldn't be an option. When it comes to healthcare reform, getting it right ought to be the priority. Employing parliamentary maneuvers, like the budget reconciliation process, to ram through controversial healthcare reform provisions would do a serious disservice to the legislative process and to the American people.

"Centrist Republicans stand ready to work with our Democratic colleagues in both chambers to pass healthcare reform that will make quality, affordable healthcare available to all and do so while lowering healthcare costs across the system."

The Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP) is dedicated to promoting and building a pragmatic, thoughtful, fiscally conservative, and inclusive "Governing Majority," where political debate is encouraged to promote solutions to improve the lives of all Americans. Embracing the full spectrum of center-right ideologies and values in order to build coalitions, RMSP is the largest organization of elected leaders who are in the mold of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. For more information on RMSP, visit our website at www.republicanmainstreet.org.