Scott Brown wins in Mass, is health reform dead?
With Republican Scott Brown winning Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in Massachusetts last night, the Democrats have lost their filibuster-proof majority, throwing a huge stumbling block in their way to get a health bill to the president's desk.
So what's the fate of health reform? Well, that's the billion dollar question everyone's trying to figure out today. Here are a few good explanations, so far:
The effort's not dead yet, say some analysts. But the options are few and very complex, says this update from the Politico.
In one backup plan, House Democrats may try to approve the Senate version of the bill. While the bills are similar, there are big differences that could be difficult to iron out, says this story in the WSJ. House lawmakers don't like the Senate version's tax on big insurance plans and smaller subsidies to help low income people buy insurance, to name a few.
Others offer a gloomier picture. This Slate piece predicts reform doesn't have a hope, and maps out four scenarios for why this is the case.
Comments
However much I might argue with the specifics and however much I might object to the political concessions in those "Health Care Reform" Bills they still represent the closest this country has gotten to change in sixty years. I suspect that the only way we'll get significant change now is as reaction to the real and inevitable collapse of the patchwork currently in place.
The only worthwhile aspect to the "Health Care Reform" measures in Congress is that they are in Congress. Their function as the camel nose under the tent or the foot in the door that actually meaningful and significant change to the system MIGHT eventually come to pass.
Posted by: MrRational | January 20, 2010 1:11 PM
I agree. This is the closest we've ever been to exposing the healthcare problem. If we could just continue pushing that door open. People just don't understand how bad our system is. Whoopi Goldberg asked MY frequently asked question, "Why can't we have the same healthcare plan that the congress and senate have?" If we can pay for theirs - we can pay for us to have it too.
Posted by: Carolyn | January 23, 2010 8:59 PM