The House passed the Health Care Reform package!
So now the Senate bill will be signed by the president, and the Reconciliation Bill will move to the Senate for debate Tuesday.
There will no doubt be spin coming from both sides but there can be no mistake that this is a huge win for Obama and the Democrats.
Will this result in a takeover of the house and perhaps the Senate by the Republicans? Will the Tea Party Folk maintain their anger for another 9 months? Will the Republicans still be able to play on their fears like they shamefully stirred up the unruly mob outside the Health Care Debate?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/201...Will they continue to abuse the dignity of the Chamber by calling the staunchest anti abortion foe a Baby Killer?
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/22/s...Or will the people realize that the demonization of the bill and of Obama was just fear mongering? The sky didn't fall and the world keeps on turning after all. There is a political cost in obstructionism and baseless shouting that the country will become socialist, that everyone will loose their insurance, their jobs, will have to pay thousands in new taxes, and the world will end, if Obama gets his way.
Instead people and small businesses will get tax breaks to help pay for insurance so the insurance people have may actually get cheaper and they no longer have to worry about their children being denied coverage if they get sick.
So will the obstructionism continue? Almost certainly. Republicans are planning to delay or destroy the reconciliation bill with hundreds of amendments.
May I ask a simple question? Why?
The Republicans have been saying that killing Health Care Reform is better than the Senate Bill. That is sort of understandable, if you are healthy and rich and can afford the inevitable rate increases, and don't care about the uninsured.
But now the Senate bill is law. Why on earth would you not want to fix a flawed Senate bill? If you delay and try to kill the reconciliation bill, the country will be stuck with the flawed Senate Bill. Is that really good for the country or good for the Republican party?
Isn't it time to admit defeat and start working on what is best for the country, instead of still trying to destroy your enemies even after the war is over? At this point defeating the reconciliation bill is a little like being a suicide bomber. You may hurt your enemy, but you will also hurt yourself and all of the American people in the process.
Man up, Admit Defeat, and start doing your job for a change.