Congressional Democrats, please listen to this man:
A message to House Democrats: This is your moment of truth. You can do the right thing and pass the Senate health care bill. Or you can look for an easy way out, make excuses and fail the test of history.
A message to House Democrats: This is your moment of truth. You can do the right thing and pass the Senate health care bill. Or you can look for an easy way out, make excuses and fail the test of history.
Tuesday’s Republican victory in the Massachusetts special election means that Democrats can’t send a modified health care bill back to the Senate. That’s a shame because the bill that would have emerged from House-Senate negotiations would have been better than the bill the Senate has already passed. But the Senate bill is much, much better than nothing. And all that has to happen to make it law is for the House to pass the same bill, and send it to President Obama’s desk.
Right now, Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, says that she doesn’t have the votes to pass the Senate bill. But there is no good alternative.
Some are urging Democrats to scale back their proposals in the hope of gaining Republican support. But anyone who thinks that would work must have spent the past year living on another planet.
I have no idea why Democrats want to draw defeat out of the jaws of victory because of a defeat in Massachusetts. They need to quit freaking out (especially in public) and just get back to work.
I kept telling people during Bush’s term (especially during the 2004 campaign): don’t judge by his words, judge by his actions. Well, I have the same judgment on Democrats. Just because they talk about things I agree with, like fixing the problems with our health care system, doesn’t mean they are on our side. It’s time for action now. The Democratic Party should be more than a debating club – all talk and no action. They have the power to do something right now. Pass the bill. Prepare fixes for the current bill and introduce them. Make ConservaDems and Republicans say no.
Just do it. If it isn’t done the American people will still face the following:
1. If you get sick you could lose your coverage
2. If you don’t have coverage you could go bankrupt
3. After you’re bankrupt you won’t be able to get coverage
That’s just unacceptable to me.
There is no win for progressives if this bill doesn’t pass. Health insurance corporations will still make profits. People will still be thrown off of insurance plans for being sick. Joe Lieberman will still be a Senator.