Richard Burr Joins GOP Health Insurance Reform Obstructionists
Burr denies coverage to 1.4 million uninsured North Carolinians

Raleigh, NC – Delivering on Republican promises to halt reform, Sen. Richard Burr voted against health insurance reform.

In the first of several votes in the Senate, Burr voted against advancing legislation that would rein in unfair insurance company practices, provide coverage to more than 1.4 million uninsured North Carolinians, and reduce costs for families, businesses and the country as a whole.

Burr’s vote comes as no surprise.

Amassing nearly $1.7 million in campaign contributions from health and insurance interests throughout his congressional career, Burr has been tone-deaf to millions of middle-class North Carolina families struggling with skyrocketing health care costs and has done everything in his power to obstruct any health care reform from passing.

Clearly, he is more interested in playing politics and looking out for the special interests than in fixing our broken health insurance system and ensuring North Carolinians have access to high-quality, affordable care.

“When his vote really mattered, Sen. Burr chose to fall in line with GOP extremists and health insurance company executives and lobbyists in their efforts to block health insurance reform,” said North Carolina Democratic Party Executive Director Andrew Whalen.

“While his pals from last week’s tea party -- Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachman and radio talk show host Laura Ingraham – might be pleased, Sen. Burr is going to have to explain his vote to working families in North Carolina who lose or are denied coverage by an insurance company each month for a pre-existing condition or clerical error on their application,” Whalen said.

“It’s clear Sen. Burr is more interested in protecting insurance companies than ensuring his constituents have access to high-quality, affordable health care,” Whalen said. “Fortunately, we have three excellent Democratic candidates who are willing and able to send Burr packing.”