In the New York Times article “Despite Fears, Health Care Overhaul Is Moving Ahead”, reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg discussed how President Barack Obama’s reformed health care plan is fairing. With the last significant health care plan proposed during the Clinton administration, Stolberg illustrates how torn Congress is despite both Democrats and Republicans arguing that action needs to be taken.
Stolberg quotes President Obama as saying “we’ve never had such broad agreement on what needs to be done.” Though four out of five Congressional committees passed bills that advocate for every American to have insurance and allow the government to provide insurance for those who cannot afford it, Congress remains torn on the specific details about the health care overhaul.
Going into Wednesday’s speech, President Obama must work to convince both legislators and the public to vote in favor of his plan or fear losing control on Capitol Hill, Stolberg says. The reporter reminds readers of the proposed health care bill in 1994 that did not pass, resulting in former President Clinton to losing control of the House and Senate.
Explaining his plan on Wednesday is vital for President Obama’s bill to pass, as 60 percent of Americans said in a CBS poll that they are unsure about what the current bill includes. This uncertainty regarding the proposed bill may explain why the percentage of the public who supports it has dropped from 66 percent to 60 percent, according to a CBS poll taken in August. To gain both the support of the public and Congressman to pass a bill that ensures that every American has health insurance, his speech must be well-outlined and include specific details about cost.
To visit Stolberg's article, please use the following address:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/health/policy/09assess.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Despite%20Fears,%20Health%20Care%20Overhaul%20Is%20Moving%20Ahead&st=cse
After watching bits and pieces of the speech and reading the reactions for the past few days after, I think Obama did a good job Wednesday night in addressing some of the issues you raised above especially about coverage and ensuring that every American has health insurance. I would like to see some poll results after the speech to see if that number of 60% of Americans being unsure about what is included in the bill is any lower now.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I also saw parts of the speech and I was very pleased with what I heard. This speech was long over due. I think that many people had lost faith in Obama and his plan not because they disagreed with but simply because it wasn't being made clear what it entails. I think that the more people understand about the health plan the more people will be in support of it.
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