Monday, February 08, 2010
Editorial: Democrats against health care reform
The Virginia Senate bows to opponents of health care reform despite a Democratic majority.
From the RoundTable blog
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The headline last week hardly seemed like news. "State Senate defends health care reform," it read. Democrats control the Senate. They hold a healthy 22-18 majority. With health care reform a national priority for the party, well, what were they going to do, oppose it?
What's that, you say? The headline was "defies," not "defends"? Democrats helped pass three bills that would erect hurdles for health care reform?
That's crazy talk.
Sure, we could understand if all of the Republicans in the chamber voted for bills that would outlaw any sort of government-imposed insurance mandate. The GOP has staunchly opposed any sensible reforms, even ones as tepid as those struggling on life-support in Congress.
An individual mandate is a necessary component of reform. Without it, requiring insurance companies to accept everyone regardless of pre-existing conditions would not work. Healthy people would wait until they needed the coverage to sign up, and the pool would be insufficiently wide.
Outlawing mandates in the commonwealth, then, would at least cause headaches and provide an excuse for an overaggressive attorney general to file a federal lawsuit.
It's a good thing Democrats hold the majority, then. They can be a roadblock against capitulation to anti-government ravings.
Leadership could bottle the bills up in committee. Even if they made it to the floor, what Democrats would break rank to vote for them?
Democratic senators such as Charles Colgan of Manassas, Edd Houck of Spotsylvania County, John Miller of Newport News, Phillip Puckett of Russell County and Roscoe Reynolds of Henry County all know how important health care reform is to the millions of people without insurance and to the long-term fiscal well-being of the nation.
What?! All five voted for the bills, and they passed 23-17?
Surely, you jest.
Why, Roanoke's own Sen. John Edwards pointed out the potential unintended consequences of this hasty legislation. He warned that it could prohibit courts from ordering insurance coverage in child custody and divorce hearings.
Even Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell acknowledged that the federal laws could be written to pre-empt state law. These bills are only an impotent stab against federal policy.
Alright, we believe you. The bills passed. How embarrassing for the commonwealth. The Republican-controlled House is sure to send them to the governor. Maybe McDonnell will veto them.
