To hear the Democrats and most of the mainstream media you would think that Republicans are not bringing any alternatives to the health care debate. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Back in September during an address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama said his office would always be open to Republicans who wanted to present ideas on health care reform. I wrote the President to present my alternatives and request time with the President to discuss them. I took him at his word that the door was open for honest discussion; but I am still waiting for a reply.

To the contrary, Democrats have shut Republicans out of all discussions on drafting the health care bill.  In fact, the Democrats are being so hyper-partisan that they’ve physically locked Republican members out of a committee room. So much for the era of post-partisanship that the President and Speaker Pelosi promised.

Well, at least the Chicago Tribune is paying attention. Today, they published an editorial: “A GOP health plan.” You see, there’s been no shortage of great ideas offered by Republicans which would give us much needed reform without breaking the bank. In fact, I’ve authored the Health Care Freedom of Choice Act to give people who buy insurance in the private market the same tax breaks as those who get it through their employers. The Tribune actually mentions this as one of several viable solutions for true health care reform.

The fact of the matter is: our country is broke. We’re close to $12 TRILLION in debt, an all-time high, and facing staggering deficits for years to come. Do this Congress and Administration care? Apparently not. While they may give lip service to our perilous economic situation, their actions don’t match their rhetoric. Priority number one in Washington should be getting our fiscal house in order.