...in spite of the objections and complaints of those who'd rather wait around for that mythic, ever-alluring mirage of "something better."
I feel very strongly about this bill. I know it's not perfect. I fought for the public option alongside many of you. But I think this is a VERY significant step forward, even if it doesn't have everything we want or everything we need. It's a start, and the very act of passing it will make it a little easier to pass other related improvements in the future.
Plus, it provides insurance coverage to more than 30 million people who otherwise either couldn't afford it or couldn't qualify. That's pretty damn amazing. And hardly insignificant.
I'm not feeling particularly articulate tonight, so I thought I'd put together some thoughts and exhortations from a few liberals who are much smarter and more experienced than I am.
To start, here's Wendell Potter, health care activist and former Cigna executive:
We need these kinds of restrictions. A lot of these [insurance industry] practices should have been made illegal a long time ago. But we've never been able to get even this close to getting that done. There are too many people who are counting on this passing.
He continues:
Take the deal. I understand why they don't like the deal. But we've got to have this deal or many more of us are going to be suffering and we cannot wait any longer. We've got to get something done.
And from Robert Reich, passionate progressive and Labor secretary under Clinton:
Health care reform is necessary, and House Democrats should vote for it because it’s best for the nation.
They should also remember the political lessons of history. To paraphrase Mark Twain, history doesn’t repeat itself but it does rhyme. As the White House and the House Democratic leadership try to line up 216 votes to pass health care reform — and as Republicans, aided by the National Association of Manufacturers and abetted by fierce partisans like Newt Gingrich, try to kill it – I can’t help thinking back to 1994 when the lineup was much the same.
And from NYT columnist and Nobel winner Paul Krugman:
For a real piece of passable legislation, however, it looks very good. It wouldn’t transform our health care system; in fact, Americans whose jobs come with health coverage would see little effect. But it would make a huge difference to the less fortunate among us, even as it would do more to control costs than anything we’ve done before.
This is a reasonable, responsible plan. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
From my newest hero Marcelas Owens, an 11-year-old whose mom recently died uninsured of a chronic illness:
"I am here because of my mom," said Owens. "My mom was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2006. She missed so much work she lost her job. And when my mom lost her job, she lost her health care. And losing her health care ended up costing her her life."
He continued, "I don't want any other kids to go through the pain that our family has gone through. My grandma and I want Barack Obama and Congress and everybody to come together and to help get the health care bill passed."
See Marcelas for yourself:
UPDATE:
Here's a little glimpse into what the future might bring if we do nothing. And failing to pass the bill is essentially the same as doing nothing, as it be many years before we revisit this issue again. From tonight's LA Times:
24% in state lack health insurance
Nearly 1 in 4 Californians under age 65 had no health insurance last year, according to a new report, as soaring unemployment propelled vast numbers of once-covered workers into the ranks of the uninsured.
The state's uninsured population jumped to 8.2 million in 2009, up from 6.4 million in 2007, marking the highest number over the last decade, investigators from UCLA's Center for Health Policy Research said.
People who were uninsured for part or all of 2009 accounted for 24.3% of California's population under age 65 -- a dramatic increase from 2007 driven largely by Californians who lost employer-sponsored health insurance, particularly over the last year.
Unfreakingbelievable - nearly one in four people in the biggest state in our union have no health insurance. We absolutely need to provide a safety net to catch people like these.
I believe this bill provides that framework - one that we can strengthen and fortify with time.
Note:
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I just needed to attempt a counterpoint to one particular downer diary on the rec list.
This is too freaking important to let the naysayers have the last word.