The fight over new health care legislation prolongs while Congress wages war amongst itself.
The debate over health care and President Obama’s proposed bill, has spurred one of the most hotly contested political battles we’ve seen for some time. The Democratic controlled government aims to create a public health insurance option and provide health insurance to all Americans, not just those who can afford it.
The Republicans view the federally funded health insurance option as yet another Democratic attempt to turn America down the road of socialism and excessive government control, while the Democrats blame the Republicans for staging unrealistic citizen protests and outrage at the congressional town hall meetings that attempt to inform the American people about the health care issue.
The Republican members of Congress are standing firm in opposition to this type of health care reform and even some moderate and conservative Democrats have invested their resistance as well, whether in disagreement with government funded health care or in fear of losing reelection in conservative areas.
Although both sides of the political spectrum and everyone in between have their own set of views on the health care issue, one thing is certain, America and all Americans are definitely in need of health care reform.
While I may not support the Democratic initiative to create government controlled public health insurance, I do acknowledge the fact that there are definite flaws in our current health care system. However, I do not believe that it should be left up to the government to generate the proper and affordable reform that the American people truly need.
A government funded health care legislation would be the largest government undertaking since Social Security, a government controlled program that, in my opinion, has not been operated properly over the years. Medicare and Medicaid, two more government funded programs, each have their own set of imperfections as well.
Perhaps the greatest concern in the minds of the American people however should be the fact that the proposed bill that would create a federal government run health insurance option, H. Res. 615, exempts the members of Congress and their families from participating in the public option and allows them to continue to participate in their Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).
Clearly, the American people aren’t being informed the truth about what the proposed health care bill entails and would benefit in taking a closer look at why the government funded health insurance option is good enough for the American people, but not those who run their government.
No matter how Congress and the U.S. Government attempt to approach the issue of new health care legislation, two things are for certain: the American people need health care reform and the members of Congress should govern fairly and not exempt themselves from legislation.