Idaho Senator Jim Risch issued the following statement after the Senate passed H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. The measure passed by a vote of 56-43, with 3 Democrats joining all Republicans in voting no.

"It is disappointing that the majority, once again, opposed efforts to improve the health care bill by refusing to remove billions of dollars of tax increases on the middle class, a half-trillion dollars in Medicare cuts and special deals to buy votes. Instead, this so-called fix is more expensive than the original and includes yet another massive government takeover-this time on the student loan program. I will continue to work with my colleagues to repeal the many takeover and tax increasing portions of this bill and replace them with the real cost-cutting reforms Americans want."

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