Bright addresses three hot topics
Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Congressman Bobby Bright made a stop at the Troy Rotary Club Tuesday to discuss three hot topic Washington issues — health care, climate control and the economy.
“Health care’s what’s hot on everybody’s mind,” Bright said.
With five bills floating through the House and Senate, Bright said he stands against all proposed health care reform policies.
“I have been firmly against all of them from day one,” Bright said.
“Until it is scaled down and focuses on health care cost containment, I don’t support it.”
“I don’t believe the government should involve themselves any more than necessary.”
But, Bright said he does believe some sort of intervention is needed and would be at the heart of saving the economy.
“We need to do something. We need to put the extremists out and have people from both sides work this thing out,” Bright said.
Bright also said another big issue in Congress is discussion over climate control, but it’s an issue he said he thinks will not come up for vote this year.
“The Senate will probably kill it or scale it down,” Bright said.
And, looming right along with these two issues is the economy.
“Whether you like or dislike our president, he’s trying to do what he thinks is right to save our economy from going into a great depression,” Bright said.
“I don’t want to live in a country during a great depression.”
“I voted against him on the stimulus.”
Even though Bright voted against the stimulus package, he said he would have been in favor of some other type of bailout.
Some Rotarians expressed concern over just how much the government is spending.
“It appears to me Congress is spending like a bunch of drunk sailors,” said Joe Faulk.
“I’m confused about the deficit and how it’s going to be paid back.”
Bright said while the country has spent more than it has in its bank account, he believes President Barack Obama was only doing what experts were telling him should be done.
“We were in a mess a few months ago, but experts, both Republicans and Democrats, told us you have to spend a lot to save the economy at this time,” Bright said.
“Even though we might want to criticize, something’s going on. Something’s stabilizing.
“What else would he do when all the experts were telling him he had to do this.”
“I would have done it differently, but let’s give it time and see what happens.”