CONTACT: Mike Diegel or Mike Donohue, (202) 554-9000

Senate affordable health-care bill backed by a majority of senators stalled on critical vote

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Todd Stottlemyer, president and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation's largest small-business group, issued the following statement after a key vote on S. 1955, "The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2006," garnered a 55-vote majority but not the 60 votes necessary to proceed under Senate rules.

"It's incredibly disheartening that a minority of U.S. senators, many of whom make great show of their support for small businesses, used Senate rules to block a final vote on legislation, favored by a clear majority, to provide more affordable health-care options for small-business owners, their employees and their families.

"Small-business owners are extremely frustrated that the Senate won't allow a real debate on the merits of Small-Business Health Plans and make a serious attempt to address small business' No. 1 concern—the cost and availability of health care—simply because 43 senators couldn't offer a host of unrelated amendments.

"NFIB members, joined by other small and independent business owners, delivered 450,000 petitions and 40,000 calls and letters in recent days, urging the Senate to enact SBHPs. Small-business owners have been looking forward to this vote since the House first passed similar legislation in 1995. 

"Today, the U.S. Senate had a real opportunity to take a major step toward ending the health-insurance crisis faced by the largest portion of America's uninsured population—the tens of millions of men, women and children covered by the small-business community. We urge the senators to reject this delay, return this vital legislation to the Senate floor and allow Small-Business Health Plans an up-or-down vote."