I like President Obama. I voted for him. I respected the fact he wanted to do something about our health care system. Goodness knows it needs to be reformed. The cost of medical services is out of sight and too many people are not covered.
What I do not understand is why the Democrats believe it is necessary to change the entire system all at once. I mean, why couldn't we pass legislation to deal with people who are not insured? There are 45 million or so people with no insurance. That is a huge problem. The government is big enough to provide help to people who are not insured.
Yet the Democrats have decided they want to change the entire system. For the majority of us who do have insurance and who are happy with it, we don't want or need it changed. We would like to have costs controlled in some way - but it is not necessary to turn our private care health system into a government controlled one.
What really puzzles me is this last gasp effort on the part of the Democrats to pass the health care reform legislation through ..... without a vote! Are they serious?!?
Just days ago President Obama said he wanted to have an "up and down vote" on the matter. I was good with that. I mean, that is how the legislative process works. A bill is presented, it is voted on, if it passes, it goes to the other house, if consensus is reached by both houses it goes to the President.
But when the Democrats say they are going to use the House rules to approve the Senate version of the health care reform bill by having it "deemed to have been passed" without actually voting on it, well.... that's not right.
The Democrats in the House of Representatives want to pass a Bill without voting. Talk about a bunch of cowards!
See this man? His name was Edmund G. Ross. He was a United States Senator from Kansas. A Republican. A man of conviction. A man of honor.
A man who had the courage to be the deciding vote to keep President Andrew Johnson in office during our country's only truly serious impeachment trial. Senator Ross did what he felt was right. He knew it would cost him his Senate seat with the voters back home and he was right. But he still had the courage to do what he felt was right.
John F. Kennedy, while still a Senator, featured Edmund G. Ross as one of his eight men of true courage in his book Profiles in Courage.
Over the years I have supported Democrats and Republicans. I liked men who were strong. John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan are two I liked a lot. I respected what Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton got accomplished in office though I did not particularly like those men as people. I have deep respect for Franklin D. Roosevelt and Teddy Roosevelt. Certainly Abraham Lincoln is at the top of the list.
But to see what is going on in Washington this week is sad. It is an insult to the many men and women who have done so much for this country.
I hope people will take the time to reform our health care system and take the time to do it right. It is a serious problem. It deserves to be fixed in the right way and to do so by following the rules - not making them up as you go along.
9 comments:
I agree with everything you talked about here. I have a bad feeling about this bill getting passed. Especially if it gets passed with deem and pass. This issue is just too important to let it go through this way. Great post.
It's sad, but unfortunately our government has not been about what 'we the people' want for quite a while now.
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
Obama campaigned on transparency, but that doesn't seem to have been the case.
There is a difference between government controlled health care, and government administered health care. But passing a bill which creates a system that no one wants is not a good idea. It all seems to be happening too quickly.
I stopped watching TV last year when it went digital and one of the things I do NOT miss is the news about DC.
There are not many statesmen left. I am very discouraged by the current administration's inability to get any legislation passed. Congress seems to be tied up in knots. I campaigned for Obama, but so far I am rather unimpressed.
Without change, very few of us will be able to afford health coverage very soon!
Bills are passed this way ALL THE TIME. The hypocrites in the congress who are outraged did the SAME THING to pass their agenda under Bush - look it up. these are not novel legislative moves. The administration has done many small things that help the middle class - but we are all paying attention to the shouters who do not wish our good but their own influence. Let's support the president and not believe all the expensive and misleading arguments (made with our money). Where was all this outrage when Bush took a BUDGET SURPLUS and gave it to the rich? What about the uncounted bales of hundred dollar bills flown into Iraq to be spent by 20 somethings with no Gov experience? Funny how we pay attention to some things and not others...
Aloha from Hawaii my Friend!
Comfort Spiral
I desperately want the health security that the rest of the civilized world takes for granted!
Transparent? This is NOT new stuff. It's taken YEARS to get here.
Thanks for your comments.
With all due respect, Cloudia, the process the House is considering using is not something done for major legislation. It is a process used for routine matters that are not controversial.
I think all of us agree changes need to be made to our health care delivery system. And because it is so important to all of us, the process needs to be done in a public way where representatives stand up and vote one way or the other.
Hawaii is one state that is very progressive when it comes to health care and employment law. I hope the rest of the nation follows the good example set by your state.
Take care.
Amen, Russell. I too voted for Obama and liked his ideas. Such as we are ALL Americans first. We are the people. We do not want anything crammed down our throats with a vote at least. I agree with you about the Health care issue. Let's take care of the people who need coverage---and above all---LET'S BE FAIR. MB
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