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By Jim McNally | Statesville R&L

Neither of Iredell County's two members of the U.S. House of Representatives was overly impressed with President Barack Obama's televised speech Wednesday night.

In e-mail responses to the R&L, Reps. Virginia Foxx and Patrick McHenry both said Obama's speech on health care reform did not clarify concerns or allay the great amount of controversy that has been generated over the past two months.

"The President spent the majority of his speech repudiating the legislation that is ready to be voted on by Congress," said McHenry, a Republican whose 10th District takes in the southern third of Iredell County.

"He wants to lower costs and protect 'what works' about our current system but the bill does neither," McHenry said in the e-mail.

Obama's statement about Americans being allowed to keep the insurance they have is a point McHenry could agree with.

The only trouble, he said, is that would not be allowed by the legislation currently being proposed by House Democrats.

"Even the most independent observers have said that is not the case in the House bill," McHenry said.

Alluding to the many town halls held across the country last month, McHenry said the American people were clear in their desire for a "less radical and more bipartisan approach" to health care reform.
"I hope the President truly got that message," McHenry said.

Foxx, a Republican whose 5th District includes about two-thirds of Iredell County, said Obama's speech was delivered well but lacked the substance it will take to actually sway skeptics.

"I thought that last night, as usual, President Obama proved that he is a gifted orator and politician," Foxx said. "We heard a lot of talk from President Obama about his plan. But rhetoric only takes us so far."
But, Foxx said, Obama's speech did not sharply and specifically pin down his health care plan.
"What I'm waiting to see from him is a detailed, concrete legislative proposal," she said. "Until then, simply pushing the same big government policies with a different spin will not change the minds of skeptical North Carolinians."