It is now the dog days of summer and Congress is about to go back to work. The Groundswell by the Democrats during the month of August was a complete failure. President Obama’s approval numbers are on a steady downward slide. And yet, the Democrats insist on passing this Obamanation that is more commonly known as HR 3200.
The President has just announced that he will try a more formal sell to Congress on September 9th. Will this work more than the last press conference in which he appeared to have no idea what he was trying to sell? Will it be more successful than his appeal to religious leaders last week? Or, will this be the final death knell in the partisan attempt at Health Care Reform? Only time will tell.
However, the tide has definitely turned against the Democrats. More than 50% of the country on the whole and in some parts of the electorate, way more than 50% are against the current bill and its companion bills both in the House and Senate. Why? Because Republicans and even moderate Democrats cannot stomach what is contained in them.
My last article was about the need for bipartisanship and debate in Congress. I still feel that way but I do not see it happening. In fact, both sides are digging their heels in and getting ready for the tug of war. At this point, it is not about whose solution is better, it seems to be about which side will win.
HR 3200 and its progeny are disasters. It seems that everyone except the far left agrees on this. In this article, I will analyze issues that I feel are wrong with those bills and why almost the entire populace is rallying against them.
To begin with, the public option has to go. All moderates and conservatives agree. It is bad public policy and it is bad for America. The minute you put the public option into play, all private insurance companies will be driven out of business and we will have socialized health care which is the goal of the far left anyway. Once we have socialized health care, the parade of horribles begins. This includes rationing of health care, lack of choice and skyrocketing taxes.
However, if you regulate the current insurance industry, you will promote competition in the private sector and drive down prices. This is the whole theory behind the anti-trust laws in the United States. (By the way, regulation, however bad it is for the free market is better than the alternative). The more competitive the private sector becomes, the lower the cost of health insurance will be. Further, if you compel the entire population to become insured either through better tax credits for individuals and/or employers, regular market forces will naturally drive down the cost of insurance.
Secondly, abortion must be specifically excluded from any proposed legislation. The general public must not be forced to fund an elective procedure. Say what you will about your stance on abortion, but it is an elective procedure unless the health of the mother is in jeopardy. Then, it is a medical necessity and it is a whole different ball game.
President Obama, during his appeal to the religious community last week, contacted Catholic Bishops and Leaders. He impressed upon them the need for health care reform. They unilaterally rejected his pleas. Why? Because, of the abortion issue. The entire Catholic community believes that health care for everyone is a basic human right. However, until the abortion issue is addressed, neither the Catholic Church, nor any other conservative religious organization is going to lobby their followers for ObamaCare.
Just as an aside, Obama is beginning to show how much of an old fashioned politician he really is. He ran on the basis of change. During the campaign, he argued that America is no longer a Christian nation and that people cling to their religion when they are unhappy about their lives. Now, that he needs religion to help his cause, he goes running to religion. This is not change. He is a hypocrite!
The next issue is very controversial and, unfortunately, it is also a monetary one. Public money in any way, shape or form, must not be used to fund medical care for illegal immigrants. I know people from the far left are going to call me a racist and a heartless bastard. Believe me, I am not. But, if we are going to bankrupt this country with this level of major health care reform, it should only be for legal, taxpaying citizens and those holding valid visas.
I am not saying that someone lying on the street bleeding to death should not receive emergency treatment because they are illegally here. The law already states that everyone with a true emergency must be treated. All I am saying is that basic health care that is not a true emergency should not be afforded to illegal aliens. They are many people in this country that have come here properly. They should be entitled to the benefits of citizens. The rest should not.
Fourth, a plan must be developed that is revenue neutral. We cannot mortgage our children’s future any longer. If no one can come up with a way to pay for this plan without destroying the economy in the process, then there should be no plan at all. Some of the top minds in this country are in Washington right now trying to put a plan together. Let them find a way to fund it without it increasing the debt by over one trillion dollars in the next ten years.
Lastly, there should be no tax penalty for employers who do not want to provide health insurance and individuals who do not want to be insured. If a company provides health insurance, there should be tax benefits for providing it. There should be no penalty for not doing so. If an individual does not want insurance, that is a personal choice. There are many people under 30 who simply do not want to be covered. Likewise, there are many rich people that would rather be self insured and pay the medical bills themselves.
I keep hearing from many sources that the Republicans have no solutions and are just trying to kill health reform to put Obama to shame. That is not true. There are many Republican points on health care that are frankly, just being ignored by the Democrats. Among them are Tort Reform to lower medical malpractice premiums and bring medical costs down; and better tax benefits for health insurance at both the employer and individual level.
Let the Democrat Congress deal with the issues set forth herein and a bipartisan bill will be enacted. If they do not and decide to continue going it alone, the effects of that will be felt by them in 2010. Of course, that might not be all that bad. The Republicans will get control of the House and Senate again!
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