A health bill has been inching forward in the Senate this week against the unanimous opposition of Republicans. But one Republican said she still hopes to be able to support reform legislation because “the status quo is unacceptable.”
The comment was made by Sen. Olympia Snowe shortly after she cast one of the 40 Republican votes against the bill.
Even in opposition, she seemed to leave the door open for further discussion. She said: “I remain convinced that we must work toward a responsible, common sense solution to reverse the trend of spiraling health costs ”“ that will cause one-in-four Americans this year to have either inadequate coverage or none at all.”
But Snowe said she could not accept Democrats’ efforts to rush a 2,000-page bill through before Christmas. Among specific complaints, she noted the potential impact on small businesses and the lack of information on the costs that will be faced by individual policyholders. She said provisions in the bill seem likely to substantially raise health care spending.
The urgency felt by the administration and congressional Democrats is understandable. Political realists believe that the window of opportunity for reform is already beginning to close and that if a bill is not passed soon, the chance will be lost.
The lack of collaboration is the fault of both parties, but GOP leaders see defeat of health care reform as a priority. Snowe worked hard to find common ground, but except for her, Republicans made little effort on health care reform.
Snowe and other moderates on both sides may yet play a key role on health care legislation, if only the din of controversy quiets down. In the meantime, the problems of the current system must be addressed because ”“ as Snowe said ”“ the status quo is unacceptable.
The Senate bill would expand health insurance to 30 million Americans who are now uninsured. Reforms are projected to lead to substantial reductions in health care costs, and individuals facing serious illness would no longer fear losing their health insurance policies.
The bill now before the Senate may have many weaknesses, but it has one important strength ”“ enough votes to take the first step toward change.
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