By By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE
Staff Writer
CHOCOWINITY — Congress likely will lend final approval to some sort of health-care reform this year, but the compromise measure should be deficit-neutral, said U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C.
“I think we will have some sort of health-care reform,” Hagan told the Washington Daily News on Thursday afternoon.
Hagan, in town for a tour of Fountain Powerboats Industries’ factory, noted that President Barack Obama is scheduled to hold a bipartisan health-care summit next week.
She stopped well short of heeding Republican calls to scrap approved House and Senate reform bills that have yet to be reconciled in Washington, D.C.
“I supported the version in the Senate,” Hagan declared. “I think we need health-care reform. I’ve always said, from the beginning, that I don’t want to do anything to add to our deficit.”
Whatever happens from now through year’s end, both of the major political parties have to meet in the middle on this issue, she indicated.
Hagan pointed to the fact that she sits on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, one of the two committees that put forward the Senate version of reform.
That committee entertained around 161 amendments to the bill, she said.
“Many of those (were) Republican, and many of those were supported and put into the health-care reform bill,” she said. “And I worked closely with Sen. (Orrin) Hatch (R-Utah) and Sen. (Mike) Enzi (R-Wyo.), two Republicans, on one provision personally.”
She added, “Obviously, I would love to see a bipartisan approach to this, but I also think that it’s very important from the standpoint of health care in our country that we need to be moving forward with the caveat that I don’t want anything that would impact the deficit in our country.”
Leading Democrats argue that the Senate’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would extend health coverage to approximately 94 percent of Americans under 65 (those not covered by Medicare).
Democrats allied with the president also say reform would aid in getting a handle on mammoth and ever-expanding medical costs.
The Republicans counter that the bills are too big and too expensive to tackle at a time when jobs are scarce and federal debt is surpassing all previous records.
According to the Hagan, 53 members of the Senate moved to form a statutory deficit commission to help get the deficit under control, but seven of the GOP co-sponsors didn’t support the formation of that body.
On Thursday, Obama issued an executive order establishing such a commission, she said.
Media interviews aside, the Fountain tour was the main focus of Hagan’s visit.
Fountain recently emerged from bankruptcy.
Local officials, including Jerry Langley, chairman of the Beaufort County commissioners, were on hand to support the company as it asked for Hagan’s help in obtaining more defense contracts.
Reggie Fountain, the company’s president and CEO, led Hagan on a comprehensive tour of the 237,000-square foot boat-making facility, allowing a firsthand look at the operation.
“We need the defense-contracting jobs,” Hagan told Fountain before the tour started.
“You’re my kind of lady,” Fountain replied.
The senator added that she serves on the Senate’s Armed Services Committee.
“Whatever we can do to be your advocate,” she advised Fountain.
Also on hand were Tom Richter, mayor of Washington Park; Tom Thompson, head of the Beaufort County Economic Development Commission; Paul Spruill, Beaufort County manager, and others.