Obama's Health Care Gamble

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright March 3, 2010
All Rights Reserved.                                

           Showing a lack of political stamina, President Barack Obama signaled he’s at the end of his rope on the health care debate, after making little progress hosting a Feb. 25 White House summit.  Calling for and “up-or-down” vote, Barack endorsed a risky strategy called “reconciliation,” where the Democratic majority votes to suspend the 60-vote supermajority filibuster rule.  Barack’s call for an “up-or-down” vote bypasses the supermajority rule for passing legislation in the U.S. Senate.  After losing the late Sen. Ted Kennedy’s seat Jan. 19 to Republican Scott Brown, the Democrats lost their supermajority, dooming their health care overhaul.  Obama, House and Senate Democratic leaders reject Republican calls to start over, instead seem poised to bypass one of the Senate’s most time-honored traditions requiring a supermajority [60 votes] to pass legislation.

            Barack’s decision to suspend the Senate filibuster sets a dangerous precedent, running afoul with the Republican minority.  When Republicans ruled the Senate under former Sen. Majority Leader Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), they threatened but never invoked the so-called “nuclear option,” where the majority suspends the filibuster rule over judicial appointments.  Republicans decided against the “nuclear option” precisely because they knew one-day the tables would one day trade places.  Obama’s decision to invoke the “nuclear option” to pass health care reform sets a dangerous precedent.  “I don’t see ho another year of negotiations would help.  Moreover, the insurance companies are starting over,” said Barack, rejecting Republicans calls to remake Democrats’ health care bill.  Obama doesn’t enjoy the advantage of popular opinion on health care reform

            No matter how important Democrats want health care reform, they shouldn’t railroad the most costly national legislation since Medicare passed in 1964.  Not a single Republican supports the current version of health care reform, primarily because of the $1 trillion price tag, given today’s punishing recession and record budget deficits.  When Barack OK’d a whopping increase in defense spending to escalate the Afghan War Nov. 30, 2009, he lost the moral authority to divert even large sums of tax dollars to his national health care reform plan.  Saying Obama’s decision to suspend the Senate minority’s right to filibuster would be “met with outrage” by voters, Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned Barack about dire consequences to messing with prevailing Senate rules.  Obama knows that respecting minority rights are essential to the U.S. Constitution      

            Before Democrats self-destruct, they must read the polls that show 60% of voters oppose Democrats’ current health care reform legislation.  White House or Congressional Democrats can talk about what the American public wants but they must read the same polls as Republicans.  “They’ve had enough of this yearlong effort to get a win for the Democratic Party at any price to the American people,” McConnell decried on the Senate floor, mirroring the bitter partisanship infecting the health care debate.  Opposition to Democrats’ current bill stems primarily from working Americans with employer-based insurance, fearful that Obama’s plan would take away their benefits.  McConnell and other Senate and House Republicans overstate ordinary citizen’s opposition to health care reform legislation.  Most voters agree with Obama’s goal of improving health insurance access and affordability.

            Obama must address concerns about the whopping price tag to his health care reform bill.  Some Republicans, like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-Tenn.), truly want Barack to fail to improve GOP chances next November.  Others are genuinely concerned about passing any legislation that adds to growing budget deficits, a problem, according to Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, for long-term economic growth.  With the economy sluggish and unemployment remaining high, some responsible Democrats and Republicans are genuinely concerned about the prospects of long-term economic growth.  “At stake right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem.  The American people wan to know it is still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future.  They are waiting for us to act,” said the president.

            Passing sweeping health care legislation will have profound economic consequences for years to come.  Like Medicare, the U.S. government must be prepared, given its economy and the tax base, to pay the astronomical price tag without damaging the U.S. economy or prospects for future growth.  “Everything there is to say about health care has been said, and just about everyone has said it,” said Barack, signaling his intent to go ahead with Democratic efforts bypass the Senate’s filibuster rule.  Like the Clintons who tried by failed to reform health care in 1993, White House, Senate and House Democrats crafted health care reform too much behind closed doors.  More Republicans should have been brought into the fold before creating the final piece of legislation.  While it’s not too late to incorporate GOP ideas, it’s too late to reclaim the trust needed for bipartisan legislation.  Democrat should think twice before barreling ahead to block the Senate filibuster.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.