Health care reform is necessary, and House Democrats should vote for it because it's best for the nation.
They should also remember the political lessons of history. To paraphrase Mark Twain, history doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme. As the White House and the House Democratic leadership try to line up 216 votes to pass health care reform -- and as Republicans, aided by the National Association of Manufacturers and abetted by fierce partisans like Newt Gingrich, try to kill it -- I can't help thinking back to 1994 when the lineup was much the same.
I was serving in the Clinton administration at the time. In the first months of 1993 it looked as if Clinton's health care proposal would sail through Congress. But the process dragged on and by 1994 it bogged down. We knew health care was imperiled but none of us knew that failure to pass health care would doom much of the rest of Clinton's agenda and wrest control of Congress out of the hands of the Democrats. In retrospect, it's clear Republicans did know.
On February 5, 1994, the National Association of Manufacturers passed a resolution declaring its opposition to the Clinton plan. Not long after that, Michigan Democrat John Dingell, who was managing the health care bill for the House, approached the senior House Republican on the bill to seek a compromise. According to Dingell, the response was: "There's no way you're going to get a single vote on this [Republican] side of the aisle. You will not only not get a vote here, but we've been instructed that if we participate in that undertaking at all, those of us who do will lose our seniority and will not be ranking minority members within the Republican Party."
In early March, 1994, Senate Republicans invited Newt Gingrich, then House minority leader, to caucus with them about health care. Gingrich warned against compromise, a view echoed by Senator Phil Gramm. A few months later, at a Republican meeting in Boston, Bob Dole, then Senate minority leader, promised to "filibuster and kill" any health care bill with an employer mandate.
By then Gingrich had united House Republicans against passage of health reform and told the New York Times he wanted "to use the issue as a springboard to win Republican control of the House." Gingrich predicted Republicans would pick up thirty-four House seats in the November elections and half a dozen disaffected Democrats would switch parties to give Republicans control.
By August, it was over. It didn't matter that Democrats outnumbered Republicans in the Senate by 56 to 44 and in the House by 257 to 176. Health care was a lost cause. Republican Senator Bob Packwood boasted to his colleagues "We've killed health care reform."
In early September, William Kristol of the Project for the Republican Future spelled out the next stage of the Republican battle plan: "I think we can continue to wrap the Clinton plan around the necks of Democratic candidates." And that's exactly what they did. On November 8 voters repudiated President Clinton. They brought Republicans to power at every level of government. Democrats went from a controlling majority of 257 seats in the House of Representatives to a minority of 204, and lost the Senate.
I remember how shocked we were the morning after the votes were counted. I asked one of Clinton's political advisors what had happened. "It was health care," he said, simply. (That advisor, by the way, is now in the Obama White House.)
Today's Republican battle plan is exactly the same as it was sixteen years ago. In fact, it's been the same since President Obama assumed office. They never were serious about compromise. They were serious only about regaining power. From the start, Republicans have remembered the lesson of 1994. Now, as they prepare to vote, House Democrats should remember the lesson as well.
Huff TV: Ryan Grim On Democrats' Final Efforts To Pass Health Care Reform (VIDEO)
Huffington Post congressional correspondent Ryan Grim appeared on "Democracy Now" to discuss the Democrats' final efforts to pass health care reform in Congress. With Speaker...
No public option, no vote.
I expected Kucinich to eventually vote for it.
Liberals are such idiots to attack kucinich trying to get the public option.
If kucinich had gotten 10 million 1$ contributions, Obama and Congress would have paid attention, instead Kucinich got 17,000$ and moveon got 1M$ to defeat him.
Kuciinch's own constituents told him not to hold out for the public option.
Kuciinch is really a representative,
when will you figure that out.
While I loath the lack of a public option we're one step away.
My strategy for health care reform would have been like this.
Step 1. Pass a law outlawing Pre-x recissions, coverage drops and the lifetime maximum. Wait 6-12 months.
Result- Private insurers would jack up rates to unforeseen levels. Public outcry would galvanize the masses.
Step 2- Pass any kind of public option plan you want.
Because of the lack of cost controls and any substantial reform- this bill just might do the same thing. But we need to pass it and we need to vote democrat and we need to keep fighting. This is one battle in the war.
Step 1: Get control of The White House & filibuster proof majority in Congress.
Step 2: Pass Health Care Reform instead of Health Insurance Purchase Mandate.
Step 3: Not having done that, accept the fact we have lost & the Dims are no better for America than the Thugs are.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/ny-times-reporter-confirm_b_500999.html#postComment
We need survivors just in case this bill turn into a political disaster. That means we need a few Democrats to hold their convictions otherwise they'll be explaining why they "were against it before they voted for it".
Rachel Maddow kast night, all progressive legislation starts out 'inadequate' when
it becomes law, gets better over time. Maybe Dennis will follow Sherrod's lead, eh?
Stranger things have been known to happen.
committment to deliver 'universal' health care, or something close to it.
What we'd get this time leaves a whole lot to be desired, but it's a start.
What you (& I) have been looking for will take another twenty years,
or a revolution, what with the GOP around to look after the Big guys.
I couldn't agree more, about terraprieto's respect for the opinions of Mr. Reich, generally, about his reaction to Mr. Reich's comments made in favor of this healthcare bill about to be passed by the Dems, and about his assessment of the worthiness of the Dems, in general.
What is it we're supposed to say? fanned!!!?
The Democratic leadership is too cowardly to even put the public option to a vote! And now Reich is saying that this corporate insurance protection and subsidy act must be passed to keep the Democratic majority? Why? What good are they?
If Democrats want to keep their majority, they should act courageously to pass meaningful legislation that benefits the American people. The Obama health insurance company protection bill doesn't meet that criteria.
and paid very low deductables. I have no health insurance
now and I was was thrilled when it looked like health insurance
might be affordable again. Until I realized it wouldn't be possible
for me to buy it for 4 years because of a pre-existing condition.
If I get cancer sometime in the next 4 years, I die. I am not really
thrilled with the idea of this so-called health insurance reform
bill.
It is a misconception to believe that healthcare can only be gotten through insurance or piles of private cash. It is equally false to believe that the government can or should be the source for having our needs met. A great president once asked people to think about what they can do rather than about what can be done for them.
Nonetheless I was struck by your comment about dying if you get cancer because you have no insurance. My cousin, age 32, concrete worker, no insurance, came down with cancer. First the bone in his rib but soon has spead throughout his body. He will likely soon die. However the local Catholic hospital has provided over 2 million dollars worth of treatment. They have provided experimental surgery and treatment, he has been flown all over the country to meet with specialists. Now, in his last days, they are paying for in-home care so he can still recieve treatment and be with his family. All of this care provided at no cost to his wife and family. He is not Catholic, he is agnostic. There once was a day when people took care of each other through charitable efforts, and clearly they still do, but I cant help but wonder if we have become more cynical, stingy, and less charitable we have become more dependent on the government to provide for our basic needs.
Robert Reich:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT7Y0TOBuG4
Kind of hard to swallow what he is saying in this article after hearing that short, to the point, speech.
The professor's rhetoric approaches "fear mongering" : Remember what happened on 1994!
For the first time in American history, politicians are using the coercive power of the federal government to force every American -- simply by virtue of being an American citizen -- to purchase the products of a private company.
In effect, this represents an historic defeat for the type of American idealism represented by the New Deal and the Great Society, and marks the ascendancy of a new type of 'corporatism'.
The question is not: " Why should we trust the politicians ? "
The question is: " Why do these politicians NOT trust US ? "
Polling still shows overwhelming support for real HCR + PO, and even 'single payer' solutions. After all, we're not dumb; most of us care more about policy, than just the politics of "OMG! pass ANY bill, or we'll look like fools!" to whom? in the eyes of the minority party Republicans and ideologue media pundit entertainers? or, "OMG! pass ANY bill now, or we never will!" as if We, the People's Will would be any different, or diminished, by legislation that damages US?
either KILL THE BILL : elect Democrats who trust US !
or DISTILL THE BILL : Medicare for Everyone !
Not when so many Congressmen are dependent on campaign funds from health insurance companies.
This is the choice. Senate bill, or nothing.
If the Senate bill passes, we can tweak it.
If it doesn't, we don't get squat. At least, not until another million Americans die for lack of health insurance.
You faithless Democrats seem as hell-bent on "passing A bill" : for POLITICAL reasons : as the Howdy-Doody puppet George W. Bush was obsessed with going to WAR, to become a "War Leader" ~ and Dick Cheney could achieve and sustain his vision of Unitary Executive power.