Republican congressmen weren't alone when casting their Nay vote during Sunday's historic health care reform bill roll call. 34 Democrats shared the GOP's distain for the measure -- including NJ's John Adler (D-NJ).
Adler was the only Democratic representative in the Tri-State area to vote against the reform bill. He previously said the measure doesn’t "prevent excessive increases in premiums for families and small businesses."
"Once again, Congress is failing to make the tough choices. We are missing a critical opportunity to fix our health care system and strengthen American families and small business," U.S. Rep. Alder said in a statement Friday. "We need reforms that will spur job growth and reduce health care costs for future generations."
Even after President Obama personally implored him to support the plan, Alder refused, citing that not only does he feel it's the wrong legislation, but that many of his constituents feel the same.
Adler says he held 80 public meetings on the issue of health care reform over the past year and the resounding outcome was lower health costs for families and small businesses.
Many we talked to in the 3rd District were happy about Adler's vote.
"I'm worried about it being socialized medicine," Rudy Nagler said Monday. "I haven't seen a program that the government has come up where they promised you all this…and it worked."
Others are still indifferent on the issue.
"It think it's too early to tell if it's going to benefit me or not," said Beryl Thompson.
But not everyone's convinced that Adler voted against the measure simply because it was unpopular with his constituents.
Former Philadelphia Eagles lineman Jon Runyan will be fighting the freshman congressman for his spot in the staunchly conservative 3rd District.
Runyan, a Republican who obviously opposes the measure, already is popular due to his sports star status.
Adler says the Runyan factor hasn't played into his decision.
"I haven’t thought about that," he told The Star-Ledger. "The politics will work itself out."
