Yes, They Made History
Monday 22 March 2010
by: E.J. Dionne Jr., Op-Ed
(Image: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t; Adapted: David Katz/Obama for America, NARA via pingnews, myglesias)
Yes, we did.
Finally, President Obama can use those words. The passage of health care reform provided the first piece of incontestable evidence that Washington has changed.
Congress is, indeed, capable of carrying through fundamental social reform. No longer will the United States be the outlier among wealthy nations in leaving so many of its citizens without basic health coverage.
In approving the most sweeping piece of social legislation since the mid-1960s, Democrats proved that they can govern, even under challenging circumstances and in the face of significant internal divisions.
To understand how large a victory this is, consider what defeat would have meant. In light of the president's decision to gamble all of his standing to get this bill passed, its failure would have crippled his presidency. The Democratic Congress would have become a laughingstock, incapable of winning on an issue that has been central to its identity since the days of Harry Truman.
This is why Republicans decided to put everything they had into an effort to defeat the measure. They said its passage would hurt the Democrats in November's elections. They knew that its failure would have haunted Democrats for decades.
Without this concrete achievement, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi kept warning her troops, Democrats would have been stuck with their votes for reform bills and nothing to show for them. The real and imagined flaws of their proposed system would have been hung around their necks, yet they would have had no way of demonstrating its advantages.
With success comes the chance to defend what is, in many of its particulars, the sort of plan a majority of Americans said they wanted. Yes, it is imperfect and it won't come cheap. But it fills a gaping hole in the American social insurance system.
It affords protections that Americans had long hoped for against insurance-company practices that could deny them coverage. It also grants the security of knowing that sickness would not carry the threat of bankruptcy. It will be better still if the Senate enacts the improvements the House has made.
This is also a moment of history, a culmination of the legacies of Truman and Franklin Roosevelt.
On Nov. 19, 1945, Truman stated facts that are true to this day. "People with low or moderate incomes do not get the same medical attention as those with high incomes," he said. "The poor have more sickness, but they get less medical care."
"We should resolve now that the health of this nation is a national concern," Truman added, "that financial barriers in the way of attaining health shall be removed; that the health of all its citizens deserves the help of all the nation." Nearly 65 years later, Truman's wish has come to pass.
It is also worth remembering that when Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935, he was properly modest. FDR insisted that "we can never insure 100 percent of the population against 100 percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life."
He knew that his bill was more a beginning than an end. The Social Security Act, Roosevelt said, "represents a cornerstone in a structure which is being built but is by no means complete."
That's exactly true of the reform Congress enacted Sunday night. It does not quite cover everyone -- Social Security didn't, either -- and that must be taken care of. There will be years of wrangling over the system's costs and how it works in practice. Every successful health system in the world confronts such arguments. This new law will not end all our health care problems (no law could), but it does a great deal for access, and it makes solving other problems a little easier. Above all, it puts us on a new path.
For Obama, this struggle was transformative. He began his administration full of hope that his campaign pledge to achieve concord across party lines was a realistic possibility. But, when faced with implacable Republican opposition, he jettisoned the happy talk and came out fighting.
If bipartisanship is more fashionable than partisanship, partisanship with a purpose is infinitely preferable to paralysis. Obama has made clear that he will reach out when he can, and do battle when he must.
By temperament, the president is more a consensus builder than a warrior. But he is also a practical man who wants to accomplish big things. On Sunday, he did just that on health care, and he earned a place in history.
E.J. Dionne's e-mail address is ejdionne(at)washpost.com.
(c) 2010, Washington Post Writers Group
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Comments
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"On Sunday, he did just that
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 09:58 — Liced-Christ (not verified)"On Sunday, he did just that on health care, and he earned a place in history."
Right, it's all about his place in history. That's as far as this goes for Dionne and the other half-wits who voted for this idiotic piece of compromised, woman-hating legislation.
Yeah, and All the "historic"
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 10:31 — Vic Anderson (not verified)Yeah, and All the "historic" CHANGE we got in the 2008 election was the color of the president's skin.
We have to ignore the
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 11:08 — Anonymous (not verified)We have to ignore the healthcare fraud for the moment and concentrate on defeating Republicanism once and for all.
Nobody now demands equal time for Guelphs or Ghibellines.
The Republican party--all of it--has to be put in that position.
Believe this: if progressives do not focus on destroying Republicanism, the Republicans will return to power in 2010 and 2012.
After that, there will be no elections, no free speech, no peace, no health care --nothing but chains and slavery for every man, woman, and child in this country until the end of time.
Destroy the Hydra. Then we can start in on Obama and his kind.
If Texas secedes, so much the better. Their first act will be to invade Mexico; their second, to bend over and grab their ankles.
We don't need Texas trash in our union.
This is only a first step.
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 11:37 — Anonymous (not verified)This is only a first step. What we now have to fight for...and I do mean fight... is the move to single payer. That is the only vehicle that will really protect our people from the greed of insurance giants whose only bottom line is profit. It is the only vehicle that will truly help the systemically poor in this country, and now that some of the middle class are joining these ranks because of the mortgage crisis and loss of employment, that population is growing. Without it we will continue to see more and more of our GDP devoted to the cost of health care. No longer can we afford to sit this one out, or go to a protest once a year.
"Destroy the Hydra. Then we
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 12:01 — Anonymous (not verified)"Destroy the Hydra. Then we can start in on Obama and his kind."
And when your jihad is complete who will be left? You?
"Destroy the Hydra. Then we
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 12:09 — Anonymous (not verified)"Destroy the Hydra. Then we can start in on Obama and his kind."
And when your jihad is complete who will be left? You?
History, yes. Never before
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 13:11 — tyler_durden (not verified)History, yes. Never before has private business had a government mandate creating new customers for them.
Never before have democrats had to force through a bill which at its core is a republican dream come true.
Never before has something that started off so promising for so many been absolutely gutted to benefit very few.
The only people who should be partying are insurance company stock holders and their bought and paid for congressional conspirators.
The only thing mankind has made that's more vile than money is politics. I hate the left and right wing because both sides are true fools.
And for all of you things
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 13:19 — tyler_durden (not verified)And for all of you things out there that think republicans are some kind of enemy, think again and look around. NOTHING has changed since the texan left. Congress sold us out before he left and they are selling us out right now.
We are a single party system with two flavors in a corporatist authoritarian state.
It doesn't matter who you vote for anymore. They are all thieves that care only about "campaign" money (which they spend on themselves).
But by all means keep up the fighting among the people. A divided public doesn't have time to notice all of our problems have one root cause: ourselves.
Great. Now that's done, and
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 13:56 — Me. (not verified)Great. Now that's done, and we can forget about it for another 4 years...
Bogus bill, bogus reaction, doesn't get my attention.
Nothing more than a stalling tactic - and they pulled it off again.
I couldn't care less either way. The "reform" is meaningless.
It's sad to see that someone
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 14:02 — Anonymous (not verified)It's sad to see that someone who writes for a relatively insightful news organization can be so biased and so ... stupid.
You must do all in your
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 14:27 — Apnea (not verified)You must do all in your power to support the organization of the Democratic Party, people !
Why? Don't you know that if we relent the least bit in our support of this Historical Administration, the Other Party will take back the White House?
You are either with us or you are against us!
/snark
Seriously, American politics is mindblowingly authoritarian. The only thing you hear about are the moves and gains of the Party. It's as if the people doesn't exist, except to ratify the will of one group or the other.
You must do all in your
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 14:31 — Apnea (not verified)You must do all in your power to support the organization of the Democratic Party, people !
Why? Don't you know that if we relent the least bit in our support of this Historical Administration, the Other Party will take back the White House?
You are either with us or you are against us!
/snark
Seriously, American politics is mindblowingly authoritarian. The only thing you hear about are the moves and gains of the Party. It's as if the people doesn't exist, except to ratify the will of one group or the other.
Monopoly For Mainstream
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 16:21 — NIH Epidemiologist's Son (not verified)Monopoly For Mainstream Medicine, which is as bogus as mainstream media - that's what this bill represents. The FDA is a bought and paid for mouthpiece of Monsanto and Pharma - they decide what treatments we may have - now that we all have to buy it, only the very wealthy can afford to have alternative, superior medical treatment - if at all. This bill is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
The stock market rise of all
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 17:32 — Anonymous (not verified)The stock market rise of all the health care stocks today tells you all you need to know about who won.
Sorry, E.J., we're still the
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 17:48 — Regina (not verified)Sorry, E.J., we're still the outlier among nations. No other sovereign nation leaves its people to the mercies of mercenaries. All this legislation does is prevent the mercenaries from cutting peoples' lifelines while exacting payment from them for the privilege of not being left in extremis. We have a very long way to go in order to reach civilization. But it's better than the status quo ante, so we cheer the improvement. I hope we can hold on to it -- the mercenaries' mouthpieces are already threatening repeal, should they gain forces in the next election.
Just went online to see
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 18:45 — Anonymous (not verified)Just went online to see about buying health insurance. The best I could find as a single man age 59 is $2,280 annual premiums plus $5,000 deductible. Total of $7,000 before any insurance kicks in. 31% of last year's income. What a deal. I don't see anything in this bill that will change this reality.
DEMOCRATS HAVEN'T PROVEN A
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 22:05 — Anonymous (not verified)DEMOCRATS HAVEN'T PROVEN A DAMN THING..., other than they finally had to overcome Their Terrifying Fear of having to make a Terrifying Choice between --- Their Terrifying Fear of the Insane Republican Party and the Wacked Out Anti-Democratic-Republic CONservative Global Corporate Media --OR-- Choose Healthcare over Their Terrifying Fear of being out right despised by ALL OF THEIR BASE PLUS A FEW MORE TENS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS SICK OF THEIR 'DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS' BULLSHIT WAY OF ACTING LIKE SPINELESS LEADERS ELECTED TO GOVERN... I hope for the sake of Democrats that a significant part of the new HealthCare Legislation is dedicated to SPINAL RESEARCH....
This article is purely
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 22:10 — Jonas Rand (not verified)This article is purely sycophantic - just like Obama and the Democrats' attitude toward this weak, ineffective bill. The "historic victory" did not radically change the health care system, and that was only because the politicians decided to put corporations above people and capitulate. They even capitulated to anti-abortion fundamentalists, and sycophantically supported Obama's plan, rejecting single payer in favor of a bill that showed that politicians do not care about human lives. Tell me - if this bill was a "first step in the right direction", why wasn't single payer, or Alan Grayson's bill, signed into legislature?
My comment was here, but now
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 22:32 — Jonas Rand (not verified)My comment was here, but now it has been removed. Why is that?
We are still the only nation
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 22:33 — Jonas Rand (not verified)We are still the only nation in the so-called "developed world" that does not have universal health care. The health care bill did not change that, and thus, it is unjust.
No longer will the United
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 23:35 — Edmc (not verified)No longer will the United States be the outlier among wealthy nations in leaving so many of its citizens without basic health coverage. Bullshit!
Obama's Potemkin village of an Insurance Care system is as fake as those villages built by Potemkin to give Catherine the Great a false impression of prosperity in the Russia of her time when she went out in luxury while her peasants suffered starvation and worse.
The smug smile on his face becomes harder to tolerate the more one realizes he must have really threatened to end Dennis Kucinich's life in the service of his country if he failed to deliver a "Yes" for his Obamanation of a corporate hugging insurance care plan. Kucinich should be President...he has a real grasp of the needs of the average and middle class of this country that no other person in Congress or Washington, DC comes close to.
I am disgusted by all those who want to trumpet this as a victory! The Insurance companies have gotten exactly what they want!
go here to firedoglake dot com
to read the truth about this bill. see the factsheet on the right hand column and enjoy also
and the cover article which is a cute but right-on bit of cynicism which bites these corporate whores right in their privates: Buddy for Congress! Late Night:Send a Dog to Congress:
I thank E.J. Dionne jr. for
Mon, 03/22/2010 - 23:37 — HOWARD CHRISTOFERSEN MD (not verified)I thank E.J. Dionne jr. for what I feel is a fair evaluation of President Obama's participation in this historic achievement.
Yes, a one payer system would have given more opportunity to push preventive care but this should give an opening for patients to have a "family" doctor and distinctly reduce expensive Emergency Room attendance ( where I worked for some years). It certainly will reduce medical bankruptcy which hit one of my distant relatives and threatened another.
A one payer system would have markedly reduced the quantity of different forms and regulations saving time and money.
With the inability to drop a sick patient or deny treatment for pre-existing illness, it will be much more of an "insurance" against being left without care.I hope that this will also encourage Insurance companies to push cost saving preventive medicine.
Previously living in Washington State, we were able to get excellent care and drugs at rock bottom cost from Group Health Cooperative. Now living in Indiana, I found a somewhat similar plan under Humana but within six months it was dropped. I do hope Group Health Cooperative becomes available nation wide.
It is too bad that some Democrats, like Rep. Stupak, denied support for safe, sterile abortion when needed for by so doing he may cause more deaths from abortion. Yes, I have stood helplessly by the bedside of a woman dying of antibiotic resistant infection from a "back alley" abortion. Sanctity of life??? Did he vote for war??
Yes, they made history by
Tue, 03/23/2010 - 20:11 — Anonymous (not verified)Yes, they made history by throwing poor women under the bus by making it even more difficult to get a safe, legal abortion. Yes, they made history through their male chauvinism of making poor women invisible throughout this whole debate.
Yes, they made history through featuring women haters like Stupak and Nelson whose ideology is based on tyranny over women. Yes, they made sexist history by assaulting the body of women. Yes, they made history by making the lives of working class women immeasurably more difficult. Yes, all the women haters made history.
"It doesn't matter who you
Thu, 03/25/2010 - 04:01 — jahf (not verified)"It doesn't matter who you vote for anymore. They are all thieves that care only about 'campaign' money (which they spend on themselves)."
Not true. It just looks that way because we don't have the imagination to vote for anyone who is not an Elephant or an Ass.