Just hours ago, the most sweeping social legislation in several decades, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, was signed into law by President Barack Obama. Though a great milestone has been reached, we the people must not forget that our journey is not over.
Last Sunday night, millions of Americans gathered in anticipation to watch as the landmark health care reform bill passed the House by a vote of 219-212, sending the bill to the desk of President Obama to await his signature.
Today, we reflect on a goal that was met because millions of Americans started working together toward a common goal. We must remember that this movement didn’t start this year or in the past ten years. It started nearly ninety-eight years ago. So, the next time you feel like have failed at something dear to your heart, or you feel like giving up when you are faced with tremendous odds: push, push harder, and keep pushing. Don’t quit, try harder.
President after President, starting with Teddy Roosevelt and going down the line from Harry Truman to Richard Nixon, has stated that we needed to fix our health care system in order to better secure greater opportunities for the future of our country.
A lot of people are ecstatic over the passing of health care reform, and a lot of people are upset, but to those who simply disagree with the bill because the majority of your friends call it “socialism,” please take the time to learn the truth about the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This bill will eventually have an effect on everyone, and it’s vital that every person learns the truth behind the health care overhaul before voicing your opinion. We are at a crossroads as a nation, and stubbornness on common sense issues is not the answer we need if we seek opportunity and prosperity.
The legislation is far from perfect, but in the United States, we are one step closer to establishing health care as a right and not a privilege. There are a few things that I personally believe should have been included in the bill, such as a public option insurance plan or Medicare buy-in. But with the passage of this reform bill, the future political success behind fixing a broken health care system by initiating a public option, if this happens to be the real solution, is within reach. The bottom line is that we are able to close the uninsured gap by insuring 32 million Americans who previously did not have insurance.
A few assets of the heath care bill include adding an estimated 16,000,000 people to the Medicaid rolls, providing affordable coverage to middle and low income families, barring insurance companies from placing yearly and lifetime limits on coverage, denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, and allowing our young adults, mostly college students, the opportunity to stay on their parents’ insurance until age twenty-six.
Although President Obama has signed the bill, the work on the issue is far from over. Our leaders will now battle in the Senate over a package of changes under reconciliation, hoping to remove or change some of the more controversial provisions like higher taxes on union insurance plans and payments to Nebraska (the so-called Cornhusker Kickback).
But despite the fight going on, we’re one step closer to achieving the goal of the great liberal “Lion of the Senate,” the late Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. He said at the 2008 Democratic National Convention that, for him, “this is a season of hope, new hope for a justice and fair prosperity for the many and not just for the few, new hope. And this is the cause of my life, new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American -- north, south, east, west, young, old -- will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.” Today’s new law takes us one step closer to achieving his dream.
Last Sunday night, millions of Americans gathered in anticipation to watch as the landmark health care reform bill passed the House by a vote of 219-212, sending the bill to the desk of President Obama to await his signature.
Today, we reflect on a goal that was met because millions of Americans started working together toward a common goal. We must remember that this movement didn’t start this year or in the past ten years. It started nearly ninety-eight years ago. So, the next time you feel like have failed at something dear to your heart, or you feel like giving up when you are faced with tremendous odds: push, push harder, and keep pushing. Don’t quit, try harder.
President after President, starting with Teddy Roosevelt and going down the line from Harry Truman to Richard Nixon, has stated that we needed to fix our health care system in order to better secure greater opportunities for the future of our country.
A lot of people are ecstatic over the passing of health care reform, and a lot of people are upset, but to those who simply disagree with the bill because the majority of your friends call it “socialism,” please take the time to learn the truth about the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This bill will eventually have an effect on everyone, and it’s vital that every person learns the truth behind the health care overhaul before voicing your opinion. We are at a crossroads as a nation, and stubbornness on common sense issues is not the answer we need if we seek opportunity and prosperity.
The legislation is far from perfect, but in the United States, we are one step closer to establishing health care as a right and not a privilege. There are a few things that I personally believe should have been included in the bill, such as a public option insurance plan or Medicare buy-in. But with the passage of this reform bill, the future political success behind fixing a broken health care system by initiating a public option, if this happens to be the real solution, is within reach. The bottom line is that we are able to close the uninsured gap by insuring 32 million Americans who previously did not have insurance.
A few assets of the heath care bill include adding an estimated 16,000,000 people to the Medicaid rolls, providing affordable coverage to middle and low income families, barring insurance companies from placing yearly and lifetime limits on coverage, denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, and allowing our young adults, mostly college students, the opportunity to stay on their parents’ insurance until age twenty-six.
Although President Obama has signed the bill, the work on the issue is far from over. Our leaders will now battle in the Senate over a package of changes under reconciliation, hoping to remove or change some of the more controversial provisions like higher taxes on union insurance plans and payments to Nebraska (the so-called Cornhusker Kickback).
But despite the fight going on, we’re one step closer to achieving the goal of the great liberal “Lion of the Senate,” the late Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. He said at the 2008 Democratic National Convention that, for him, “this is a season of hope, new hope for a justice and fair prosperity for the many and not just for the few, new hope. And this is the cause of my life, new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American -- north, south, east, west, young, old -- will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.” Today’s new law takes us one step closer to achieving his dream.
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A Political Victory for Reform
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010