Senator DeMint: Senate Should Not Debate Health Care Reform

In an op-ed posted at the right-wing site Red State, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has declared his derision for open debate on the Senate floor.

DeMint urges readers to be suspicious of every senator who votes to allow debate over the health care bill to proceed but also asserts they will vote against the final bill:

But don't be fooled by senators that will say they oppose a government takeover but just wanted to allow debate on health care, they are not being honest.

The simple fact is this: Any senator that votes to proceed to the Reid-Obama bill is voting for a government takeover of health care.   [...]

Senators who say they just want to allow for debate are trying to deceive their voters while giving President Obama the crucial votes he needs to pass a government takeover of health care.

Voters should be watching and remember who stands up for their freedom and who stands with the special interests who want to ram through this takeover.

This is obstructionism at its worst.

Senators, like DeMint, who are against the bill as a final product should not be against debating the merits of the legislation.  Debate ensures that, even after the months of unofficial conversations in the media, every piece of legislation is thoroughly examined before a vote is taken. 

The entire purpose of the, sometimes painfully tedious, Senate procedure is to make sure Americans have the opportunity to hear debate on all aspects of pending legislation.  Voting to allow debate only indicates a desire to engage in an open process, not how one will vote on final passage.

All attempts to stop debate are a clear violation of the rights of citizens to be involved in the governing of their country.  

If DeMint truly wants to serve his country and his constituents, he should actively participate in a healthy debate over health care reform instead of trying to kill it before the bill hits the floor.