WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., called on President Obama this week to make it more clear to Congress what wants in the health-care reform bill.
According to The Fargo Forum, Peterson said at a recent town-hall style event: Obama’s “talking about generalities and concepts, but he has not said, ‘This is what I’m for.’ In order to get something done, it’s going to take the president to come forward and say, ‘This is it, this is where we start.’”
Peterson joined other Blue Dog Democrats in the House this summer in slowing action on the bill until certain issues were addressed. Specifically, Peterson has pushed to change the funding model for Medicare, which currently puts state like Minnesota at a disadvantage.
The Forum reported that Peterson reiterated this position to its editorial board on Tuesday, saying that “Obama needs to take the middle ground and fix underlying problems with health care — such as funding Medicare — or else no piece of legislation that passes will likely work.
“’If he does that, then I think we can get this done,’” Peterson said. “‘If he goes off with the left, then I don’t think it’ll happen. I think this will blow up in his face.’”
