The American Progression

A sea of activists swarmed Capitol Hill today to say, in the words of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), “we’re going to have health care, and we’re going to have it now.”  Congressmen, Senators, union leaders, doctors, nurses, organizers all implored the crowd to fight for health care reform, reform that Bob Menendez said “not only saves our budget but saves our lives.”

Menendez highlights an important but often overlooked distinction in the health care debate—health care reform isn’t about dollars; it is about the well-being of the American people. Once we stop viewing health care reform as a financial issue and also recognize it as the answer to a public health crisis, then our ways of thinking about reform will change.

First, money is important.  But, money is not the end goal.  We’re looking to keep people healthy and save lives.  Right now, the prohibitive cost of our dysfunctional health care system prevents Americans from receiving health care.

Second, we need to untangle our thoughts and our rhetoric on doctors and the insurance industry.  What might be best for the insurance industry isn’t necessarily in the interests of either doctors or the American people.   This means lawmakers and everyday citizens will have to push back the insurance lobby.  During the rally, Congressman Xavier Baccerra (D-CA) promised to roll up his sleeves to fix health care.  21st Century Democrat, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) vowed, “the insurance industry will not hijack this.”

Third, we need to rethink our relationships with our nurses and doctors.  After all, we want to increase both access to and quality of health care.  Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) stressed the need for more primary care physicians.   SEIU Treasurer Anna Burger said we need to let doctors be doctors, not bean counters, and now, more than ever, “doctors and nurses need us on their side.” We need to ask, “how can we allow doctors to best do their jobs?”

Of course, as we get down to it, the ability to pass health care reform comes down to the legislature.  Division within Democratic ranks could undo health care reform and eventually deepen our fiscal and health crises.  Howard Dean, forcefully address the rally, emphasizing this point.  Even if Republicans are “are in the insurance industry’s back pocket, what about the Democrats?”  He warned that some conservative Democrats could undermine health reform for all of us.

So what good is a rally?  What should we do next?  As Sherrod Brown told Campaign for America’s Future,

Any time large numbers of people do a rally and then the enthusiasm they bring from the rally across the street to talk to their congress men and women talk to senators to tell them how important this is to them personally as activists in Cleveland or in Toledo or in Columbus or in Akron or anywhere else in this country, it absolutely matters.

He continued:

People who are watching this who aren’t at the rally: call your congressman or senator on the phone, go see them at their offices, do a demonstration outside their offices, whatever you’ve got to do to get their attention to show that this matters to you personally, you’re gonna change the world.

Let’s join Senator Brown.  Let’s join Howard Dean, Anna Burger, Congressman Baccerra, Congressman Weiner, Congresswoman Schwartz.  Let’s join doctors and nurses and our neighbors and family members.  Let’s go change the world.

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