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Brownback Weighs In On Health Care Speech

Topeka, KS – Kansas Republican Senator Sam Brownback has weighed in on President Obama's health care speech to Congress Wednesday night.

Brownback says he believes the President focused too much on getting government involved in health care.

"I thought this was really going to be a chance of sorts to set the reset button and put out theories of ideas that were bipartisan, or a real process that could engage a bipartisan proposal," Brownback said. "Instead, he really seemed to move to the left."

Brownback says he'd like to see the debate slow down and focus on incremental changes that could help lower health care costs.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Brownback said focusing on building more community clinics could provide affordable health care.

He pointed to a clinic in Pittsburgh, Kansas that he says was started with a federal grant.

"They now are able to sustain themselves off of serving Medicaid population, local support, and some payment from people using their services," Brownback said. "And what I really like about that clinic in southeast Kansas, it's not just health care, it's also dental and psychological services they're able to provide."

Brownback also says giving consumers the ability to buy insurance across state lines could increase competition and help cut costs.

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