FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 16, 2006 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Garner Office: (801) 983-7383 Cell: (801) 573-4759 ****PRESS RELEASE**** Ashdown: Health Care Solutions for Small and Big Business SALT LAKE CITY, UT--Pete Ashdown, the Democratic candidate for US Senate and President of XMission, released the following statement regarding today's committee passage of S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2005: "As a small business owner for the past thirteen years, I am intimate with the cost of health care for my employees. Premiums have risen drastically and benefits have dropped. If my business had a million-dollar bankroll, I would most likely abandon health care insurance altogether and pay costs out of pocket. I support this bill, as I have proposed a plan similar to association health plans, which I call Health Insurance Unions for small businesses. However, I will work for a broader health care solution one that encompasses: small businesses such as mine; big businesses such as GM and Delta; and every citizen of the United States. To do this, the people of Utah should elect someone with actual experience with the costs and benefits of health care." For further comment, contact the information above.