FRANK LAUTENBERG

We are facing a health care crisis in our country. More than 47 million Americans, including 1.3 million people in New Jersey, are uninsured and millions more struggle to afford even basic insurance. These Americans often cannot afford to see a doctor when they get sick or, worse, when they need treatment for life-threatening diseases. Too often, uninsured or underinsured individuals and families do not get preventative care like vaccinations and cancer screenings and, too often, they end up in crowded emergency rooms when sick or facing medical emergencies. This is why I support universal health care. I believe every American should have affordable access to quality health care.

A universal health care system is not only the right thing to do, it is also good public policy. Individuals without health insurance are more likely to postpone or forego needed health care, end up hospitalized for preventable health problems or be diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Each of these problems help drive up health care spending, costing the health care system...

DICK ZIMMER

No, I do not favor universal mandatory health care.

I believe all Americans should have access to affordable medical care and have supported a number of legislative reforms to help ensure access without imposing unwarranted government cost controls or sacrificing the principle of patient choice or the quality of medical care that at its best is recognized as the best in the world.

During the 103rd Congress, when health care reform was at the top of the legislative agenda, I opposed proposals creating a government-run national health care system, warning that they would result in higher taxes and the erosion of patient choice and quality of service. I also spoke out against proposals imposing government cost controls and employer mandates because both would result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and the erosion of employee take-home pay.

Instead, I co-sponsored reform measures, including...