Will healthcare provide a political boost?
Listed in: Other Domestic Policy, NJDC News, Opinions
Originally published in The Hill
By Aaron Keyak, Communications Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council
Absolutely, this bill is historic and may prove to be one of the most important legislative accomplishments of our lifetime.
Let’s not lose sight though that the biggest winners of last night’s vote will be millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans. GOP Senate leaders claim that they too want health care reform but their behavior during this debate indicates otherwise. Last night’s vote wasn’t about partisan gains, it was about breaking the decades-long log-jam over true reform to this nation’s health insurance system.
As we know, Democrats are historically less ideologically disciplined than Republicans when it comes to whipping votes in Congress, so this is a huge victory for Senator Harry Reid. Keeping all 60 members of his caucus together in a political environment in which a super majority is required to pass nearly any legislation is a significant accomplishment.
The strategy and methods used in this debate clearly show that in the long run we are going to have to address this historic abuse of the filibuster if we are to remain a great nation.
