Last month, while Sen. Ben Nelson was being targeted for his close ties to the insurance industry, I pondered whether the "Change Congress" campaign had changed Nelson's mind on health care reform after early indications had suggested he'd strongly oppose a public health care option. A few days later, the co-founder of "Change Congress," Lawrence Lessig, wrote a piece declaring the campaign's victory in the Huffington Post. He wrote:
After an intense 11-day battle with Nelson, he's now publicly "open" to the public option -- and this week, he made more news by saying he won't join a filibuster of Obama's plan.
Well, I hate to burst everyones bubble, but I've seen no actual signs of the victory Lessig proclaimed. While Nelson backed-down from the fighting words he'd intially used against a public health care option, he's given no real indication of being any more open-minded on the subject than was necessary to get the heat off his back. And, it's just not true - not in the slightest - that Nelson's made any public promise not to join a Repubican filibuser of health care reform.
Actually, Nelson has been a vigorous defender of his right to join just such a filibuster. In fact, in Roll Call last week, he left open the possibility whereever "extraordinary circumstances" might exist. I'd say the biggest overhaul of U.S. health care in more than four decades - perhaps ever - is pretty darn extraordinary, wouldn't you?
But, the real indication that we still have a lot to worry about with Nelson's vote on health care reform comes from Friday's North Platte Telegraph:
As federal lawmakers continue to wrestle with the issue of health care reform, Nebraska's U.S. Senator Ben Nelson said this week that he feels the key to successful reform is to keep the government out of the health insurance business.
Responding to recent criticisms about how health care reform might affect the millions of Americans who already have good health coverage, Nelson said he wants to assure that any plan for reform does not degrade the current system. "There are a lot of reasons why people are uninsured," Nelson said in a phone interview on Thursday. "To find a way to get those people coverage doesn't require taking away from those who currently have it."
Nelson said he has serious reservations about putting a government-run plan at the forefront of this debate. He feels there can't be true competition against any health insurance program that is subsidized by the government.
There are several options currently being discussed, according to Nelson. He said nearly every plan includes some type of tax credit for small businesses and individuals who already have health insurance. Another piece in the reform puzzle is to increase the number of primary care physicians, especially in rural areas....
Another option is to create health insurance cooperatives in various states that could find a way to insure those who can't get coverage in the regular market. Nelson said he likes this approach because it does not involve the government. "The key is to keep government out of it, not in it," he added.....
While lawmakers have been asked to come up with a solution by August, Nelson said the general consensus among his colleagues from both political parties is that the August deadline will likely slide.
"It's more important to get it right than it is to get it done quickly," Nelson said.
The NP Telegraph's report suggests that all we've seen from Nelson has been smoke, mirrors, and non-committal rhetoric designed to keep the heat off him while he works to undermine the fundamental reform for which most Democrats in Congress are fighting and most of the American people are demanding. Every statement from Nelson indicates that his first priority is protecting the insurance industry and the status quo rather than delivering the best possible outcome for the American people.
Nelson does a great disservice to the people of Nebraska by promoting the idea that this debate is all about more or less government. This is about people's lives. This is about the security of our families. This is about the future of the U.S. economy. But, Nelson practically turns a blind eye to those struggles - in favor of ideology - leaving a gaping hole where Nebraskans are so desperate for a real champion of reform who'll work to relieve their fears and defend their interests.
The key isn't keeping government out of the health care industry. The key is reducing costs, guaranteeing choice, and ensuring quality and affordable health care for every American.
Almost just as bad as Nelson's misplaced priorities is his echoing of Republican talking points calling for slowing down the debate. For starters, Congess has debated health care reform for years. This was also one of the defining issues of the 2008 election, in which the American people made their voices heard loud and clear. Meanwhile, the Senate HELP Committee has been meeting for weeks, with hundreds of amendments having been offered from both political parties.
There are people working hard to get this right, and Nelson should be one of them rather than casting his lot with those who have prevailed and profited from inertia and inaction for so many decades.
Up until now, Nelson has effectively used President Barack Obama's failure to specifically endorse a single plan as a defense from any suggestion that he's opposing the President's agenda. But, with these latest statements, Nelson is coming dangerously close to crossing that line - especially when President Obama has so consistently supported a strong public option and declared that the time for reform is now.
Of course, I agree that Nelson has the right to oppose cloture on Democratic-backed or President Obama-endorsed legislation. I just hope he understands that doing so on health care reform - a struggle that has lasted a lifetime and that could well define this entire era in American politics - might irreparably damage his relationship to those who've been his biggest defenders and most loyal supporters. |
