| January 5, 2007 |
WASHINGTON, D.C.--Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth), Vice Chair of the Republican Conference, today released the following statement in response to Democrats' voting to exclude Small Business Health Plans from their legislative agenda.
"As a small business owner for over 20 years, I can tell you how important having an affordable group health care plan is to a business trying to succeed. Sometimes it can make or break a business. Right now there are more than 46.5 million people in the United States without health insurance. This legislation would have provided affordable health coverage for millions of working families while helping businesses reduce the cost of health benefits by as much as 15 to 30 percent.
"This was a missed opportunity for Democrats to help small business owners and working families. It's also disappointing that the 33 Democrats who supported these reforms in the past changed their position in the name of partisan politics. Small business owners and families end up suffering as a result."