(CNSNews.com) -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) would not say whether he supported a proposal from President Barack Obama to use certain tax increases to pay for health care reform, but described the idea as "a suggestion" at his weekly press briefing on Tuesday. Hoyer said the plan, the first offered by Obama, was "an alternative" that amounted to a "positive step." But because it had been released on Monday, Feb. 22, and lacked details, Hoyer added that he had not yet endorsed any part of the proposal.
When asked by CNSNews.com on Tuesday whether he supported the tax increases in Obama's plan, Hoyer said, "President Obama has put on the table an alternative. I think that is, as I said, a very positive step forward. I'm not going to make comments on specific proposals until we have the opportunity Thursday -- I just saw this on Monday -- an opportunity to digest it."