Enzi: Scrap current healthcare proposals

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Congress needs to scrap its healthcare proposals and start over, Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wy., said Saturday in the weekly Republican address.

"If Congress and the administration mess this up, each and every one of us will pay for the mistakes, as will generations to come," said Enzi, the ranking member of the Senate Health Committee.

More competing health plans should be made available so working people can find the plan that meets their needs at a price they can afford, Enzi said.

Small businesses should be allowed to band together to find quality, affordable insurance plans, and the medical liability system should be revised to eliminate "junk" lawsuits against doctors and hospitals that drive up healthcare costs, he said.

"We should also reform our current tax system, which drives up costs and makes it difficult for individuals to purchase insurance on their own," Enzi said. "Everyone should get a health care tax advantage or no one should."