At a rally held less than a week before this past Sunday’s monumental healthcare vote, President Barack Obama declared that the American people were “waiting for us to act … waiting for us to lead.” The line was especially fitting for the president, who remained mostly on the sidelines for much of the healthcare debate. Perhaps he waited too long to assert his leadership. But in the end, Obama boldly demanded an end to the seemingly interminable debate and pushed the House of Representatives to take an up or down vote.
Obama risked a great deal by demanding a vote, as did Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other U.S. representatives who may have damaged their political fortunes by approving the legislation. They deserve praise for doing so.
But while the political consequences of the bill for the Republican and Democratic parties remain unclear, the gains for the American people appear unquestionable. In addition to allowing individuals to stay on their parents’ healthcare plans until they are 26 and preventing insurers from denying coverage based on a pre-existing condition, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has indicated that this bill will reduce the federal deficit by billions of dollars in the next decade.
Yet the battle for healthcare reform did not end with Sunday’s vote. Republicans have vowed to fight the bill in the courts, a long shot by nearly all accounts. Even more puzzling, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has vowed to fight the reconciliation bill that is due on the Senate floor sometime this week. The reconciliation bill will repeal some parts of the healthcare bill that Republicans found so disagreeable—notably the much derided “cornhusker kick-back” and “Louisiana purchase”—and includes vital reform of student financial aid.
With the passage of this historic healthcare bill, both Democrats and Republicans face a new political map. Democrats should push on with their progressive reforms, first passing the reconciliation bill in the Senate and then moving to reform financial industry regulation. Republicans should recognize that their obstructionist attitude prevents them from contributing to legislation in Congress. Opportunities for bipartisanship still exist, but both parties must realize that while “political victories” are ephemeral, serious reforms that improve the lives of Americans are what will make lasting impressions on voters.
