Coburn: Look to the Amish to Solve Healthcare

America's healthcare reform impasse could be solved by looking at the Amish, former Sen. Tom Coburn declared Wednesday.

"Amish fathers, go look at them," the Oklahoma Republican told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "They buy the healthcare for about a third of what you pay because they go and find the best price. They go and work a deal, and they actually are paying for it."

And as a result, said Coburn, "they buy great quality at a lower price. All we need to do is copy what they are doing and we can solve our problems and we can reward excellence, which we should . . . if you’re better, you’ll get a better price. If you're worse, people won't come to you, that's the other problem."

Meanwhile, Coburn, on the program to promote his new book, also commented that "mass confusion and a lack of leadership" is keeping Washington from getting anything done, but he does have some suggestions from people in his party who he thinks would make good leaders.

"I'd put Richard Burr in charge of everything in the Senate, him and Ben Sasse and a few others. They're not interested in partisan gamesmanship. They're interested in fixing our country."

• CBO: 23M Would Lose Health Insurance, Deficit Would Fall $119B Under GOP Bill
• WH Pressuring GOP Sens to Pass Healthcare Bill by August Recess