Monday, September 14, 2009
Republican Health Care Plan
While Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman understands and even agrees with conservatives’ opposition to President Barack Obama’s health care reform plans, he insists they have only themselves to blame for not addressing the problem when they had the chance. “Obama and his allies can justify their program partly because the GOP has been so slow and tepid in offering alternatives,” writes Chapman. “If the choice is between the quite imperfect Democratic plan and nothing, the public may prefer the Democratic plan.”
Republicans have had some goods ideas, he argues, but didn’t really try to get them adopted. These include allowing small businesses to band together to buy insurance, reforming medical malpractice laws, and giving federal subsidies to people so they can buy their own health coverage.
Back in 2004—when Republicans controlled the White House and Congress—nothing was done with President George W. Bush’s plan to provide tax credits of $7,500 per person or $15,000 per family to purchase medical coverage. The idea encountered “raging indifference” by GOP lawmakers, Chapman points out.
“The truth is Republicans just can't muster an interest in the subject until a Democratic president comes along and offers legislation, which is their cue to wake up and scream in horror,” he writes. “They solemnly agree the existing system has a host of serious flaws. But they can never get excited about fixing them–only about making sure Democrats don’t get to.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
The Republican Health Care Failure (by Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune)
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