Obama Outlines Healthcare Goals Before Congress

Seeking to shift the vitriolic and partisan tenor of the debate over healthcare reform to one of pragmatism and compromise, President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress Wednesday night to urge both Republicans and Democrats to deliver legislation that will provide access to affordable health insurance coverage for all.

In recent weeks, Obama has been accused of losing control of the message to opponents of reform who by most accounts did a masterful job during the August recess of working up voters into a fury over some of the proposals that are up for consideration, such as a public insurance option, and complete fabrications, such as death panels.

Much of what he said as he outlined his expectations he’s been saying for weeks. All individuals should be required to have a basic insurance package; the government should provide subsidies to those who cannot afford insurance; businesses will be required to provide coverage or chip in to help cover the cost; and there should be an exchange where individuals and small businesses can shop for competitively priced (affordable) plans. The president also expressed his support for a public option, stating that it would force private insurers to be competitive and “treat their customers better.” He did stress, however that a public option is only one part of his plan and warned lawmakers that it should not be used as a deal breaker.

“I will not back down on the basic principle that if Americans can’t find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice. And I will make sure that no government bureaucrat or insurance company bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need,” Obama said.

This will keep the left wing of his party in check for a while, predicts Cato Institute senior fellow Michael Tanner. “He made the best case for the public option but signaled that he would be willing to give it up. He’s trying to have it both ways on that one, which is kind of where he has to be. He’s got to try to keep both [parties] at the table as long as possible and doesn’t want any side digging in their heels,” said Tanner.

Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, one of several Congressional Black Caucus members who are insisting on “a robust public plan,” didn’t lose hope.

“I’m going to look at the cup as being half full instead of half empty. The president has now put on public record that he’s supportive of the public option, he sees the value of it and obviously he’s leaving the details to us,” she said. “This is going to be a fight in the [Democratic] caucus. I think we should pass the strongest possible public option in the house. I don’t think we should yield on a strong public option from the beginning.”

South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, the House majority whip, noted that while his job was made easier by Obama’s visit to the Capitol, he’d discovered at a Democratic caucus meeting that took place earlier in the day that many members returned from their recess feeling more positive about passing healthcare reform.

“A lot of people I thought would be a little shaky were not only firm but also speaking very strongly for a public option,” Clyburn said.

Many of Obama’s comments were aimed at the American

public. Although most Americans are currently insured and frankly more comfortable with the current healthcare structure, he sought to convince them that the stakes are just as high for them as they are for the poor and uninsured, pointing out that all Americans will pay the price if the cost of healthcare is allowed to soar unchecked.

The president said that he’s heard good ideas from both Democrats and Republicans and that he wants to hear from everyone. But he also pointedly told Republican lawmakers that some of their recent tactics would no longer fly.

“If you misrepresent what’s in this plan, we will call you out,” Obama said.

“He put forth a plan that represents a diversity of perspectives, honoring his commitment to bipartisanship in this process. Now is the time to come to the table and offer your ideas or step aside so we can get to work to make quality affordable healthcare for everyone a reality in America,” said Clyburn, who planned to begin the next day whipping up votes.

But Tanner doubts there will be much exchange on this issue between the president and Republicans in the near future or that either party is actually interested in doing that.

And when the president said that the plan would not insure illegal immigrants, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson heckled him, shouting, “You lie!” Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, said his behavior brought into the Capitol the tenor of recent town hall meetings.

“The Republicans are in a very different direction. Who’s ideas are they going to negotiate? The myth of bipartisanship is that you can split the details on everything but that’s not always the way it works,” Tanner said.

The bargaining and compromise will be left to Democrats over the next several weeks, said Alabama Rep. Artur Davis, who believes that one of Obama’s primary goals was to get them to commit to a process that will produce a good result rather than an ideological notion or a philosophy that says if the legislation isn’t perfect lawmakers won’t do anything.

“The left and right of the two caucuses treat compromise as a bad thing or a dilution of principles,” said Davis. “But compromise is how the legislative process works.”

Further Reading: How Healthcare Reform Affects You