GRAHAM: LEGISLATION ‘SHOVELS DIRT ON GRAVES OF HOPE, CHANGE AS CAMPAIGN SLOGANS’

Thirty-nine Senate Republicans weren’t enough to stop a bill creating a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. health care system from moving forward Saturday night.

Democrats were able to round up the 60 votes necessary to end a GOP filibuster of the bill, which would require all Americans to obtain insurance and would create a government-run health care option.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was one of 38 Republicans to vote against cloture, was quite upset with what happened.

“This bill pretty much shovels dirt on the graves of the ‘Hope’ and ‘Change’ campaign slogans,” said Graham. “President Obama’s promise to bring a new way of doing business to Washington has come crashing down. Today we learned his new way of doing business is no different than the old.”

Graham was particularly angry about what the financial implications of the legislation, which passed the House two weeks ago.

“The plan raises 10 years worth of taxes and only provides six years worth of benefits,” Graham said. “And no one actually believes we will muster the courage to reduce Medicare spending by nearly $500 billion when we haven’t reduced Medicare spending by fifty cents.”

Added Graham, “Instead of proceeding to a flawed bill, we should stop and start over. This process of writing a multi-trillion dollar bill in the dark of night brings back the worst of Washington. The substance of the bill raises taxes during a recession, compromises individual health care choices, cuts Medicare to pay for the uninsured and will eventually explode the deficit – the combination of which will jeopardize the finest health care system in the world with out lowering costs.”

But Senate Democrats disagreed.

“You cannot wish away a great emergency by closing your eyes and pretending it doesn’t exist,” Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said on the Senate floor prior to the vote. “There is an emergency and it exists, and it exists now. The right response to disagreement is not dismissal.”

The legislation now heads to the Senate floor for debate, which will likely begin after Thanksgiving and take up the remainder of the year.