RSS
Home
Health care vote moves to Senate
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
By a narrow 220-215 vote (including one Republican), the House Saturday passed a health care bill with a public option included, but as I wrote last week, this version would eliminate private health insurance by 2013. Now the vote moves on to the Senate, where several conservative Democrats oppose the public option and Harry Reid is finding his 60 votes not assured, with Independent Joe Lieberman being the most vocal opponent of the public option, stating outright he will not vote for any plan that includes it. Debate has been halted while the Congressional Budget Office reviews the costs associated with the plan. Though Reid wants to have a bill on the President’s desk by the end of the year, debate could last well into 2010, as well it should.
Former President Clinton is encouraging Senate Democrats to pass something without worrying about the details, a request that is extremely frightening. "It's not important to be perfect here. It's important to act, to move, to start the ball rolling." Why the rush, Mr. President? As so many other bills have been passed this year, with no time to read the massive documents, to shove something as critical as health care reform through without every detail being correct, we expose ourselves to a government takeover of the complete system that cannot be undone once enacted.
We need to know how much this will cost, and what burden this will place on future generations. We need to be sure abortion coverage is not provided, as we cannot be a nation that pays for people to murder our children. We must ensure the elderly and infirm are properly cared for and not subject to being considered too expensive to sustain. Patience and deliberate debate is wise. Reviewing what is actually needed to reform health care in this country will also be the better course of action versus creating an overwhelming bureaucracy.
Republicans stand opposed to this plan, along side several Democrats, who see the prudence in reason, and in instituting better choice of private insurance plans and tort reform. Republicans also oppose the requirement to carry insurance and subsequent fining of those who fail to carry insurance. Sen. Charles Grassley has correctly pointed out such a requirement is unconstitutional.
This is not a program to be taken lightly and to be passed into law as incomplete. Senators must review every part, point by point, and create a bill that addresses what is required, and only what is required.
Related Articles:
Comments
