Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday he and his fellow Republican senators would attend Thursday's White House health care summit but he hoped they would be able to start over on a new reform bill.

That hope was dashed today as the president released a framework for Thursday's discussion, which includes many of the aspects of the previously passed House and Senate bills. McConnell responded with a statement today calling the president's decision "disappointing."

"It's disappointing that Democrats in Washington either aren't listening, or are completely ignoring what Americans across the country have been saying. Our constituents don't want yet another partisan, back-room bill that slashes Medicare for our seniors, raises a half-trillion dollars in new taxes, fines them if they don't buy the right insurance and further expands the role of government in their personal decisions.

“Republicans will continue to offer the kind of step-by-step reforms to lower costs that our constituents have been asking for in the hundreds of town halls and constituent meetings we have had across the country. But the longer Washington sticks with its failed approach to health care, the longer Americans have to wait for the real, step-by-step reforms that will actually lower costs and lead to a better system. That's what Americans have wanted all along.”

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