Senator: Presidential Promises Go Empty [AUDIO]

Marking the one-year anniversary of the health care reform law Wednesday, Wyoming's senior senator characterized the law as an empty promise. U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi said in a statement released from his office that the law threatens jobs, small businesses and the financial security of American families.

Sen. Enzi offered some examples.

Waivers translate to bad law:

"The president said, if you like what you've got, you can keep it. Well, now that the rules are out, we can see that's not possible, so over a thousand different businesses have asked for a waiver on that, and the big ones have gotten it. What's that going to do to the small businesses? What are their chances of getting a waiver? And if the law is so good, why is a waiver needed anyway?"

And going to the empty promise, the senator said the tough job of tort reform is also missing from the law.

As is the call for ideas:

"Let's see, the President promised tort reform. He said that it's not in there; he admitted that at the last State of The Union, but he said that it has to get in there. You think we're getting any progress on getting tort reform? I don't think so. But he always says, if you have any ideas, give them to us. I've spent two years giving him ideas on health care. You know how many are in the bill? Only the ones that were in the original version of the Republican health care bill."

Referring to the president's meeting with Republicans concerning health reform, Sen. Enzi added a quip.

Speech contradictory:

"I said to him, you know when I was mayor and I did a hearing session, what I did was listen. And at the end of the day, I said, these are some of the things I really like and these are some things that I'll consider some more. His speech had to have been written the night before."

Sen. Enzi, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, promised to focus on ways to eliminate provisions in the new law that will increase choice in health care while decreasing health care costs.