The Washington Monthly

January 28, 2010

GETTING HEALTH CARE BACK ON TRACK?.... Everyone in, near, or around the debate over the future of health care reform watched very closely last night, waiting for signals in President Obama's State of the Union address about the road ahead. Given some of the remarks from lawmakers earlier in the week, the fate of reform would be heavily influenced by what the president had to say.

So, did the president single-handedly save the struggling initiative with one section of one speech? Probably not, but that would be unrealistic anyway. Obama did, however, give reform a much-needed boost, and with some meaningful follow-up, the measure may yet succeed.

There's been some debate over the last 12 hours about whether the president did enough. It's not an unreasonable question -- the speech did not give lawmakers "marching orders," did not set a deadline for passage, and did not lay out a specific strategy for what to do next. But I'm not sure that's what the State of the Union is for, exactly.

Obama instead chose to "clear a few things up" about why reform is necessary, and why the Democratic plan has merit. (If he weren't still trying to get the proposal through, he wouldn't have bothered presenting a defense of it.) Indeed, there was a fairly detailed recitation of some of the key, easy-to-understand benefits of the bill that's so close to passage, and an explanation of why things will get worse if reform fails.

He wrapped up the point by urging passage.

"I will not walk away from these Americans, and neither should the people in this chamber.
"So, as temperatures cool, I want everyone to take another look at the plan we've proposed. There's a reason why many doctors, nurses, and health care experts who know our system best consider this approach a vast improvement over the status quo. But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses, let me know. Let me know. Let me know. I'm eager to see it.

"Here's what I ask Congress, though: Don't walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people. Let's get it done."

Soon after, in a related reminder, the president told Democratic lawmakers, "I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve problems, not run for the hills."

Now, I've seen some suggest that by inviting others to present "a better approach," Obama was signaling his willingness to accept a watered-down bill. I actually thought it was the opposite. He set the goal posts in place -- lower premiums, deficit reduction, coverage for the uninsured, strengthening Medicare, strong consumer protections -- knowing full well that reform's critics can't present a plan that will meet these tests.

And what about the reactions? Brian Beutler talked to several Democratic lawmakers who said the president's remarks helped, but the House is still looking to the Senate to act, and vice versa. Jonathan Cohn added, "I canvassed about ten key sources on Capitol Hill, focusing on the members, staff, and advocates most committed to passing reform. Every one (literally) seemed relatively pleased and some seemed very pleased, even without the step-by-step instructions.... Obama gave reform advocates the support, and cover, they needed."

So, health care reform lives, at least for now. The White House is going to have to do more in the coming days to keep the effort on track, and pressure on Congress from the public will have to continue, but at a minimum, the State of the Union kept hope alive.

—Steve Benen 8:45 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (13)

Comments

Obama indicated it would be sorta, kinda nice if a bill on health care reform were passed. Sorta like Churchill after Dunkirk saying England might do well to not give up. that would have worked much better than the speech he foolishly gave that no one can remember, much less his appropriate inaction thereafter.

Posted by: gdb on January 28, 2010 at 8:51 AM | PERMALINK

Dude said the same thing he said in august in portsmouth maine -- just updated yuk-yuks...

Obama needed to say "FUCK YOU" clearly and distinctly to the Repugnants. he needed to grind their noses in the blood and stench of death they are allowing with their obstructionism. He needed to label them as the monsters they are.

He didnt do it.

Posted by: neill on January 28, 2010 at 8:55 AM | PERMALINK

oh, and he shuddah said benny and joey and maxie are as repugnant as the tribal ones

Posted by: neill on January 28, 2010 at 8:57 AM | PERMALINK

Very optimistic read on this Steve. You had to dig pretty hard and deep to find that pony.

Posted by: lou on January 28, 2010 at 8:59 AM | PERMALINK

HCR is totally in the Senate's court (as are about a half dozen other major bills). Reid needs to beat on the blue dogs and let them know that the party will single them out for any failure to pass HCR. And they can kiss all their committee appointments goodbye, as well.

If he can't do that, then get rid of him.

I want to see some serious pain meted out to the people who are manipulating HCR as a tool for their own political ambitions. If they can't get behind this effort, then they should leave the party. NOW.

Posted by: bdop4 on January 28, 2010 at 9:10 AM | PERMALINK

Steve (et al),

I agree with your assessment here... he stopped short of saying PTDB, but the options he laid out ("so close," and the specifics already in the Senate bill) led me to believe that, if he wasn't endorsing a specific path, he had a definite path in mind.

I saw Maddow ask the question about 'starting over,' but I think you're right... he said, in effect, "here's what I need from any plan; if you can't deliver then sit down and shut up." I wish that he had said, verbatim, Pass The Damn Bill, but I thought he came awfully close.

T'was a fun speech.

Posted by: Shantyhag on January 28, 2010 at 9:22 AM | PERMALINK

Yeah! How could that fail politically? All those low-information voters will suddenly become informed if we just scream at them in neill's voice.

Seriously, dude, get off the blogs and out of the house for a while and get a hobby.

Posted by: Art on January 28, 2010 at 9:37 AM | PERMALINK

I think going farther than he did on HCR would've been suicide. How, exactly, is he to enforce a deadline or lay down a gauntlet when clearly he cannot force the Senate to do ANYTHING? It's quite clear Reid can't herd those cats and if anything it will now be dramatically harder since the Mass. election.

Despite his entreaty not to 'run for the hills' the Dems ARE running for the hills because the media continues the "no one likes health reform" drumbeat, and finally the American public sheep have started dancing to the beat.

Say something enough and it becomes true... The GOP knows this and their discipline is bearing fruit.

I predict we will have an approximately evenly divided House and Senate after November and at that point the GOP will just dig their heels in harder and wait again. They will wait until they have a majority or until Hell freezes over, and the public is too ignorant or dazed or distracted to call them on it.

Posted by: Mowgli on January 28, 2010 at 9:43 AM | PERMALINK

I think the president did a good job on HCR last night but could have made it a slightly stronger argument with what might be a populist twist. Remind Americans that we pay approx $7,000 per person for health every year. Now the countries in Europe pay half that much and have better results - lower infant mortality, longer life spans. That the truth is Europeans can choose their own doctors and do not wait longer for services. They get this at half the cost. Who profits from the current system? Not the people but the insurance and private health care companies -- the very people who most oppose reform. Everyone needs to know that these companies are stealing from the American people.

Posted by: Bob O'Reilly on January 28, 2010 at 10:00 AM | PERMALINK

I agree, but I think what he should have done was used a teary anecdote -- I'm sure the president gets letters from people who can't get coverage because they're cancer survivors or what not.

All in all, I think the president's performance approached the level of dazzling last night. Congress is so polarized that it still won't make a difference in terms of getting GOP cooperation. His real audience was the American people at home, and the Democrats in the room.

I agree with Benen about Obama's words on healthcare. He knows full well the GOP doesn't want to do anything on health care -- not even a watered down bill, one suspects: their political fortunes rise in direct proportion to the public's frustration with the ineffectiveness of the government. The GOP really has nothing to gain by allowing any deal to reach the president's desk.

This speech, plus the general "pivot" to jobs, plus tomorrow's (one hopes, at least) gobsmacking GDP numbers, plus Obama's bullshit spending freeze will, again, one hopes, allow his numbers to recover, and that, in turn, will make passing the damn bill easier.

Posted by: Jasper on January 28, 2010 at 10:35 AM | PERMALINK

I do wish Obama had reminded the nation that the HCR is actually quite popular when respondents to polls are aware what is actually in it. (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Reading about efforts to bring the Taliban in from the cold, it is sobering to think that this will probably be easier than compromising with Republicans. And, unlike the Republicans, the Taliban are unconcerned with Obama's destructions and don't really pose a long-term threat to our welfare.

Posted by: bob h on January 28, 2010 at 11:11 AM | PERMALINK

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Posted by: qjgayv on January 28, 2010 at 11:27 AM | PERMALINK

Obama was right not to spend too much time on it, since the bills have already fricking passed both chambers.

And thanks Steve for not ending this post with Pass. The. Damn. Bill.

Posted by: Ohioan on January 28, 2010 at 1:02 PM | PERMALINK