For the last year, Democrats in Congress have debated how to reform our health care system in the United States. Over and over again, we have heard how a massive government takeover of our health care system will be "better" for us, that having federal bureaucrats make the decision about what care we receive will ensure we get better results. The only problem for Democrats is quite simply Americans don't want this type of health care reform. In fact, the polls are remarkably clear: 73 percent of Americans think that Congress should start over on health care reform or do nothing, rather than pass the Pelosi-Reid plan.

I had the privilege of practicing medicine in Georgia for nearly 30 years. I have firsthand knowledge of the highs, and the lows, of health care. I firmly believe we can improve health care for every American - making it more affordable, easier to access and of a higher quality. But I know, and you know, the Democrats have not found the right solution, particularly since their solutions have been negotiated behind closed doors, out of the view of Republicans and Americans.

I was hopeful that the bipartisan health care summit at the Blair House on February 25 would have offered House and Senate leaders of both parties the opportunity to start over and make real progress.

Rather, it was more of the same, with Democrats refusing to abandon their goal of a government health care takeover or, for the most part, even acknowledge that Republicans have substantive ideas. It was a day of each side making statements, but a refusal on the part of Democrats to restart the debate on health care.

The president's latest health care plan, and what Democratic leaders continue to push, is the same big-government scheme that the American people have overwhelmingly rejected. It will increase government spending, raise taxes, kill jobs and allow taxpayer funding of abortion.

In addition, what is most unfortunate is that this singular focus by the president on health care has had some disastrous consequences for the rest of our nation. Since last February, when the Democrat's trillion-dollar stimulus was signed into law, more than three million jobs have been lost in this country and unemployment is near a record 10 percent. In Georgia, we have lost more than 130,000 jobs. While trying to ram through a massive government health care takeover - which will raise taxes and kill jobs - the Democrats have pursued policies that have had a chilling effect on our economy.

Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd has said that 14,000 Americans lose their health care insurance every day. Unfortunately, much of this is because of unemployment. Therefore, instead of having tunnel vision on health care - and particularly on a bill that will make our economy worse - we need to re-prioritize our efforts and get Americans back to work.

If Democrats are serious about bipartisanship, we must start from scratch. Unfortunately, that does not look like the path they want to pursue. Democratic leaders are plotting a strategy to abuse the rules of the Senate and overturn the will of the American people using the reconciliation process - meant for deficit reduction bills - to try and pass the Senate health care bill. Using this method would ensure that they only need to get 51 votes in the Senate instead of 60, which would be required to pass the bill by regular order.

Additionally, it appears the only concessions Democrats are willing to make would be relatively meaningless, designed to garner a few more Democratic votes in the House and Senate.

Now that the bipartisan summit has come and gone, it is apparently back to "business as usual" in Washington. In our Democrat-led Congress, that means meetings behind closed doors and ignoring the American people - which ultimately means the Blair House was a good photo opportunity, but nothing more.

U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta) is an OB/GYN.