Skip to content Skip to footer

VIDEO: Is Compromise Health Care Bill Worth It?

Our bloggers Terrance Heath and Bill Scher dive into the question that is now dominating progressive political debate: Has the health care reform bill been so seriously compromised—first with the dilution and ultimate elimination of the public option and now with the capitulation to the demands of two senators to not even allow persons 55 and over to buy in to the Medicare program—that it’s not worth passing? Watch this video, and then you decide.

Our bloggers Terrance Heath and Bill Scher dive into the question that is now dominating progressive political debate: Has the health care reform bill been so seriously compromised—first with the dilution and ultimate elimination of the public option and now with the capitulation to the demands of two senators to not even allow persons 55 and over to buy in to the Medicare program—that it’s not worth passing? Watch this video, and then you decide.

Bill says he understands the frustration of progressives who defined meaningful health care reform as a robust public option, but ultimately progressives have to ask “what constitutes sitting on your hands and what constitutes moving the ball forward.” Terrance, though says that by not moving the ball forward far enough, we’re asking millions of people who do not have access to affordable, quality health care “to live with that injustice indefinitely.”

Leading progressives have been on all sides of this issue in the past 24 hours. What do you think? You’re invited to weigh in with your own view by clicking the “discuss” link at the end of the post.

We’re not going to stand for it. Are you?

You don’t bury your head in the sand. You know as well as we do what we’re facing as a country, as a people, and as a global community. Here at Truthout, we’re gearing up to meet these threats head on, but we need your support to do it: We must raise $23,000 before midnight tomorrow to ensure we can keep publishing independent journalism that doesn’t shy away from difficult — and often dangerous — topics.

We can do this vital work because unlike most media, our journalism is free from government or corporate influence and censorship. But this is only sustainable if we have your support. If you like what you’re reading or just value what we do, will you take a few seconds to contribute to our work?