Enzi: Deal on Finance Committee Health Care Bill Far from Close

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., said no bipartisan deal on health care reform is imminent and that members of the Finance Committee still have a number of remaining issues to resolve before they will be able to reach a bipartisan agreement.

Reports in this morning´s newspapers are off the mark, and are not helpful to the process, Enzi added. "Bad information damages the work we are doing to improve our health care system."

"We still have several areas where we haven´t been able to come to a consensus. No deal is at hand and substantive issues, big and small, remain under discussion and need to be resolved. We need to keep working together.

"I will need to see complete language and a final estimate from the Congressional Budget Office before I can agree to any health care reform bill," said Enzi, who has been deeply involved in bipartisan Finance Committee negotiations.

"I also need commitments from Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi, as well as the Administration, that the bipartisan agreements reached in the Finance Committee will survive in a final bill that goes to the President."