TRAVERSE CITY -- A proposed national health care bill drew varied, party-line reactions from Michigan's national lawmakers, though most avoided specifics when asked about legislation unveiled by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat from Montana.
U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, both Michigan Democrats, did not answer questions, but issued written statements through press secretaries. U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, declined to comment on the bill's details until he read the entire 223-page document released Wednesday.
U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Holland, and U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, spoke about the new bill.
"With a lot of this stuff, the devil is in the details," said Hoekstra, a candidate for Michigan's governor seat in 2010. "Everybody agrees health care reform needs to happen. The real question is: What shape will it take and how expensive will it be?"
Camp said time limits imposed by leading Senate Democrats hindered Baucus' ability to coax support from Republicans.
"They had an opportunity to have a bipartisan bill coming out of the Senate and they missed that opportunity with the arbitrary deadline," Camp said.
Camp also sees other problems with the bill, he said.
"It's still too big. I think it's clear they still are not listening to the American people," Camp said.
Americans want less government involvement than what's proposed, and they don't want to raise taxes to cover costs, he said.
Hoekstra said he wants health care reforms to include provisions for those with pre-existing medical conditions and tax code changes that would allow citizens to buy insurance with the same tax treatment employers receive. He will not support a public option, he said.
"The public option is a deal-breaker for me. If you compete with the government, you lose," Hoekstra said.
Stabenow, in a written statement, said Baucus' plan is the beginning of a long process to achieve health care reform.
"I want to make this affordable for middle-class families. The mark from Chairman Baucus today gives a starting point. Now we have a lot of work to do, and I'm working with colleagues," Stabenow said.
Stabenow could not be reached for additional comments on Wednesday.
Levin also released a written statement.
"It is imperative that we ensure all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care, and this is the time for Congress to act. I will study the Finance Committee bill with that imperative in mind," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
