Finally, it seems that a real debate over a real bill will begin on health care reform.
The Senate cleared the way Saturday for debate on legislation unveiled by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. The bill, a compromise between two committee-passed versions, could undergo significant changes as senators amend it during weeks of debate ahead.
Our first question is: How do reasonable people conduct a real debate on such a volume of information? Consider this point: Undoubtedly the final product (assuming anything is passed, which we do think will happen) will be hundreds of pages long. Even with the best of intentions and even with a unanimous vote to approve the bill, there will be inevitable unintended consequences in a bill of such length.
Lawyers and regulators will pore over every written word to justify future issues in court or regulations based on this law. Again, in spite of best intentions, will any court be able to decide the “intent of Congress”? Lawsuits will be decided, and people will be granted or denied huge sums of money based on such interpretations. Are we ready to take that risk with such a bill?
One side will say the bill saves money over the long term. The other will say it could lead to national bankruptcy. How do we the people decide who is right just on that point alone?
An intriguing “60 Minutes” segment on Sunday addressed the issue of end-of-life care. It claimed that Medicare alone spent $50 billion last year on such care, more than the entire Department of Education or Homeland Security budgets. Does this bill address such costs and provide a means to reduce them?
Is this bill just the beginning or does it mark some “end” of tortuous political achievement? Is the bill real progress in human achievement or a huge step backward? For sure we will hear both arguments.
What is really at stake in this debate? Will we the people simply continue our daily lives with little or no consequences, or is something much more fundamental at the heart of this debate?
Our elected senators now hold the answers to these and many other questions in their hands. That is for sure awesome responsibility. Before anyone launches the inevitable partisan response, remember that we the people put that responsibility in their hands. Can we live with the consequences? And what will we do if our answer is “no”?
