A bipartisan group of Congressmen met in Cincinnati on Monday to debate health care reform. The Republicans pushed tax credits to cover the uninsured while the Democrats stressed an expansion of government programs such as SCHIP.

Congressman John Shadegg (R-AZ) seems to understand the basics of why government care is bad and how the government drives up the cost of health insurance: 

Shadegg and fellow Republicans argued against sinking more billions into government programs. He explained the tax credit - as opposed to a tax deduction - would put a check - "$5,000 cash money" - in the hands of the uninsured and let them buy the health care coverage of their choice from private insurers.

California Rep. Xavier Becerra and fellow Democrats scoffed at that idea, and claimed the Republicans had eight years to deliver such credits.

"It would leave the uninsured in the lurch," he said, because the average actual cost of good family coverage runs about $12,000.

Shadegg in rebuttal said, "It would cost nowhere near $12,000," if you eliminated unnecessary or outdated government programs.

Perhaps he should have also included state insurance mandates, which drive up the cost of insurance. As Becerra pointed out, though, the GOP has had eight years to deliver meaningful health care reform and have failed to do so. Shadegg may talk a good game, but his ideas haven't made much headway in Congress.