Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine has said she will throw her support behind Sen. Max Baucus’ compromised health care reform bill. This bill fails way short of the goals set by the Obama administration during his campaign and has been blasted by Democrats and Republicans alike.
Snowe had this to say, “people do have concerns about what we will do with reform, but at the same time they want us to continue working — and that is what my vote to approve this bill out of committee represents,”
Sen. John Kerry has spoken out against the Baucus bill. “It’s a powerful argument for the attitude of an industry toward this effort,” Kerry said.
This means that Baucus will have enough votes to get his bill past the Finance Committee and onto the Senate floor where it will most likely have enough votes to pass. This bill has less government involvement, but will still increase taxes. It is not really appeasing either the Democrats or the Republicans, but the fear of neither side coming up with reform greatly overrides their feelings towards this sub-par Baucus bill.
Many Democrats want a national Government option that anyone can join. This will keep insurers in check and increase competition. Many Republicans want tort reform added into this bill to reduce health care spending. Sen. Orrin Hatch of the Finance Committee said on his website:
“I think that this is an important step in the right direction and these numbers show that this problem deserves more than lip service from policy-makers. Unfortunately, up to now, that has been all the President and his Democratic allies in Congress have been willing to provide on these issues.”
We all expect Orrin Hatch to take the side of the big insurance companies; after all, he is one of many politicians who have received considerable support from them. Upwards of $600,000 in campaign contributions. But, did any of us really expect the ‘Gang of 6’ member, Olympia Snowe, to side with Baucus? Well, at least she is standing up for something she believes in and really supports and wants for America, right?
Snowe went on to say,
“Is this bill all that I would want? Far from it. Is it all that it can be? No. But when history calls, history calls. And I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress (taking) every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issues of our time.”
History is important to take note of, but should not be the deciding factor for a large spending bill. “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future” (George Bernard Shaw).
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