All right. I better apologize about that title. It’s not really fair to anyone who fits into the category of retard, embecile or idiot to compare them to members of Congress. Granted, they wouldn’t probably know that they should be offended. But nonetheless, it’s still wrong.
Now to the point. I have been watching the last few months of congressional debate on health care reform from the sidelines. I do work for a company that sells software to health plans, so any commentary I make has to keep in mind that those companies help to put food on my table and a roof over my kids’ heads. But it is time to at least weigh in on a broader level, without endorsing or rejecting any kind of approach. And I will direct my comments to members of Congress.
There is enough polling out there to show that individuals are paying attention to the debate. This poll from Pew Research found that 95% of respondents felt the issue of healthcare reform was important, while another Pew Poll found that Americans by and large didn’t think our system of healthcare was all that great. And even when the questions are worded poorly, like the stupid Facebook quiz that asks if you are in favor of a government-run health plan (which does not have the same connotation as a public option or a co-op), a majority are still in favor of it, as evidenced by a Quinnipiac poll.
So here’s my problem. Members of Congress should be well aware of the following:
- Americans (their constituents) view healthcare as a problem that needs to be urgently solved
- A majority of constituents believe that we need to more than just tinker with the system (and CBO numbers explain why)
- You have to solve both the coverage and the cost of healthcare issues simultaneously
Yet both the bills and the rhetoric coming from Congress would seem to indicate that they don’t fully grasp the public’s attitude here. The bills (like the House or Senate HELP commitee ones) that go a long way towards ensuring greater coverage, don’t focus enough on making the hard choices and driving down long-term costs, while relying on funding mechanisms that would not ever pass both houses of Congress. Other bills (like the reported Senate Finance) bill might address the long-term cost issue, but then remove the things that will increase coverage and drive costs down in the shorter-term, like employer mandates or public options. And many of the Republicans (but not all) are just being useless and throwing stones without any real plans.
Which brings me back to my title. Are members of Congress retarded or just tone-deaf. Yes, there is a third option in that they are in the pocket of special interests, but I don’t think that can be the entire excuse. What is fascinating is that some of the biggest oppositon is coming from Blue-Dog Democrats in the house, who typically represent more rural or conservative-leaning districts. I know why they are opposing certain things, but as Nate Silver points out, their districts tend to have higher (and not lower) uninsured rates, and would benefit the most from comprehensive health care reform.
I hate to be cynical here and I have confidence that a good bill will eventually pass. I also think that many of the members of Congress aren’t retarded (although some may well be senile), so I am guessing it’s the tone-deaf thing. Maybe they will get an earful when they go home from summer recess and will come back and do what their constituents want them to do.
Filed under: Politics Tagged: | Congress, health care, Politics
