Republicans Should 'Put Up' or 'Shut Up' on Health Care Reform

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Republicans on Health Care Reform

Now is the time for Republicans to put up or shut up when it comes to health care reform. President Barack Obama has invited Republicans to serve up their solutions to one of this country's most enduring problems on national television.

According to the Associated Press:

In the first major move to jump-start his health care agenda after his party's loss of a filibuster-proof Senate majority, Obama on Sunday invited GOP and Democratic leaders to discuss possible compromises in a half-day, televised gathering on Feb. 25th. It comes amid widespread complaints that Democrats' efforts so far have been too partisan and secretive. The meeting's prospects for success are far from clear. GOP leaders insisted on starting from scratch. But many Democrats want to use their party's remaining parliamentary muscle to enact their plans with as few changes as possible.

Republicans have complained that Democrats have tried to jam health care reform measures down their throat, but that only happened after President Obama courted Republican leaders on the issue to no avail.

It was wise for Obama to use the Democratic super majority to get the bills passed in both houses of Congress. I believe that Democrats should have pushed reform through during the period when Scott Brown won the Massachusetts Senate seat and before he took office.

Now Republicans should stop complaining and weigh in. The status quo cannot stand. Health care costs are partially to blame for many of the issues that Republicans complain about, such as the trillion dollar budget deficit. More than 46 million Americans do not have health care. Thousands of Americans are forced to file for bankruptcy because of health care costs. It is not enough for Republicans to just criticize Democratic plans.Some Republicans suggest that we should start over.

"If we are to reach a bipartisan consensus, the White House can start by shelving the current health spending bill," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

We've come too far to start over. This is the closest health care reform has come to passing in 70 years. It is not too late for Republicans to add input, but they don't want to. Republicans seem to be playing politics in advance of the midterm elections.




House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said his earlier efforts to reach out to Republicans "did not result in any serious follow through to work together in a bipartisan fashion."


I can't believe that not more than one Republican in both houses of Congress could find enough in either bill to vote yes. Republicans suggest a bipartisan commission on the deficit and then balk when President Obama proposes one. They block his nominations to important positions. They vote no on the stimulus but then hold hearings in their home district on how to get the money and pose next to fake giant checks of stimulus money. Sarah Palin looked at her hand and then criticized Obama for wanting to keep the public in the dark.

"I've said to the Republicans, 'Show me what you've got. You've been sitting on the sidelines criticizing what we're proposing; I'm happy to defend insurance reforms,'" Obama said. "'I'm happy to have these debates; I just want to see what else you've got.'"

The glue of democracy is compromise. Republicans are becoming unglued.

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