One Step Closer on Health Care Reform

We are the point of historic change in the way health care is provided in this country. The House last night passed by a small margin a health care bill that will extend health care to millions and prevent companies from cherry picking healthy people and leave the rest with few options. What has passed isn't Marxist nor is it Socialist. Heck, this isn't even an expansion of Medicare to cover everyone. Indeed, if this bill is a Socialist conspiracy, then I would like to see these opponents get rid of Medicare. See how that would go over with the seniors in their district!

The bill, which passed by a narrow 220-215 vote in the House, is the closest we've ever gotten to comprehensive health care reform. Of course, tacked on to it is a Republican sponsored abortion prohibition, which was allowed to get the bill passed.

Now, we await a Senate bill. There are, of course sufficient votes to pass a bill in the Senate, but we have to get beyond a threatened filibuster. It takes 60 votes, not to enact legislation, but to allow a vote. Will such a vote be allowed, we will see very soon.

Again, no bill is perfect. But it's time we start looking at correcting a system that simply doesn't serve us very well.