Congress returns to Washington, DC this week to pick up where they left off on health care reform.   It will likely be a very different debate than what we heard in July.

All across the country, thousands of people turned out in August at town hall meetings and other events to express their opposition to the health care reform bills moving through Congress.  Those who turned out to express their opposition were people from across the political spectrum.  Small business owners concerned about mandates, seniors concerned about the level of care they would receive under a government run program and people from the disabilities community concerned about limiting their access.

It is clear that those pushing for a government run health care system, or public option, are out of step with what people want out of health care reform.  Moderate Democrats, many who expressed support for a public option earlier this year, are now taking a second look at the House health care bill that will raise taxes and impose a surtax on our small businesses.  Even the President has started to realize he has a very difficult sales job ahead of him and will speak before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night. 

What is happening shouldn't surprise any of us.  We all agree that more needs to be done to reign in health care costs and improve the system.  But a government run system that is paid for by taxing individuals and small businesses is not the answer. 

Congress needs to seriously re-think its approach on health care.  They need to be more open to ideas that make sense like allowing businesses to cross state lines to purchase health insurance for their employees, consider making health care portable so people can carry it from job to job and look for ways to reduce costs rather than impose new taxes.

One Response to “The People spoke up in August. What will Congress do in the Fall?”

1. Mike Says:
   September 8th, 2009 at 4:51 pm

   I see you’re a Distinguished Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis. And I further see that the NCPA’s mission is “to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector.”

   This sounds fantastic except for the blind belief that free enterprise is the best solution to all problems. See for example the tragedy of the commons. I would love to see the NCPA become less biased and support conclusions that suggest free enterprise solutions either do not work or at least as those solutions have been implemented to date do not work. Blind faith in any philosophy like this means you’re definitely wrong some of the time.

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