President Obama gave his health care speech tonight. It's primary goal is to help rebuild momentum for health insurance reform after a strong battering over the 5-week August recess. Sen. Harkin's assumption of the HELP Committee Chairmanship (post Sen. Kennedy's death) will also provide a strong hand to help steer the bill.
Policy Advocacy
He explicitly stated that he wanted to build upon what we have now and not upend what people have now. This is a huge blow to the liberals who are demanding a single-payer public option. He statement means that they're just going to have to suck up what they can get because the President won't expend his own political capitol on behalf of the single-payer (government takeover) health care option.
He also came out in support of an individual health insurance mandate (requirement). This is excellent policy because it will expand the actuarial pool, making it younger and healthier thereby making it cheaper.
He also wants a public option (not single-payer) in the insurance exchange. Only open to the uninsured. Decent fall-back, face-saving position.
He'll get a bill he can sign, if only to say he got one.
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