South Carolina State Senator and Republican Candidate for Congress Shane Massey today released the following statement voicing his opposition to President Barack Obama’s plan to nationalize America’s healthcare system:
 
"This past weekend President Obama revealed an early draft of his government-operated healthcare plan, and today I announce my firm opposition to this unfair government takeover of America’s healthcare system.
 
I’ve been traveling the district over the last few months, telling people that President Obama's policies are pushing us toward a European form of socialism. If you weren’t convinced by his recent spending spree, bank bailouts, or government takeover of General Motors, I urge you to take a look at his plans to socialize medicine.
 
For decades Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy have worked to pass their liberal universal healthcare plans, but conservatives have stood firm against them on the foundation of free market principles. We know the answers don’t come with more government and an explosive growth in Medicare and Medicaid. In fact, excess government is at the heart of the problem. Overregulation, bad tax policy, and a special interest dominated Washington have driven healthcare costs through the roof, and now many American families suffer with no health insurance at all. Too much government stopped the market from working.
 
History has proven that the market drives innovation. Just look at the computer and cell phone industries. Faster, smaller, higher quality, and lower cost gadgets are released everyday to do things we never thought possible. It’s happening because private demand and competition are forcing new innovations. The same can happen in the medical field if we just get government out of the way and let true competition flourish.
 
Our goal should be to ensure that every family has access to affordable, quality healthcare, but we won't get there by forcing medical professionals to adhere to a one size fits all, price-fixed model. We will get there by letting competition drive new, lower cost innovations that will allow Americans to live healthier and longer."
 
Senator Massey will release a specific plan to address the healthcare crisis on the campaign trail in the following months.