What Kind of Country

Almost exactly one year after launching his effort to effectively reform health insurance and health care in America, today President Obama called for a vote on the bill based on the legislation that both houses of Congress passed.

Not only is health insurance reform crucial to the lives of millions of Americans, and to the American economy, and to the federal budget, but it is a crucial step to a better future-- and a crucial test of whether this country can move towards that future. And by better, I mean better than what it will be if this isn't done, as well as with better health care for millions of Americans.

The process has been ugly and the legislation is imperfect. But it does address needs, and it can be the basis for more reforms. President Obama outlined what the legislation does:

Essentially, my proposal would change three things about the current health care system. First, it would end the worst practices of insurance companies. No longer would they be able to deny your coverage because of a preexisting condition. No longer would they be able to drop your coverage because you got sick. No longer would they be able to force you to pay unlimited amounts of money out of your own pocket. No longer would they be able to arbitrarily and massively raise premiums like Anthem Blue Cross recently tried to do in California -- up to 39 percent increases in one year in the individual market. Those practices would end.

Second, my proposal would give uninsured individuals and small business owners the same kind of choice of private health insurance that members of Congress get for themselves -- because if it’s good enough for members of Congress, it’s good enough for the people who pay their salaries..."

Finally, my proposal would bring down the cost of health care for millions -- families, businesses, and the federal government.

The bottom line is our proposal is paid for. And all the new money generated in this plan goes back to small businesses and middle-class families who can't afford health insurance. It would also lower prescription drug prices for seniors. And it would help train new doctors and nurses and physician assistants to provide care for American families."

To walk away from this now is to give in to the extreme and cynical demagoguery that has been inflicted on these minimal yet important reforms, stopping unconscionable abuses and restoring fairness and humanity. If that kind of opposition succeeds now, it will be used again and again to kill the future.

President Obama ended his remarks with what's at stake:

" In the end, that's what this debate is about. It's about what kind of country we want to be. It's about the millions of lives that would be touched and, in some cases, saved by making private health insurance more secure and more affordable.

So at stake right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem. The American people want to know if it's still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future. They are waiting for us to act. They are waiting for us to lead. And as long as I hold this office, I intend to provide that leadership. I do not know how this plays politically, but I know it's right. "