It's been a year since President Obama kicked off efforts to reform this country's broken health care system.

Today, he took another big step in calling for a majority vote on the bill despite predictions that it could cost Democrats dozens of congressional seats and hurt his chances for a second term.

"At stake right now is not just our ability to solve this problem, but our ability to solve any problem. The American people want to know it is still possible for Washington to look out for their interests and their future. They are waiting for us to act," Obama said during a brief, 15 minute speech. "They are waiting for us to lead. And as long as I hold this office, I intend to provide that leadership."

Obama has made efforts to include Republicans but they have decided to make this issue "his Waterloo." As Obama pointed out, this debate lends itself to fear mongering, "demagoguery and political gamesmanship."

Instead of working to improve a bill that everyone agrees has its flaws, Republicans have instead muddied the debate, turning the question of whether one of the wealthiest country's in the history of human civilization should care for all of its citizens into a circus.

Elderly people were concerned about death panels and doctors ending treatments to save money. There was even talk that the most capitalist country in the world was turning into a socialist republic or dictatorship.

President Obama has even offered to incorporate Republican health care proposals in the final bill "including encouraging the use of tax-advantaged medical savings accounts and increasing payments to doctors who treat Medicaid patients," according to the New York Times

"I don't know how this plays politically, but I know it's right. And so I ask Congress to finish its work, and I look forward to signing this reform into law," Obama said.



You know the stats by now but they are worth repeating. Approximately 46 million Americans do not have health coverage; we are the only industrialized country where people regularly go bankrupt because of medical bills; medical costs are out of control and dragging down the ability of our businesses to compete internationally.

Insurance companies raise their rates at will and deny people coverage based solely on pre-existing conditions. Who doesn't have some pre-existing condition? Many Americans work full-time but have no health benefits. Trying to purchase insurance for yourself can be highly unaffordable.

For African-Americans, minorities and the poor, the conditions are worse. The NAACP estimates that more than 880,000 African Americans have died over 10 years because of the disparity in the mortality rate between blacks and whites.

And there's nothing wrong with having a majority vote on this bill.

According to the New York Times:

With Republicans accusing Democrats and Mr. Obama of trying to ram the bill through Congress, the president and his allies are making the case that in fact, comprehensive health legislation has already passed both chambers, garnering a majority in the House and a supermajority in the Senate. Technically, they say, reconciliation will be used only to pass a small package of fixes to the original bills.

The health bill, Mr. Obama said, "deserves the same kind of up-or-down vote that was cast on welfare reform, the Children's Health Insurance Program, Cobra health coverage for the unemployed, and both Bush tax cuts," Mr. Obama said, citing other measures that have been adopted using reconciliation.

"This has been a long and wrenching debate," Obama said.

Now it's up to those Democrats more concerned with being re-elected than doing what is right to step forward. Congress can always go back and make changes to the legislation in the future, but we've come too far to go back now.