U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) released this statement on health care legislation floating around in Congress. Consider this the opposing view of the legislation. Earlier today, we posted U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore's (D-KS) column on health care reform.

"The rushed health care reform proposals being debated behind closed doors could end up costing the taxpayer $2.4 trillion over ten years while doing nothing to lower the rising cost of care for patients and causing insurance premiums to rise.

"It is clear closed door discussions on these reform proposals are falling apart. Majority Leader Reid has indicated a vote on a Senate proposal will not come until next year, despite the President’s insistence on rushing a bill.

"The projections of how much the Democrats’ bill will cost once fully implemented underscores the danger their health care reforms pose to our nation’s financial future. These economic times should force us to responsibly address our current entitlement crises—not to establish multi-trillion dollar new entitlement programs.

"Health care reform should be achieved through step-by-step, bipartisan compromise and careful attention to the consequences of the legislation affecting one-sixth of our economy. We need to get this right, not rush a bill at any cost.

"We should reduce costs for patients, increase transparency of health care costs and quality, eliminate pre-existing conditions, enact medical malpractice reform, offer incentives for healthy behaviors and encourage consumers to use health savings accounts to put them in charge of spending their health care dollar."

Today the Senate Finance Committee, by a vote of 14-9, said yes to a $820 billion health care reform package.

Voted mostly on partisan lines between Democratic supporters and Republican opponents – only one Republican or Democrat crossed lines on the vote - U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) voted against the bill.

While supporters of the bill say it will save money overtime, Roberts criticized the bill, saying it will cut current coverage and raise taxes.

"This bill will be rewritten by the majority in conference, behind closed doors," Roberts said. "In this proposal, many Americans will lose the coverage they have now, Medicare will be cut by $500 billion, and new taxes will be levied to pay for a bill that will actually restrict access to care, leave 25 million uninsured and do nothing to address the rising costs of care. This is not reform.”

The next step for the bill, which was drafted by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, is debate on the Senate floor.

UPDATE: While U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (and likely future governor) did not have an official vote on the Senate Finance Committee, he did release a statement expressing his opposition to the plan.

Here it is in full:

“I have very serious concerns about the bill that passed out of committee today. Health care reform is a critical issue today, and I support targeted incremental reforms.  The president’s initial goal was to lower health care costs.  This hugely expensive bill will not lower costs and will not cover all uninsured.  There is an outcry from my constituents in Kansas against this trillion dollar bill that amounts to a government takeover of health care and will take money from Medicare to do it while leaving 25 million people uninsured.  I will be aggressively involved in this debate when it comes to the floor.”
 

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) announced a $200,000 grant slated for use by the Unified Government in the area of law enforcement.

The UG will use the grant to support the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department's Victim Services Unit.

A 15-month long program will be funded to "continue law enforcement services and enhance the local criminal justice system to better serve the needs and improve the quality of life of its citizens," a press release from Roberts' office states.

The funds were awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.