The term “historic” can be used in wild excess, but it fits the House’s dramatic approval late Sunday of health care reform. <\/p>\n
True, many details must be worked out, particularly on containing ever-spiraling health costs. The plan will be immensely complicated to implement, as it always is when trying to harness the free market to achieve a social good. There will be short-term pain as some pay higher taxes, and while some of the most important benefits kick in this year, others won’t start until 2014.<\/p>\n
But the sweeping legislation promises to make America a healthier and more just society. Its significance is on par with Social Security and the Civil Rights Act. It will extend coverage to 32 million Americans without insurance – more than 5 million of them in California – whose ranks are growing every year and many of whom are one illness away from the poorhouse. <\/p>\n
It will prevent insurers from writing off those with pre-existing conditions, pulling coverage when someone gets sick and needs it most and from using other unfair practices to pad their profits. And it will loosen the chain between employment and insurance, protecting those who get laid off and helping would-be entrepreneurs who, in the absence of affordable health care, might be reluctant to chase their dreams. <\/p>\n
The Senate should quickly pass the companion “fix-it” bill before the special interests and protectors of the status quo try to muck up the deal. <\/p>\n
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill today, and when he does, he will have delivered the change he promised on the campaign trail. The tide turned a month ago when he finally laid out in specific terms the health reform he wanted, and then went back on the stump to sell it to voters. He will soon be able to move on to clean energy, financial regulation and immigration reform, and most importantly refocus on jobs. His victory on health care augurs well for progress on those fronts. <\/p>\n
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought together a fractious and diverse Democratic caucus and cemented her standing with an achievement that eluded legislative legends like Tip O’Neill and Sam Rayburn. <\/p>\n
Moderate and conservative Democrats in swing districts showed immense political courage. It is entirely possible that the health care vote will cost some of them their seats in November. If that happens, they will have left a legacy to be proud of. <\/p>\n
Advocacy groups, especially those in the grass roots, kept up the pressure on Washington, a textbook demonstration of how representative democracy is supposed to work. <\/p>\n
On the other side, Republicans and their allies in the tea party movement and elsewhere gave in to their worst instincts. Instead of making their case on legitimate policy differences, far too many of them resorted to shouting epithets and slogans and inciting hate and fear. When Republican lawmakers couldn’t win through reasoned argument, they fell back on using terms like “socialism” and “totalitarianism” to describe a health care proposal that resembles systems in place in Germany and Switzerland.<\/p>\n
It remains to be seen if voters will judge them harshly. History certainly will.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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