Food for thought for both the “fix it later” crowd and the “kill the bill” crowd – don’t give up the fight. Use the leverage you’ve gained with your passionate outpouring. Hold the individual mandate hostage (this is something the insurance industry definitely wants):
The only way I can see progressives being able to fix the bill later is if they can hold something the big industries really want hostage. Progressives need something important they can trade in exchange for better reform. The only thing progressives can hold hostage for real reform is the individual mandate. The insurers, providers, drug manufacturers, etc., all want the individual mandate. What company wouldn’t want the government to force people to be its customers?
Progressives should make the rallying cry of “no public option, no mandate” an unmovable demand, now and in the future. Progressives in Congress should refuse to support the individual mandate until it is accompanied by the government guarantee of a decent, cost-effective public health insurance option.
As many in the “fix it later crowd” have pointed out, reform does not really start until 2014, and the individual mandate does not really start until 2015. Even if you believe an individual mandate is essential to make reforms in the Senate bill work, there is no reason we need to pass it now. We have five years before it would go into effect. That is five years to work out a compromise that includes an individual mandate, better reforms, and a public option.
This is a positive use of our time in energy. What I’d like to see:
– Close any remaining loopholes in the bill. Pass the best bill we can get.
– Remove the individual mandate, or put a “trigger” on it
– Push, push and push some more for reconciliation for the public option and Medicare buy-in
– Don’t stop pushing on health care reform
– Start initiatives to fix the problems in the Senate. The Senate is a blockade to progressive legislation.
– Work for “better” Democrats
– Make them feel your wrath