Thoughts On Health Care Reform

According to CNN, Democrats are scrambling around trying to figure out what to do about health care reform. I don't know that this is a very apt description of what is going on, because it's already becoming clear what needs to be done. It's now just a matter of Democrats accepting the reality and proceeding accordingly.

There is now no doubt that a compromise bill between the House and Senate is never going to pass the Senate. President Obama and Senator Webb (D-Virginia) have both asked that the Senate not act until the new Massachusetts Republican is seated. That means the Republicans will have 41 votes, and that's enough to kill any compromise bill because it is extremely likely the Republicans will vote as a block against any kind of reform.

It is also becoming increasingly clear that the House will not pass the Senate bill without changes. There are enough progressives in the House that simply could not vote for the Senate bill, even by holding their noses while doing it -- the bill just stinks of giving in to the private insurance companies. Enough members are willing to stand up for their progressive principles and and demand real reform for their constituents.

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Massachusetts) said, "If it comes down to that Senate bill or nothing, I think we're going to end up with nothing. I don't hear a lot of support on our side." Rep. Anthony Weiner agreed, saying, "I don't think there are the votes in the House for the Senate bill."

That leaves just two options. One thing being discussed is to cut all the real reform out of the bills and just put a small band-aid on our current badly broken system. It would just involve changing a couple of things like not allowing pre-existing conditions to be considered by private insurance companies.

The bad part is that this would mean private insurance companies would still be dictating the treatment a patient could get (instead of the doctor). And while the private companies could not deny insurance because of pre-existing conditions or age, they could price those policies much higher (like the Senate bill allowed) and that would still exclude those consumers from the market. There would also be no pressure on private companies to lower their rates.

And there is no reason to believe the Republicans would allow this kind of band-aid solution to pass either. They have voted en masse to protect the private insurance companies (their masters) in the past, and there's no reason to believe they would allow this kind of bill (which might affect insurance profitability) to pass in the future. Remember, they are the party of NO and believe they can return to power by opposing ANY Democratic proposal.

That only leaves one option -- budget reconciliation. The House members need to write a better bill, with a public option that would force rates down, under this process and then send it to the Senate. If the Democrats can't get 51 votes for this bill out of the 58 they have (I refuse to count "Traitor Joe" Lieberman, who would vote Republican anyway), then they don't deserve to rule.

Some of the wimpier Democrats are balking at using the budget reconciliation. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia) said, "It looks too partisan." And Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-North Dakota) called it "legislative trickery". These sorry blue dogs need to shut up and stay out of the way. Congress has been nothing but partisan since President Obama was elected. The Republicans are not about to be bipartisan, so why should any real Democrat care if it "looks partisan".

And why is it "legislative trickery" when Democrats do it, but just good politics when Republicans do it. President Bush and the Republicans used this same process many times during his two terms and nobody whined about partisanship or trickery. The Democrats need to grow some balls and get as tough as the Republicans. They are the majority party and they need to start acting like it, and if that involves trickery or partisanship -- so be it.

House Democrats need to just kill the ugly Senate bill. They don't even need to vote on it -- just walk away from it. Then start over and do it right. They promised reform. They need to deliver on that promise.