Governor Tim Pawlenty Criticizes Obama's Health Care Reform Plan

Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota joined CNBC's Carl Quintanilla, Mandy Drury, and Dick Armey for a satellite interview on August 25, 2009, where he expressed his skepticism towards President Obama's health care reform plan. Pawlenty emphasized the need for bipartisan cooperation and criticized the Obama administration's approach to health care reform, stating that it is a "bad plan" and would undermine the central premise of the president's campaign promise to be a uniter.

Key Takeaways:

• Governor Tim Pawlenty believes that the Obama administration's health care reform plan is a "bad plan" that would lead to the concentration of power and control of the federal government.
• He advocated for a bipartisan approach to health care reform, citing successful innovations in states such as Minnesota, where they have moved away from a system that pays for volumes of procedures and have started to pay for better health.
• Pawlenty expressed concerns about the federal government's ability to manage entitlement programs, citing that every entitlement program under the Obama administration's watch has been on a path towards bankruptcy.
• He criticized the idea of a public option, stating that it would lead to a slippery slope, where if the commodity is important enough, the government would intervene to keep the private sector honest.
• Pawlenty also expressed reservations about the reappointment of Chairman Bernanke, citing that he had become too involved in intervening in the economy beyond his traditional role.
• He stated that he would have found someone who understood and respected the traditional role of the Federal Reserve, which is to manage the money supply and interest rates.

Statistics:

• None mentioned in the transcript.

Sources:

• CNBC Interview with Governor Tim Pawlenty (CNBC, August 25, 2009)
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