Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) agrees with President Obama’s approach of laying out parameters to health reform without a concrete plan. She says he’s wise not to repeat President Clinton’s mistakes on health care reform in which the entire legislation was drafted in the White House with little Congressional input. The attempt “fell flat on its face.”
Various aspects of a House version are being worked on by three committees, while the Senate has two distinct pieces of legislation. Baldwin says Obama now has are real opportunity to step up his leadership and push his party members to push reform.
Republicans have expressed concern on costs of the plan. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has cited Congressional Budget Office figures that Democrat’s health reform will tack $239 billion to the deficit over the next decade.
The Madison Democrat stands by the President’s claim saying the latest word by the CBO is the House measure would not impact the deficit.
Baldwin says her colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee will work harder on cost savings. The panel is stacked with fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats.
With ten of millions of uninsured and others facing skyrocketing health premiums and out of pocket costs, Baldwin says “these things aren’t going to change without our (government) taking action.”