White House's "summit" to discuss health care reform. The idea sounds like a good one - to get the major players from both sides of the aisle in the same room and discuss what bipartisan health care reform might look like. As we approach the summit, though, it appears likely to produce anything but genuine bipartisan reform.
1. For starters, many voices will be missing from the negotiations. Governors whose states are going bankrupt from the escalating costs of Medicaid have not been invited. Experts and major industries will not be heard from or represented. And of course, the American people have not received an invitation.
2. Second, the "summit" will hardly look like a free flowing negotiation. The White House has yet to release the schedule or virtually any of the details for the event but all signs point to a very structured setting, limited discussion and above all, a major photo op for the President to appear open to other ideas.
3. Third, the sincerity of the organizer (White House) and the majority of participants (Democratic Congressional leadership) is in serious question. On one hand, we've heard the President emphasize his desire to hear different ideas from the proposals debated over the past year (government mandated and defined insurance, rationed care and taxes, taxes, taxes). On the other hand, however, we've heard the White House and Democratic leaders express their desire to come to the summit with an agreement already in hand. This agreement would consist solely of Democratic input, rely solely on Democratic votes, and assume passage could only be achieved using tricks and parliamentary maneuvers like reconciliation. This is hardly a genuine attempt at bipartisan reform.
We feel it's important to make sure the people's voice is heard so we've organized a People's Summit. If you will be in Washington, D.C. next Friday, February 25th please join us in letting the President and members of Congress know what you want in health care reform: details of the event will be released on www.JoinPatientsFirst.com in the coming days. They keep trying to ignore us so we must keep reminding them that we reject a government takeover of our health care.
And if the President is looking for an example of real reform, perhaps he might look to Tennessee where the state Senate just passed legislation that attempts to counter the government-mandated insurance contained in bill passed by the Senate and supported by the White House. From a state that has had and rejected government-run health care (on a state level), the vote was an overwhelming 26-1 approval of the bill, drawing on heavy support from both parties.
For a successful bipartisan summit next Friday, President Obama could join the Republicans and 37 state legislatures in opposing government-forced insurance. We hope to see you next Friday. If you can't make it, please pick up a phone and let your member of Congress know today that you want reform that doesn't place the government in the driver's seat.
Sincerely,
Patients First Team
www.JoinPatientsFirst.com
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