“I believe this whole debate became bogged down in politics,” Peterson said.  “None of the proposals I voted on offered the right solution. “While I believe the measures before Congress were well-intentioned, they would raise costs and increase the ranks of uninsured.”

“I am most skeptical about the potential this legislation has to expand lawsuits. Injecting more lawsuits into the health care system does nothing to improve one’s health,” Peterson said. “Even more frustrating is the fact that the way this legislation is written, it would have to be funded through the Social Security Trust Fund. That money should be off-limits.”

Added Peterson, “I believe the system needs reform.  But reforms that increase premiums and diminish the number of insured Americans hurt the very people they’re trying to help. At a time when the number of uninsured is tremendously high and growing — the Census Bureau report that the number of Americans without insurance has increased this past year, climbing to 44.3 million — putting politics over policy is the wrong prescription for the country.”

“I believe the American people deserve real patients’ protections and would support a proposal accomplishing this without jeopardizing the health care of millions of Americans,” Peterson concluded.