Oklahoma Representatives All Vote 'No' on Health Care Bill

By Jon Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The bill that could drastically change health care is one step closer to becoming law. Saturday, the bill needing 218 votes to pass got just 220 and not one ‘yes’ vote came from Oklahoma’s delegation.

All along Oklahoma's four Republicans and one Democrat in the House said they would vote 'no' and that's exactly what they did.

While some in the House cheered the passing of the nearly 2,000 page health care reform bill, it was in spite of the Oklahoma delegation’s best effort to stop it.

"Oklahomans know the Pelosi healthcare bill is a giant step backward and every Oklahoman is Congress will vote against this bill,” said Representative Tom Cole.

"The health care bill will change the face of our nation and put our nation on a trajectory of a federal government takeover,” Representative Mary Fallin said.

And for Congresswoman Mary Fallin, nothing concerns her more than the added costs the bill would impose on Oklahoma.

"It’s the $127 million in unfunded mandates that our Oklahoma health care authority estimates will be pushed on down to the state of Oklahoma," said Rep. Fallin

And while most Democrats pushed the bill through, many of their conservative counterparts, the Blue Dog Democrats, like Representative Dan Boren, sided with Republicans.

"The worst thing we could do in a recession is raise taxes and this bill does just that," said Rep. Dan Boren in a statement.

That lack of support from conservative Democrats and Republicans in Congress is what some say will keep the bill from heading to the President Obama’s desk.

"I hope it will be dead on arrival in the Senate so we can get back to working together in a bipartisan way to passing real health care reform,” Rep. Mary Fallin said.

In all, 39 Democrats in the House opposed the bill and just one Republican voting for it. Now the bill goes before the Senate where it could have a tougher time passing with more lawmakers opposed to a private run health care option.

“People shouldn't be confused. The reason they want a public option is because they ultimately want the government to be the sole source of health care in our country,” said Senator Tom Coburn.

Currently, there is no date for when the Senate will begin debating the health care reform bill.