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Budget Resolution—First Shot in Health Care Reform Fight
The first major congressional battle over comprehensive health care reform will take place during the next few weeks—even before the details of the blueprint to fix our broken health care system are in place.
The U.S. House and Senate are expected to vote before the upcoming Easter recess on President Obama’s budget proposal that includes a $634 billion down payment on health care reform. But if forces opposed to real health care reform and to Obama’s push to set aside funds for reform are able to significantly reduce or derail the request during the budget process, the outlook may dim for action this year.
But as Obama said during his recent address to Congress:
Let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.
That’s why it is important for you to let your senators and representatives know the Obama administration’s health care reform down payment must be part of the upcoming budget resolution.
Here’s how the budget resolution battle will unfold.
The Senate Finance and the House Ways and Means committees will soon draft a congressional budget resolution that is the framework for the upcoming fiscal year and beyond. It is expected to closely follow Obama’s budget request—including the $634 billion health care reform down payment.
But once the committees finish their work, the budget resolution must be passed by both houses of Congress. If there are differences in the two versions, they must go to conference and after an agreement is reached they must be voted on again by the House and Senate.
During each of these steps, reform opponents will try to slash or strip the health care funds from the budget. If they are successful, the fight for health care reform may be forced to next year.
But if Obama’s health care reform down payment remains in the budget resolution, congressional leaders say they could have a comprehensive reform bill ready to introduce early this summer.
The AFL-CIO has not endorsed a specific plan but has established certain principles around which any plan should be built, including coverage for all, a public insurance option, no taxation of health benefits, cost control and employers paying their fair share, along with individuals and the government. (Click here for more details.)
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5 Comments
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The health care appropriations in the budget should go to actually provide people with treatment, not to line the pockets of the insurance industry. The last thing we need is a government bailout of health insurers comparable to tghe government bailout of insolvent banks.
Topgun has it exactly right. We don’t need insurance companies, as they simply process paper and make a profit from denying benefits. Their profits add unnecessary costs and do not add anything in the way of actual healthcare. We need single payer healthcare.
Why do we continue money for for profit insurance companies? Look fellow Americans. Why do you suppose companies have moved to Canada, the UK, France and Germany? All these countries have universal basic health coverage is one reason. Making health coverage tied to employment is 20th century, it is now the 21st. We have to start thinking new. Many unions are on board with a universal single coverage plan, such as HR 676, John Conyers bill. Don’t wait till you lose your home or fortune because of medical bills your insurance company won’t cover. It has happened to many people. It could happen to you!!!
There already is a comprehensive health care reform proposal. It’s called HR 676, Medicare for All! The AFL-CIO should stop waffling and strongly endorse it as the only real solution – single payer.
HR 676 has been endorsed by 491 union organizations in 49 states including 121 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state AFL-CIO’s (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI, MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).
“The AFL-CIO has not endorsed a specific plan but has established certain principles around which any plan should be built, including coverage for all, a public insurance option, no taxation of health benefits, cost control and employers paying their fair share, along with individuals and the government.”
491 unions have endorsed HR 676, why are we getting ignored?
Cost control will happen with 676. A small tax will insure all Americans, regardless of existing conditions. Show me an insurance company that will boast of that.
Pres. Sweeney, don’t leave the 491 unions and 39 state AFL-CIOs out of the loop! We pay our dues for you to represent us. That you are not doing.
The specific plan to push for is Conyers’ bill.