The National Federation of Independent Business, the state’s and the nation’s leading small-business association, today called on self-styled independent businessman Greg Orman to be much more specific on health care than he’s been so far in his bid for the U.S. Senate.
“He can’t complain on the one hand that both parties are playing politics and then on the other hand play politics with an issue this important,” said NFIB Vice President Lisa Goeas. “There are a few weeks left in the campaign, which gives voters plenty of time to asses Greg Orman’s plan for health care. He should give them that chance.”
Orman hasn’t said much on health care except that both parties are to blame for having played politics with the issue. The problem, said Goeas, is that his conspicuously vague treatment of the issue looks pretty political in itself.
“He hasn’t offered any details and he hasn’t been pressed very hard to explain his position on health care despite that it’s one of the biggest concerns for Americans, and especially for small business owners,” said she said. “His website features a two-paragraph blurb that tells us nothing about what he would do as a United States Senator to fix a very complicated problem.”
Indeed, on his website Orman concedes that Obamacare didn’t fix what most Americans, including small business owners alarmed by spiraling costs, had acknowledged was a badly working health care system.
“No kidding,” said Goeas. “But the health care law that was supposed to bring down rates for all Americans has caused massive disruptions for small employers and consumers. Rates have skyrocketed, millions of policies have been cancelled and consumers have fewer choices. This is a very complicated problem and he should put his solutions on the table for voters to evaluate before the election.”
NFIB members have opposed Obamacare from the beginning and they predicted many of the consequences, like spiraling premiums, cancelled policies and shrinking medical networks, that supporters claim they didn’t see coming.
“Most small business owners believe the answers are found in the free market,” said Goeas. “They want cross-state sales, fewer mandates, fewer lawsuits, lower taxes, more personal control and more choices.
“Greg Orman is a businessman and we expect that he agrees but there’s no real way to know unless he’s willing to talk to voters.”
For more information about NFIB please visit www.nfib.com.
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