2017-18 Special Election for U.S. Senate in Minnesota: on Health Care


Karin Housley: Buy health insurance like we do our car insurance

Calling it "one of the greatest failures of the Obama administration," Housley criticized ObamaCare: "One-size-fits-all from Washington, D.C., didn't work," Housley said. "We have to create a better health care system that doesn't increase costs and it needs to be done right away."

Housley said the system in place in Minnesota prior to ObamaCare was imperfect, but far superior to its successor. "It needed some tweaks," said Housley. "But to turn it all on its head and all the bureaucracy--then another layer of bureaucracy, when Dayton and Smith created MnSure, that $90 million failure on top of it, it dug into people's pocket books."

Instead, Housley said, the state of Minnesota and the nation as a whole should look at moving back toward a free-market system--"Where you buy health insurance like we do our car insurance," she said--or implementing a employer-based health saving plans.

Source: Brainerd Dispatch: 2017-8 Minnesota Special Senate Election Jul 31, 2018

Karin Housley: Examine and revamp failed health investigations

Sen. Housley is a strong advocate for seniors. During the hearing, she said "How long did the DOH know this was going on and cover it up? I have to say it's been disappointing to learn what's been happening for the last I don't know how many years." The acting commissioner replied "We openly acknowledge that in recent years the Office of Health Facility Complaints really has not met the reasonable and appropriate expectations when it comes to investigating maltreatment complaints."
Source: LetFreedomRingBlog.com on 2017-8 Minnesota special election Jan 28, 2018

Tina Smith: Pushed state subsidy for the expansion of the Mayo Clinic

In 2013, Dayton put her in charge of lobbying legislators to pass a state subsidy for the expansion of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, a massive economic development project. After months of political wrangling, Smith and a team of other project supporters were successful, and her work prompted Dayton to appoint her to the board overseeing the construction effort in Rochester. Her fellow members of the board ultimately elected her chair.

"Her roles have been behind the scenes, but she's always been a person who's been about connecting governments to its partners on the outside," Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak said. "Tina is especially good at the people side of politics. She was able to really help build bridges."

Source: MinnPost.com on 2017-18 Minnesota Special Election Feb 2, 2015

  • The above quotations are from 2017-18 Minnesota Special Senate Election.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Al Franken on Health Care.
  • Click here for more quotes by Tina Smith on Health Care.
Candidates and political leaders on Health Care:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 10, 2018