Tennessee Senator Bob Corker says he wants to see major health care reform in the next two years, and he wants to move away from an employer-based insurance system. That’s what he told college students at the Shout America leadership conference today in Nashville.
As long as businesses are expected to provide health coverage for employees, insurance companies don’t have to compete as hard for business. Corker says decoupling health care from employers will drive down the price of policies.
“I candidly hope that we will get to a point in this country where people own their own insurance policy, that they’re not joined at the hip to their employer, and that we create a mechanism in this country finance health care in such a way that its portable, that its part of you. That you can take it with you.”
Like Republican nominee John McCain, Corker wants to offer tax credits to offset the cost of individualized health coverage. Corker says, however, he’s willing to work with Democrats like Ron Wyden of Oregon. The two have co-sponsored a universal health care bill. Corker says the federal government shouldn’t be expected to insure everyone, but he calls it a moral obligation.
In other Senate business, Corker says he’s standing behind the 700-billion dollar economic recovery plan he voted for last week. He says he’s feeling no buyer’s remorse, even with another tumultuous day for the major stock indices.
Corker sits on the Senate Banking Committee and says he played a large part in crafting the final version of the 700-billion dollar economic recovery package.
“What I wish is we could have done this two months ago and helped prevent. It’s my opinion we’re still going to go through an economic recession. Period.”
Corker says the chaos on Wall Street is a sign that credit markets have seized up, despite actions by the Treasury Secretary. He says the so-called bailout is likely a first step of many that will be needed to restore order to the U-S financial system.
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