Congress, We Don't Trust You With Health Care At All

Just because you have a gun, you do not necessarily need to shoot it. Just because you have a vote in Congress does not mean you need to grab power.

While both Parties have their internal battles, Republicans who are wondering why their numbers are waning need look no farther than the current health care debate for clues. When Democrats roll out a Federal takeover of private health insurance, the Republican response should not be less of a government takeover, it should be a total federal government withdrawl from regulating private health insurance. The point is simple, although lost on many.

When we think about insurance in our lives, from life, home, auto, professional liability and health, which one is the biggest source on consternation? Guess what? Health insurance is the only one in which the federal government has significantly intruded. Even that is currently regulated at the State level. However, the many Federal government restrictions that complicate the health insurance marketplace are the primary reason competition cannot thrive.

The biggest perversion of the healthcare marketplace dates back to the forties when only businesses and not individuals were allowed a tax deduction for health insurance premiums. While we are now dependent upon our employers to provide for this need, we would never expect them to provide for our home insurance. Most of the additional federal intrusions that perverted the market came in the federal acts including ERISA, COBRA and HIPPA including the provision barring insurance purchasing across state lines.

So now that we have Democrats and Republicans tossing out a variety of federal solutions, it is only fair to acnowledge that the Republican plan under the architecture of Congressman Roy Blunt, at least leans more toward market-based solutions. It offers some creative strategies but nevertheless leaves in tact most of the previous federal intrusions. The Democrat proposal on the other hand, is a vile package of power grabs and payoffs, primarily to big labor and Senator Louisiana Landrieu. Still the leftist American oligarchy of Obama, Reid and Pelosi continues to push this menacing bill forward against plummeting poll numbers for both the bill and themselves. It seems passing any bill at all is more important than what kind of bill they pass.

As the debate rages on, it is clear that the American public does not trust the Congress, period. The army of lobbyists and special interests negotiating various carve outs, mandates and other special privileges into the 2000 page nightmare has Americans justifiably in nearly full rebellion. While both Parties argue over which bill ought to be on the table they are trying the patience of an American public that wants no bill at all.