Senator Bob Corker made the following statement Sunday evening after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate's version of health reform legislation.

"Tonight's vote is disappointing, and its cost will hit our state and future generations very hard. On Friday, Governor Bredesen let me know this bill will cost Tennessee an estimated $1.1 billion in Medicaid expansion over five years - a huge unfunded mandate that creates a very difficult situation for our state.

"Beyond that, I think what bothers me most about the bill are its disingenuous accounting mechanisms. It's insulting to the American people. First, the bill applies 10 years of new taxes to finance six years of spending, resulting in huge deficits over the next decades. Second, even President Obama's own Medicare officials have determined that Medicare savings are counted TWICE in the bill, hiding the legislation's true cost. This comes down to elementary school logic; you can't spend the same dollar twice. And finally, almost as soon as the ink dries on this legislation, a new bill will come forth to deal with all or part of what is called the 'doc fix' to ensure that physicians who treat Medicare recipients do not receive a 21 percent cut. The cost of that over 10 years is more than $200 billion, proving that Americans have not been dealt with squarely on the true accounting associated with this bill."

Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney said, "Tennessee Democrat Reps. Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper, and Bart Gordon fell in line behind Speaker Pelosi and voted in favor of a government takeover of health care.

"Plain and simple, these Democrats just did exactly what their constituents didn't want them to do.

"Reps. Cohen, Cooper, and Gordon may have handed President Obama and Speaker Pelosi a victory, but in the process they defeated the people of Tennesse who overwhelmingly oppose this bill. The unbridled arrogance and irresponsibility demonstrated by Democrats today has just given Tennesseans another reason to vote for Republicans in November."

He said Republican Reps. Blackburn, Duncan, Roe and Wamp all voted against the proposal.

Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons, also a candidate for Tennessee governor, said, "The U.S. House of Representatives has acted irresponsibly by enacting a so-called health care reform bill that imposes huge unfunded mandates on state governments.

"If this legislation ultimately becomes law, it will take state funding away from job development projects, our schools, and public safety. It is incredible that a majority of the House acted in such a careless fashion."