We all go through times in our lives when we are forced to deal with significant change.  It is never easy, but it is especially difficult when the chapter in your life that is ending is one that is so positive, rewarding, and special.

My boss announced his resignation today, effective January 3, 2010.  He will be taking the position of President for the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation, which is an incredible opportunity for him to work hands-on to achieve meaningful progress in the Middle East peace process.  He expressed to us directly his reasons for making this choice for himself and for his family, and I completely respect his choice and believe he is doing the right thing for them, as anyone would do for themselves and their family.

What this means for me, however, is that after that date, I do not have a secure job.  There are many possibilities out there, and I have been fortunate to build a lot of great relationships with people around DC who have already expressed an interest in helping me to find my next calling.  That may be on Capitol Hill.  It may not be.  I will know in the coming weeks as the situation evolves.

Either way, I want everyone to understand how much of an honor and privilege it truly has been to work for Robert Wexler.  Many of the issues I work on for him are not the most glamorous, nor are they at the top of his legislative agenda or personal interest.  Yet, he knew how hard I worked on them to both his benefit and to the benefit of the cause for which we were working, and he never failed to thank me for all of my efforts and for my dedication to him and to the office.

When Robert met with us to inform us of his decision, it was a very emotional moment.  I will remember his face, how difficult it was for him to keep his composure, and how much gratitude he expressed to all of us for our loyalty to him.  My three years with him pale in comparison to the many in our office who have been with him the entire 13 years he has spent in Washington.  In one case, 19 years dating back to his time in the Florida Senate.

Robert Wexler will be remembered in Congress for his legislative accomplishments, his work on so many critical issues, his drive to work on behalf of his constituents, and his dedication to progressive ideals.  I, too, will remember all of these, but as one of the few who was given the privilege of working with him, I will remember him for his kindness, sincerity, and collegiality.  He is a true role model, and I am a better person having spent my early years in politics working with him.

Good luck, Robert, and if you ever decide to run for office again, give me a call.

Full text of President Obama’s address on health care to the Joint Session of Congress

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
****

Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, and the American people:

When I spoke here last winter, this nation was facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We were losing an average of 700,000 jobs per month. Credit was frozen. And our financial system was on the verge of collapse.

As any American who is still looking for work or a way to pay their bills will tell you, we are by no means out of the woods. A full and vibrant recovery is many months away. And I will not let up until those Americans who seek jobs can find them; until those businesses that seek capital and credit can thrive; until all responsible homeowners can stay in their homes. That is our ultimate goal. But thanks to the bold and decisive action we have taken since January, I can stand here with confidence and say that we have pulled this economy back from the brink.

I want to thank the members of this body for your efforts and your support in these last several months, and especially those who have taken the difficult votes that have put us on a path to recovery. I also want to thank the American people for their patience and resolve during this trying time for our nation.

But we did not come here just to clean up crises. We came to build a future. So tonight, I return to speak to all of you about an issue that is central to that future – and that is the issue of health care.

I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last. It has now been nearly a century since Theodore Roosevelt first called for health care reform. And ever since, nearly every President and Congress, whether Democrat or Republican, has attempted to meet this challenge in some way. A bill for comprehensive health reform was first introduced by John Dingell Sr. in 1943. Sixty-five years later, his son continues to introduce that same bill at the beginning of each session.

Our collective failure to meet this challenge – year after year, decade after decade – has led us to a breaking point. Everyone understands the extraordinary hardships that are placed on the uninsured, who live every day just one accident or illness away from bankruptcy. These are not primarily people on welfare. These are middle-class Americans. Some can’t get insurance on the job. Others are self-employed, and can’t afford it, since buying insurance on your own costs you three times as much as the coverage you get from your employer. Many other Americans who are willing and able to pay are still denied insurance due to previous illnesses or conditions that insurance companies decide are too risky or expensive to cover.

We are the only advanced democracy on Earth – the only wealthy nation – that allows such hardships for millions of its people. There are now more than thirty million American citizens who cannot get coverage. In just a two year period, one in every three Americans goes without health care coverage at some point. And every day, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage. In other words, it can happen to anyone.

But the problem that plagues the health care system is not just a problem of the uninsured. Those who do have insurance have never had less security and stability than they do today. More and more Americans worry that if you move, lose your job, or change your job, you’ll lose your health insurance too. More and more Americans pay their premiums, only to discover that their insurance company has dropped their coverage when they get sick, or won’t pay the full cost of care. It happens every day.

One man from Illinois lost his coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because his insurer found that he hadn’t reported gallstones that he didn’t even know about. They delayed his treatment, and he died because of it. Another woman from Texas was about to get a double mastectomy when her insurance company canceled her policy because she forgot to declare a case of acne. By the time she had her insurance reinstated, her breast cancer more than doubled in size. That is heart-breaking, it is wrong, and no one should be treated that way in the United States of America.

Then there’s the problem of rising costs. We spend one-and-a-half times more per person on health care than any other country, but we aren’t any healthier for it. This is one of the reasons that insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages. It’s why so many employers – especially small businesses – are forcing their employees to pay more for insurance, or are dropping their coverage entirely. It’s why so many aspiring entrepreneurs cannot afford to open a business in the first place, and why American businesses that compete internationally – like our automakers – are at a huge disadvantage. And it’s why those of us with health insurance are also paying a hidden and growing tax for those without it – about $1000 per year that pays for somebody else’s emergency room and charitable care.

Finally, our health care system is placing an unsustainable burden on taxpayers. When health care costs grow at the rate they have, it puts greater pressure on programs like Medicare and Medicaid. If we do nothing to slow these skyrocketing costs, we will eventually be spending more on Medicare and Medicaid than every other government program combined. Put simply, our health care problem is our deficit problem. Nothing else even comes close.

These are the facts. Nobody disputes them. We know we must reform this system. The question is how.

There are those on the left who believe that the only way to fix the system is through a single-payer system like Canada’s, where we would severely restrict the private insurance market and have the government provide coverage for everyone. On the right, there are those who argue that we should end the employer-based system and leave individuals to buy health insurance on their own.

I have to say that there are arguments to be made for both approaches. But either one would represent a radical shift that would disrupt the health care most people currently have. Since health care represents one-sixth of our economy, I believe it makes more sense to build on what works and fix what doesn’t, rather than try to build an entirely new system from scratch. And that is precisely what those of you in Congress have tried to do over the past several months.

During that time, we have seen Washington at its best and its worst.

We have seen many in this chamber work tirelessly for the better part of this year to offer thoughtful ideas about how to achieve reform. Of the five committees asked to develop bills, four have completed their work, and the Senate Finance Committee announced today that it will move forward next week. That has never happened before. Our overall efforts have been supported by an unprecedented coalition of doctors and nurses; hospitals, seniors’ groups and even drug companies – many of whom opposed reform in the past. And there is agreement in this chamber on about eighty percent of what needs to be done, putting us closer to the goal of reform than we have ever been.

But what we have also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have toward their own government. Instead of honest debate, we have seen scare tactics. Some have dug into unyielding ideological camps that offer no hope of compromise. Too many have used this as an opportunity to score short-term political points, even if it robs the country of our opportunity to solve a long-term challenge. And out of this blizzard of charges and counter-charges, confusion has reigned.

Well the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action. Now is when we must bring the best ideas of both parties together, and show the American people that we can still do what we were sent here to do. Now is the time to deliver on health care.

The plan I’m announcing tonight would meet three basic goals:

It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government. It’s a plan that asks everyone to take responsibility for meeting this challenge – not just government and insurance companies, but employers and individuals. And it’s a plan that incorporates ideas from Senators and Congressmen; from Democrats and Republicans – and yes, from some of my opponents in both the primary and general election.

Here are the details that every American needs to know about this plan:

First, if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, Medicare, Medicaid, or the VA, nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have. Let me repeat this: nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have.

What this plan will do is to make the insurance you have work better for you. Under this plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition. As soon as I sign this bill, it will be against the law for insurance companies to drop your coverage when you get sick or water it down when you need it most. They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or a lifetime. We will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they get sick. And insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies – because there’s no reason we shouldn’t be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse. That makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives.

That’s what Americans who have health insurance can expect from this plan – more security and stability.

Now, if you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans who don’t currently have health insurance, the second part of this plan will finally offer you quality, affordable choices. If you lose your job or change your job, you will be able to get coverage. If you strike out on your own and start a small business, you will be able to get coverage. We will do this by creating a new insurance exchange – a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for health insurance at competitive prices. Insurance companies will have an incentive to participate in this exchange because it lets them compete for millions of new customers. As one big group, these customers will have greater leverage to bargain with the insurance companies for better prices and quality coverage. This is how large companies and government employees get affordable insurance. It’s how everyone in this Congress gets affordable insurance. And it’s time to give every American the same opportunity that we’ve given ourselves.

For those individuals and small businesses who still cannot afford the lower-priced insurance available in the exchange, we will provide tax credits, the size of which will be based on your need. And all insurance companies that want access to this new marketplace will have to abide by the consumer protections I already mentioned. This exchange will take effect in four years, which will give us time to do it right. In the meantime, for those Americans who can’t get insurance today because they have pre-existing medical conditions, we will immediately offer low-cost coverage that will protect you against financial ruin if you become seriously ill. This was a good idea when Senator John McCain proposed it in the campaign, it’s a good idea now, and we should embrace it.

Now, even if we provide these affordable options, there may be those – particularly the young and healthy – who still want to take the risk and go without coverage. There may still be companies that refuse to do right by their workers. The problem is, such irresponsible behavior costs all the rest of us money. If there are affordable options and people still don’t sign up for health insurance, it means we pay for those people’s expensive emergency room visits. If some businesses don’t provide workers health care, it forces the rest of us to pick up the tab when their workers get sick, and gives those businesses an unfair advantage over their competitors. And unless everybody does their part, many of the insurance reforms we seek – especially requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions – just can’t be achieved.

That’s why under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance – just as most states require you to carry auto insurance. Likewise, businesses will be required to either offer their workers health care, or chip in to help cover the cost of their workers. There will be a hardship waiver for those individuals who still cannot afford coverage, and 95% of all small businesses, because of their size and narrow profit margin, would be exempt from these requirements. But we cannot have large businesses and individuals who can afford coverage game the system by avoiding responsibility to themselves or their employees. Improving our health care system only works if everybody does their part.

While there remain some significant details to be ironed out, I believe a broad consensus exists for the aspects of the plan I just outlined: consumer protections for those with insurance, an exchange that allows individuals and small businesses to purchase affordable coverage, and a requirement that people who can afford insurance get insurance.

And I have no doubt that these reforms would greatly benefit Americans from all walks of life, as well as the economy as a whole. Still, given all the misinformation that’s been spread over the past few months, I realize that many Americans have grown nervous about reform. So tonight I’d like to address some of the key controversies that are still out there.

Some of people’s concerns have grown out of bogus claims spread by those whose only agenda is to kill reform at any cost. The best example is the claim, made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens. Such a charge would be laughable if it weren’t so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple.

There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false – the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally. And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up – under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place.

My health care proposal has also been attacked by some who oppose reform as a “government takeover” of the entire health care system. As proof, critics point to a provision in our plan that allows the uninsured and small businesses to choose a publicly-sponsored insurance option, administered by the government just like Medicaid or Medicare.

So let me set the record straight. My guiding principle is, and always has been, that consumers do better when there is choice and competition. Unfortunately, in 34 states, 75% of the insurance market is controlled by five or fewer companies. In Alabama, almost 90% is controlled by just one company. Without competition, the price of insurance goes up and the quality goes down. And it makes it easier for insurance companies to treat their customers badly – by cherry-picking the healthiest individuals and trying to drop the sickest; by overcharging small businesses who have no leverage; and by jacking up rates.

Insurance executives don’t do this because they are bad people. They do it because it’s profitable. As one former insurance executive testified before Congress, insurance companies are not only encouraged to find reasons to drop the seriously ill; they are rewarded for it. All of this is in service of meeting what this former executive called “Wall Street’s relentless profit expectations.”

Now, I have no interest in putting insurance companies out of business. They provide a legitimate service, and employ a lot of our friends and neighbors. I just want to hold them accountable. The insurance reforms that I’ve already mentioned would do just that. But an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange. Let me be clear – it would only be an option for those who don’t have insurance. No one would be forced to choose it, and it would not impact those of you who already have insurance. In fact, based on Congressional Budget Office estimates, we believe that less than 5% of Americans would sign up.

Despite all this, the insurance companies and their allies don’t like this idea. They argue that these private companies can’t fairly compete with the government. And they’d be right if taxpayers were subsidizing this public insurance option. But they won’t be. I have insisted that like any private insurance company, the public insurance option would have to be self-sufficient and rely on the premiums it collects. But by avoiding some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits, excessive administrative costs and executive salaries, it could provide a good deal for consumers. It would also keep pressure on private insurers to keep their policies affordable and treat their customers better, the same way public colleges and universities provide additional choice and competition to students without in any way inhibiting a vibrant system of private colleges and universities.

It’s worth noting that a strong majority of Americans still favor a public insurance option of the sort I’ve proposed tonight. But its impact shouldn’t be exaggerated – by the left, the right, or the media. It is only one part of my plan, and should not be used as a handy excuse for the usual Washington ideological battles. To my progressive friends, I would remind you that for decades, the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage affordable for those without it. The public option is only a means to that end – and we should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal. And to my Republican friends, I say that rather than making wild claims about a government takeover of health care, we should work together to address any legitimate concerns you may have.

For example, some have suggested that that the public option go into effect only in those markets where insurance companies are not providing affordable policies. Others propose a co-op or another non-profit entity to administer the plan. These are all constructive ideas worth exploring. But I will not back down on the basic principle that if Americans can’t find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice. And I will make sure that no government bureaucrat or insurance company bureaucrat gets between you and the care that you need.

Finally, let me discuss an issue that is a great concern to me, to members of this chamber, and to the public – and that is how we pay for this plan.

Here’s what you need to know. First, I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits – either now or in the future. Period. And to prove that I’m serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don’t materialize. Part of the reason I faced a trillion dollar deficit when I walked in the door of the White House is because too many initiatives over the last decade were not paid for – from the Iraq War to tax breaks for the wealthy. I will not make that same mistake with health care.

Second, we’ve estimated that most of this plan can be paid for by finding savings within the existing health care system – a system that is currently full of waste and abuse. Right now, too much of the hard-earned savings and tax dollars we spend on health care doesn’t make us healthier. That’s not my judgment – it’s the judgment of medical professionals across this country. And this is also true when it comes to Medicare and Medicaid.

In fact, I want to speak directly to America’s seniors for a moment, because Medicare is another issue that’s been subjected to demagoguery and distortion during the course of this debate.

More than four decades ago, this nation stood up for the principle that after a lifetime of hard work, our seniors should not be left to struggle with a pile of medical bills in their later years. That is how Medicare was born. And it remains a sacred trust that must be passed down from one generation to the next. That is why not a dollar of the Medicare trust fund will be used to pay for this plan.

The only thing this plan would eliminate is the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud, as well as unwarranted subsidies in Medicare that go to insurance companies – subsidies that do everything to pad their profits and nothing to improve your care. And we will also create an independent commission of doctors and medical experts charged with identifying more waste in the years ahead.

These steps will ensure that you – America’s seniors – get the benefits you’ve been promised. They will ensure that Medicare is there for future generations. And we can use some of the savings to fill the gap in coverage that forces too many seniors to pay thousands of dollars a year out of their own pocket for prescription drugs. That’s what this plan will do for you. So don’t pay attention to those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut – especially since some of the same folks who are spreading these tall tales have fought against Medicare in the past, and just this year supported a budget that would have essentially turned Medicare into a privatized voucher program. That will never happen on my watch. I will protect Medicare.

Now, because Medicare is such a big part of the health care system, making the program more efficient can help usher in changes in the way we deliver health care that can reduce costs for everybody. We have long known that some places, like the Intermountain Healthcare in Utah or the Geisinger Health System in rural Pennsylvania, offer high-quality care at costs below average. The commission can help encourage the adoption of these common-sense best practices by doctors and medical professionals throughout the system – everything from reducing hospital infection rates to encouraging better coordination between teams of doctors.

Reducing the waste and inefficiency in Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of this plan. Much of the rest would be paid for with revenues from the very same drug and insurance companies that stand to benefit from tens of millions of new customers. This reform will charge insurance companies a fee for their most expensive policies, which will encourage them to provide greater value for the money – an idea which has the support of Democratic and Republican experts. And according to these same experts, this modest change could help hold down the cost of health care for all of us in the long-run.

Finally, many in this chamber – particularly on the Republican side of the aisle – have long insisted that reforming our medical malpractice laws can help bring down the cost of health care. I don’t believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I have talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs. So I am proposing that we move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine. I know that the Bush Administration considered authorizing demonstration projects in individual states to test these issues. It’s a good idea, and I am directing my Secretary of Health and Human Services to move forward on this initiative today.

Add it all up, and the plan I’m proposing will cost around $900 billion over ten years – less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and less than the tax cuts for the wealthiest few Americans that Congress passed at the beginning of the previous administration. Most of these costs will be paid for with money already being spent – but spent badly – in the existing health care system. The plan will not add to our deficit. The middle-class will realize greater security, not higher taxes. And if we are able to slow the growth of health care costs by just one-tenth of one percent each year, it will actually reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over the long term.

This is the plan I’m proposing. It’s a plan that incorporates ideas from many of the people in this room tonight – Democrats and Republicans. And I will continue to seek common ground in the weeks ahead. If you come to me with a serious set of proposals, I will be there to listen. My door is always open.

But know this: I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it’s better politics to kill this plan than improve it. I will not stand by while the special interests use the same old tactics to keep things exactly the way they are. If you misrepresent what’s in the plan, we will call you out. And I will not accept the status quo as a solution. Not this time. Not now.

Everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing. Our deficit will grow. More families will go bankrupt. More businesses will close. More Americans will lose their coverage when they are sick and need it most. And more will die as a result. We know these things to be true.

That is why we cannot fail. Because there are too many Americans counting on us to succeed – the ones who suffer silently, and the ones who shared their stories with us at town hall meetings, in emails, and in letters.

I received one of those letters a few days ago. It was from our beloved friend and colleague, Ted Kennedy. He had written it back in May, shortly after he was told that his illness was terminal. He asked that it be delivered upon his death.

In it, he spoke about what a happy time his last months were, thanks to the love and support of family and friends, his wife, Vicki, and his children, who are here tonight . And he expressed confidence that this would be the year that health care reform – “that great unfinished business of our society,” he called it – would finally pass. He repeated the truth that health care is decisive for our future prosperity, but he also reminded me that “it concerns more than material things.” “What we face,” he wrote, “is above all a moral issue; at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.”

I’ve thought about that phrase quite a bit in recent days – the character of our country. One of the unique and wonderful things about America has always been our self-reliance, our rugged individualism, our fierce defense of freedom and our healthy skepticism of government. And figuring out the appropriate size and role of government has always been a source of rigorous and sometimes angry debate.

For some of Ted Kennedy’s critics, his brand of liberalism represented an affront to American liberty. In their mind, his passion for universal health care was nothing more than a passion for big government.

But those of us who knew Teddy and worked with him here – people of both parties – know that what drove him was something more. His friend, Orrin Hatch, knows that. They worked together to provide children with health insurance. His friend John McCain knows that. They worked together on a Patient’s Bill of Rights. His friend Chuck Grassley knows that. They worked together to provide health care to children with disabilities.

On issues like these, Ted Kennedy’s passion was born not of some rigid ideology, but of his own experience. It was the experience of having two children stricken with cancer. He never forgot the sheer terror and helplessness that any parent feels when a child is badly sick; and he was able to imagine what it must be like for those without insurance; what it would be like to have to say to a wife or a child or an aging parent – there is something that could make you better, but I just can’t afford it.

That large-heartedness – that concern and regard for the plight of others – is not a partisan feeling. It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character. Our ability to stand in other people’s shoes. A recognition that we are all in this together; that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand. A belief that in this country, hard work and responsibility should be rewarded by some measure of security and fair play; and an acknowledgement that sometimes government has to step in to help deliver on that promise.

This has always been the history of our progress. In 1933, when over half of our seniors could not support themselves and millions had seen their savings wiped away, there were those who argued that Social Security would lead to socialism. But the men and women of Congress stood fast, and we are all the better for it. In 1965, when some argued that Medicare represented a government takeover of health care, members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, did not back down. They joined together so that all of us could enter our golden years with some basic peace of mind.

You see, our predecessors understood that government could not, and should not, solve every problem. They understood that there are instances when the gains in security from government action are not worth the added constraints on our freedom. But they also understood that the danger of too much government is matched by the perils of too little; that without the leavening hand of wise policy, markets can crash, monopolies can stifle competition, and the vulnerable can be exploited. And they knew that when any government measure, no matter how carefully crafted or beneficial, is subject to scorn; when any efforts to help people in need are attacked as un-American; when facts and reason are thrown overboard and only timidity passes for wisdom, and we can no longer even engage in a civil conversation with each other over the things that truly matter – that at that point we don’t merely lose our capacity to solve big challenges. We lose something essential about ourselves.

What was true then remains true today. I understand how difficult this health care debate has been. I know that many in this country are deeply skeptical that government is looking out for them. I understand that the politically safe move would be to kick the can further down the road – to defer reform one more year, or one more election, or one more term.

But that’s not what the moment calls for. That’s not what we came here to do. We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it. I still believe we can act even when it’s hard. I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility, and gridlock with progress. I still believe we can do great things, and that here and now we will meet history’s test.

Because that is who we are. That is our calling. That is our character. Thank you, God Bless You, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Ted Kennedy was one of us

by Dave Feinman

http://youthroll.com/ted-kennedy-was-one-of-us/

When Edward Moore Kennedy died on Wednesday, we did not just lose a great Senator.  We lost someone who, in my opinion, was a representation of every American.

Ted Kennedy was born into privilege, but found his calling in serving his nation, both in the Army and in the United States Senate, and in both capacities sought to preserve freedom, equality, and opportunity for all of us.  He was the third-longest serving Senator in the history of our nation and was personally involved in the passage of an incredible amount of critical legislation that impacts our daily lives.  The Civil Rights Act of 1965, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Title IX, increases in the minimum wage, and the expansion of Medicare to children with disabilities are just a few of his accomplishments.

Senator Kennedy was also an incredible partisan and a proud liberal, and often earned the rancor of many on the right side of the political spectrum, but he was also among the best at reaching across the aisle to achieve compromise, and nearly every piece of legislation he introduced that became law was equally championed by a Republican, often a conservative.

He was also a very flawed human being who succumbed to vices that tarnished his image, led to the end of his first marriage, and often exposed him to unnecessary scandal and shame.  His involvement in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappaquiddick also haunted him both personally and professionally for the rest of his life and created a stigma of irresponsibility he could never shake.

Let us remember, however, the immense amount of personal tragedy he had to endure throughout his life.  Living through the assassinations of his brothers, John and Robert, and the tragic deaths of countless other members of the Kennedy family over his life, Ted Kennedy endured more personal tragedy than most of us could ever imagine.  Such losses undoubtedly impacted his life significantly.

Ted Kennedy was equally as great as he was flawed.  He was often brave, but at many times in his life cowardly.  He achieved incredible highs and suffered incomprehensible lows.  He positively impacted the lives of millions, but left indelible pain on the lives of a few.  He was a human being, like all of us.  He was larger than life in many ways due to his extensive service to our nation, but still much like all of us, and undoubtedly at the worst of times, he felt smaller than all of us, if only in his own mind.

When I look back on his life, I see all that I mentioned above, and believe that his extensive accomplishments and his desire to improve the lives of so many not as fortunate as him were rooted in his personal insecurities and his desire to make amends for his many flaws and errors in judgment.  Whether he actually achieved that is for each of us to decide individually, but his quest to do so is uniquely American because we live in a society where people get second chances.

Ted Kennedy sought his second chance for much of his life, and while some may have forgiven him for his indiscretions and others have not, he never stopped seeking that second chance, and believed the best way to make amends was to improve the lives of those who needed the most: the poor, the disabled, and those who sought equality under the law.  For that, I believe, he deserves praise and respect.

So as we honor his life in the coming days, let us remember that he deserves praise and condemnation equally for various aspects of his life, but that he should be judged as fairly as any of us would want to be judged at the end of our lives.  We have all wanted a second chance at some point in our lives, and we all deserve it, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Why we must have a public option

by Dave Feinman

http://youthroll.com/why-we-must-have-a-public-option/

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Abbott without Costello.  Thelma without Louise.  Barbie without Ken.  Siegfried without Roy.  The NFL without Brett Favre (or so we thought).

Health care reform without a public option.

It does not make sense and it does not provide the reform that America needs.  I have done a lot of research, have kept an open mind throughout that learning process, and have come to the conclusion, without a doubt, that we as a nation will never have the health care we deserve without a public option that provides consumers with choices, ensures nobody is rationed out of the care they need, and promotes competition that raises the overall quality of coverage available to everyone.

I am a federal employee, and I am blessed with the opportunity to choose from a number of private insurance plans to determine what meets my needs.  The Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) is, in my opinion, a perfect example of what a true health insurance marketplace should look like.  Five or six companies competing against each other with various types of plans and coverages amongst a large pool of consumers who spread out risk.  Everyone should have that marketplace available to them, regardless of what job they have, where they live, or what ailments they may be experiencing.  For a significant portion of Americans, however, no such marketplace is available.

In Annie Underwood’s recent article in the New York Times, she exposes the lay of the land when it comes to the dominance that private insurers have in most states.  In 26 states, including many states which have been the hardest hit by the current economic recession, one private insurer has 50 percent or more of the statewide market share.  In many other states, there is more competition, but not enough to provide most people with true options from which to choose, whether they have insurance through their employer or are purchasing a plan as an individual.  Health insurance should be a true marketplace, not just “option expensive” and “option slightly less expensive with inadequate coverage.”

Having a public option not only provides people with choices, but also will ensure that people are not subject to rationing of care.  Of course, all of the opponents of reform talk about how the bill being considered creates “death panels” and allows the federal government to ration care and determining how people will receive care.  In truth, the bill being considered in Congress ensures every private insurer provides a minimum standard of care, eliminating discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, and ensuring private insurers are not able to continue their own efforts to ration care.

How is care rationed by private insurers, you ask?  There are countless stories of individuals who faithfully pay their insurance premiums for years, only to be told once they develop a chronic illness that would force the insurance company to pay out significantly that they will not be covered.  I personally know three people who have experienced this, and it has forced them into bankruptcy in two cases and in one, such financial ruin that no matter how much money they earn over the next decade, they will never be able to purchase the home they want as a result of the scar it has created on their credit history.

There are even more stories of individuals born with health issues who for their entire lives are subjected to incredibly high premiums with limited coverage, and that is only if an insurer agrees to cover them at all.  That is rationing of care, and with a public option, individuals who find themselves in this predicament will have the coverage they need and deserve without needing to go into bankruptcy, and with the full reform package being considered, private insurers will no longer be able to discriminate against those who are sick.

Finally, a public option will promote competition in the marketplace.  I do not buy the propaganda that the public option will put private insurers out of business, or that the public option is designed to eliminate private insurers and create socialized medicine.  These companies are far from poor and in danger of going out of business.  They make billions in profits every year and have found more than enough money to fund all of the ads you see on television spreading the many fallacies about this bill.

Some companies may lose some profits as a result of this competition, and a few may even fold if they can not compete on the market.  That is the nature of the free market, which the GOP so readily embraces when it fits their agenda, but will immediately run from when it works against their political aims.  The reality of this scenario is that even if a few companies do fold, consumers who lose coverage as a result will have a true marketplace from which to obtain affordable, quality coverage.

Maybe I am cold-hearted, but even if profits go down and a few companies fold, I will not lose sleep.  I am pretty sure insurance company executives lose no sleep over denying coverage to millions who load up their coffers with premiums each month.  In any case, private insurers will find ways to provide quality care, become more efficient, and produce an overall better marketplace from which consumers can choose and be confident they will get the coverage they deserve.  If not, they do not belong on the market.

There are 45-50 million Americans without health care.  Not illegal aliens.  Not college students who do not want health care.  Not people who are caught in statistical error from job changes.  Americans.  Citizens like you and me.  That number is more than the total population of all but 22 other countries around the world.  There are also an additional 80 million Americans who are underinsured.  Someone may have insurance, but that does not mean they have enough coverage.  These people deserve better options as well.  They deserve a public option.

There will never be another time in our history to enact this reform the right way, so we must act now, and we must assure our Members of Congress and President Obama that we want this reform so they remain steadfast in their push towards enacting this legislation.  If we wait, there will be no options, let alone a public option.

August is meant for relaxing.

I’m convinced that when Aloysius Lilius first proposed the Gregorian calendar and Pope Gregory XIII decreed it, August was designated as the month for relaxation.

Even the powers that be at the United States Congress believed so, at least back in the day.  Well, truth be told, until World War II, Congress was only in session on average about four months of the year.  But as far as I know, August has always been a month off because, as anyone who has ever lived here knows, DC generally turns into a sauna in August.  Imagine being here prior to the invention of air conditioning!  There’s a good reason one of Florida’s two statues in the Capitol is Dr. John Gorrie, the inventor of modern refrigeration and air conditioning.

As I’ve blogged about previously though, recess isn’t really recess.  At least this year.  Half of the office has been on vacation the past few weeks, and the ones remaining, myself included, have been plenty busy.  Well, now it’s my turn for a little relaxation.

Tomorrow, I zoom off to Minneapolis for some R&R with a good friend I haven’t seen in 24 years.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Big props to Facebook and cheap airline tickets for making that happen.  Looking forward to catching up and having a few days during which I need not think about health care reform, Chinese drywall, or the rest of the litany of things on my plate at work right now.

After this extended weekend, I have another four days in the office before I take an entire week off.  Including the weekends surrounding it, that’s nine days off.  Beautiful.  A few days on a beach somewhere sounds really good.  Will have to make that happen.

Too young to (want health) care?

by Dave Feinman

http://youthroll.com/too-young-to-want-health-care/

There are many fallacies surrounding the health care reform legislation being considered in Congress and pushed by President Obama.  One of the greatest and most baseless is the fallacy that the youth of this country do not want or need health insurance, and the fact that this fallacy is not being seriously challenged is disturbing.

As a staffer on Capitol Hill, I have had the book thrown at me about H.R. 3200, the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.  I have heard every reason why this bill should not be passed, most of which are lies and conservative scare tactics.  It will cover illegal aliens.  It will ration care.  It will lead to the end of private health insurance options.  It will kill seniors.  Seriously.  Thank you for that, Virginia Foxx.

I have grown numb to most of these excuses.  They are all false, but they are also all being challenged in the public discourse by established lobbies who know the truth of the bill being written in the House.  One fallacy, however, that is not being challenged at all is that our generation does not want or need health insurance.

Amazingly, I have heard and read this very often in phone conversations and in constituent letters.  In the debate over whether to and how to reform health care, the statistic that 47 million Americans have no health insurance is often cited, and is just as often disputed.  Opponents of reform tear that number apart and break it down into various groups of people who, in their view, are either not deserving of or not wanting or needing insurance.

While I have not taken a tally, I feel confident saying that the idea that young people do not want or need health insurance is used just as often as any other justification for not providing universal coverage or ensuring all Americans have access to care.  They then claim that this demographic is a significant portion of the 47 million who are currently uninsured, thus serving to water down the seriousness of the problem we truly face and, at the same time, once again removing the youth from the debate on an issue critical to our present and future.

As someone not far removed from my college years, I remember my dilemma with health insurance prior to starting my career on the Hill.  My parents had great health insurance, and I was able to stay on their plan for a few years into my college education.  I did not finish my undergraduate degree in four years, however, and at age 21, took a break from school.  My health insurance took a break too.

From that point until three years ago when I came to the Hill, I was on and off of insurance plans, and when I was on, the costs were high and the quality was debatable.  Over that six year period, I probably visited a doctor twice.  Luckily, I had no serious health problems to deal with during that time.  But for anyone in their right mind to believe that someone on the verge of completing their education and hoping to start a family and build a life in the near future would not want health care…well, they need to get their head checked.  Of course, they’d need health insurance to do that too.  But I digress.

If every human has the right to be born, every human has the right to live a healthy life.  That’s not written in any law or religious doctrine, but since we all seem to be in the business of telling others what rights they have lately, I feel I should put my stake in the ground.  No demographic circumstance, particularly age, education, or financial means, should prevent someone from having access to quality health care.

That includes us, the youth of this country, who came together in the millions to bring change to the White House less than a year ago.  I would argue we are the most at-risk generation in this debate.  Our health and well-being, not Congressional Budget Office projections or compromises with Blue Dog Democrats, will ultimately determine the economic viability of any health care reform, and thus this nation, going forward.  The healthier younger people are from the start and the more access to care that they have as they grow older, the less likely they will be a burden on the system down the road.  In addition, the choices made now on this issue will bear the greatest burden on our lives since we have the longest to live.  We must have a voice in this debate, and we must be clear that quality, affordable health care is important to us.

The issue of providing universal health care is an assault on conservative principles from two angles: government involvement in one’s life and fiscal conservatism.  I get that.  But let’s look at this in the long-term for once.  The key to a long and healthy life is preventive care.  Any extended gap in such care can significantly contribute to the rate and frequency of serious health problems later on in life.

If all Americans are given access to affordable, quality care from the start of their lives, they will be less of a burden on Medicare and on emergency services, both of which are responsible for significant portions of our nation’s health care spending, which reached $2.4 trillion last year.  Yes, trillion.  For conservatives, ensuring people are healthier from the beginning of their lives and have consistent access to quality care kills two birds with one stone: less entitlement spending and less of a need for the government to be in people’s lives through such programs.

Such care is guaranteed for children through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) if your parents do not have health insurance.  Beyond that, all bets are off.  This is unacceptable, and it is about time our generation spoke up.  We were told we could not affect change, and we proved everyone wrong in 2008.  Now, we must once again prove that we are not too young to know what we want and need.

In 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt made a proposal during his State of the Union Address that our country had come to recognize and should implement a second bill of rights.  Among this “economic bill of rights” was the right to medical care.  In this new age of progressive politics, this is the time for our generation to choose a torch with which to run.  Let that torch be affordable, quality health care for all.

Dem Congressman’s Office: His Life Has Been

Threatened Over Health Care Bill

Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) will not be hosting any town hall events this August — instead, he’s making himself available to constituents for one-on-one meetings about health care reform — and at least part of the reason is this: His offices have received threatening phone calls, including at least one direct threat against his life.

“We had no town hall events scheduled for the August recess anyway, but in light of everything that’s happened — we have received a threatening phone call in the D.C. office, there have been calls to the Raleigh office,” said Miller communications director LuAnn Canipe, in an interview with TPM. The threatening call in question happened earlier this week.

“The call to the D.C. office was, ‘Miller could lose his life over this,’” said Canipe. “Our staffer took it so seriously, he confirmed what the guy was saying. He said, ‘Sir is that a threat?’ and at that time our staffer was getting the phone number off caller ID and turning it over to the Capitol Police.”

They haven’t heard anything back from the police yet, but they did get the caller’s number. So this could develop into something soon enough.

Canipe explained that Miller had no plans for a town hall before and won’t be holding any now, due to this event and the examples he’s already seen from the around the country: “Our point is, we’re not gonna be bullied into having a town hall so it can then be interrupted by the fake grassroots folks.”

“We don’t want to people to think we’re shutting out our constituents,” Canipe added.. “We’re meeting with them one on one to discuss health care reform.”

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/dem-congressmans-office-his-life-has-been-threatened-over-health-care-bill.php

It’s August, and on Capitol Hill, that means recess.

To the public, who don’t really get how the congressional calendar works and don’t understand why we have a “recess,” they believe we all just take off and do nothing for five weeks while the troubles of the nation grow and grow.

In reality, the recess is the longest of what we call “district work periods” during which Members of Congress go home to their districts and hold town hall meetings and visit with constituent groups.  It is a crucial period, and the longest such period of the year at five weeks.  Aside from holiday periods around the calendar, rarely are there seriously extended periods during which Members can do this.  Everyone complains their Members of Congress aren’t back in the district enough, interacting with those who elected them.  Well, now you have them.

So yes, our bosses are out of DC.  What does that mean for a Hill staffer?  A little rest and relaxation, slightly shorter hours, and relaxed dress code? Check.  The possibility of a week or two of vacation? Check.  No more work to be done? (insert game show buzzer here)

Not…even…close.

I can’t speak for everyone in every congressional office, but in our office, there is no shortage of work to be done.  I’d venture to say this has been one of the busiest years in the history of the Congress, and as a staffer for a member of the majority who has been involved in a number of critical issues, there is always more to do because there are always things that can’t get your immediate attention.  The trick to being successful on the Hill is learning how to prioritize things quickly and correctly and manage your time well during the blur of a day during session.  I’ve mastered that, but with that prioritization, many things get left behind for recesses like now.

In my case, constituent letters.  Tons of them.  Everything from health care to animal rights to gas prices to Iran sanctions to Chinese drywall.  I went into the office today sporting jeans and a polo, thoroughly excited that I’d be getting out early for the next five weeks and figuring I’d be able to kick back and catch up on some reading that’s been waiting for my brain to absorb for countless months.  Nope, not a chance.  Stacks of letters to work on.  If I don’t get them done in the next five weeks, they won’t get done until December.  Not acceptable.

Yes, the office is a lot quieter.  A lot fewer calls, a lot of the staff is away, and no constant chatter from the House floor on the TV.  Just me, my fingers typing, and my brain clicking trying to get all of my circuits working during a time I feel I should be laying on a beach somewhere.

I know the American people think that’s what’s going on up here right now (or to some of the more pessimistic, that’s what goes on here all the time), but at the risk of sounding cliche, the work of the people never stops.  Not during session, and not during recess either.  At least for me.

What a week it has been.  Revolution in Iran.  Ed McMahon, an icon of television with Johnny Carson, dies.  Tragedy on the Metro here in DC.  South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford cheats on his wife.  70s icon Farrah Fawcett dies tragically of cancer.  Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, dies mysteriously.  Today, Billy Mays, the king of infomercials, dies only a few hours after being on a plane that had a rough landing and had luggage fall on his head.  Now there are also rumors that the Walter Cronkhite, one of the greatest journalists of the past century, is on the verge of death.

It seems quite overwhelming.  So much death, tragedy, unrest, and scandal in such little time (Senator Ensign’s affair was only a few days before this week, as was David Carradine’s mysterious death).  I’m really not sure what to make of it.  I’m a believer in fate, and that things happen for a reason.  (How else is it possible that one of the four people who missed the Air France flight that disappeared over the Atlantic was killed in a car crash a week later?)  But weeks like this just leave you shaking your head.

I went into writing this post believing I had something insightful to write.  I was wrong.  It’s just strange, all around.  At this point, one can just hope for less of everything.  Normalcy and a few days of no tragic news would be great right about now.