Kline, Oberstar speak back to back on House floor on health care

In brief, back-to-back appearances, U.S. Reps. John Kline and Jim Oberstar delivered diametrically opposed statements on the floor of the House of Representatives Saturday night during the historic debate over national health care reform.

The pair starkly demonstrated the range of political feeling among Minnesota’s congressional delegation.

“This bill is not health care reform,” proclaimed Kline, a Republican, who said the legislation now under consideration would only bring more government red tape and put “more power in the hands of a superbeaurocrat.” He wondered aloud, “Why would we want to strip Medicare from our grandparents?”

Oberstar, a Democrat, rose immediately after Kline with his own rhetorical question, about why Republicans want American families “held hostage to insurance companies … due to pre-existing conditions?”