NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday December 21, 2009

McCain, Kyl stand with insurance companies by voting against health reform

WASHINGTON – Marching lockstep with GOP efforts to kill health reform in order to break the president, Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl voted against health-insurance reform early Monday. In the first of several Senate votes, both Arizona senators voted against advancing legislation that would rein in unfair insurance company practices, expand coverage to more than 30 million Americans and reduce costs for families, businesses and the country as a whole.

“Clearly, they are more interested in playing politics and protecting special interests than in fixing our broken health insurance system and helping thousands of Arizonans,” said Luis Heredia, Arizona Democratic Party executive director. “Fortunately, the Senate successfully moved the bill forward despite their blockade.”

Republicans have blocked progress and tried to deny Arizonans access to quality health care by using political maneuvers and gimmicks on the floor of the Senate. With this latest vote, McCain and Kyl, along with Republican colleagues in Congress, have proven yet again they will fight hard to protect insurance companies but will not fight to improve health care access and quality for their constituents.

Wile the national Republican leadership may be pleased, these senators should explain their vote to the many Arizonans who lose their coverage each month or who are denied coverage by an insurance company for a pre-existing condition or clerical error on an application.

“We hope Arizonans realize that their U.S. senators are more interested in protecting insurance companies than ensuring constituents have access to quality, affordable health care,” Heredia said. “We also hope voters will remember the actions of these senators and will make them pay a political price.”