Word: bille
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However, in times like these, idealism must be tempered with political realism. Despite its imperfections, the bill represents the best possible product given the political climate of the time. With Mass. Senator Scott Brown’s game-changing election stripping Democrats of their supermajority in the Senate, party leaders acted wisely in compromising on secondary issues to achieve primary goals. For instance, although ideally the legislation would not include restrictions on federal funding for abortion, striking a deal proved necessary in order to gain the votes of pro-life Democrats, given the political circumstances. Leaders like Pelosi...
Even with the stellar efforts of their party leaders, though, the victory would not be possible without the audacity of individual Democrats in the House and Senate. Healthcare was a bitterly divisive issue, and the American public trended toward opposition to the bill. Democrats in more conservative districts who voted for the law jeopardized their popularity and possibly even their jobs. It is rare in this era of campaign individualism for politicians to place principles before reelection, and those Democrats who accepted this risk deserve recognition. Considering this political gamble, constituents in favor of the new healthcare law should show...
Debate over the law’s cost, however, has yet to fade, despite the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s conclusion that it is fiscally responsible. In advancing their allegation that Democrats will add to the deficit, Republicans insist that the bill will cost Americans far more than the CBO report suggests. This claim is largely unfounded; in fact, the CBO regularly errs toward conservative estimates about cost savings because it fails to account for savings from intangible factors, such as better technology and systemic improvement. Considering these additional components, Harvard economist David Cutler estimates that...
...forfeit their vision for reform. Campaigning on the promise of fixing America’s unfair and unsustainable healthcare system, Obama put reform at the top of his political agenda and did not allow the debate to disappear from the public consciousness. As calls to throw out the bill and begin from scratch grew raucous upon Brown’s stunning election in January, Obama and his team increased their efforts by appealing directly to members of both parties and their constituents. The Obama administration’s resolve and clarity of purpose throughout this yearlong struggle made possible...
...anyone who has followed the healthcare reform battle in the last year is that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, now signed into law, managed to pass through both chambers of Congress without a single Republican voting “Yea.” In comparison, another landmark bill passed 75 years ago, the Social Security Act of 1935, passed the House 372 votes to 33, with 81 Republicans voting in support. Thirty years later in 1965, the Medicaid and Medicare amendments were added with a House margin of 307-to-116, with 70 Republicans voting in favor...