The current debate over health care reform must bring back some bad memories for the making of President Bill Clinton. He, with the help of then First Lady Hillary Clinton, tried to enact his own bill to reform the health insurance industry early in his first term. His attempts failed to receive enough support from his party and failed; the Democrats then suffered a humiliating defeat in the 1994 midterm elections. Yesterday he visited the Senate to encourage the Democratic Party to vote for reform. His main hope is that President Obama and the Democrats in Congress don’t repeat his mistakes; that is, a legislative process that continued to drag on.
Clinton told senators that it is imperative that the current mix of tens of millions of uninsured people and expensive health insurance plans change as soon as possible. While he didn’t touch on details like the public option or the amendment banning abortion coverage in subsidized health insurance, Clinton implored them not to let perfect be the enemy of good. From his experience of him, he came to believe that it would have been better if Democrats had passed some form of healthcare reform in the early 1990s–even if it was n’t ideal–as opposed to allowing the problems to fester for the past decade -More. Some of him worry that it is much more difficult to change a law once it is in place than to amend it in the full legislature. His concerns are valid, but Clinton warned them about his own jobs.
So far, leading Democrats have been following Clinton’s strategy on health insurance. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had representatives work a rare Saturday night shift to get the bill passed, and it included several compromises. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has promised to have passed a reform bill by Christmas. Since taking office, the Obama administration has pushed Congress to get a health care reform bill on its desk and sign it by the end of this year, even to the detriment of other domestic priorities such as recession. Clinton says successful reform will actually help the economy by lowering the staggering cost of a health insurance plan for many Americans. Presumably, consumers could use the money they save on premiums to spend, thereby increasing our GDP. However, Republicans plan to debate the health care reform bill for as long as possible, for weeks and months if necessary. It’s somewhat suspicious that supporters want to move such important (and lengthy) legislation through Congress so quickly. Some lawmakers haven’t even read the nearly 2,000-page bill, though their aides may have.
Will Bill Clinton’s Speech Help Pass Health Care Reform? He is a polarizing figure, but he is highly respected and admired among his own party. Negotiating the release of two North Korean hostages earlier this year showed that he still has political influence with the general public. His own attempt to reform the health insurance industry gives him the ability to give helpful advice about the pitfalls; however, his baggage gives conservatives more ammunition in their fight against reform. In the Clinton era, Republican groups and health insurance providers succeeded in thwarting health reform by claiming it would negatively affect Americans’ existing health insurance plans; the famous “Harry and Louise” commercials are a good example. Back then, Clinton also became more adamant about enacting a single-payer health insurance plan, allowing opponents to stoke public fears about socialized medicine and a government takeover. This time, such a comprehensive government-run program is impossible, but even the reduced public option (for the uninsured and those with pre-existing conditions) is untenable for many. They are again threatening the seats of “Blue Dog” conservatives and moderate Democratic politicians. Both sides learned lessons from the latest fight over health care reform; the only thing left is who will win this time.