There have been enough sacrifices in the healthcare bill. I say if sacrifices have to be made for sake of compromise, make them elsewhere, like education.
It's hard for Democrats and their supporters to look at the President's agenda and not expect to get 100%. After all, Democrats control everything and isn't that what the Republicans did just a few short years ago? The reality is Democrats have to be pragmatic. Beyond a bit of CYA, elected Democrats need to be smart about what they push and where they compromise.
Bush rode his "mandate" with help from 9/11 to push many things the GOP wanted and craved for many years. But they did not get everything. Luckily, they did not end social security, and likely relinquished any authority on the issue. They also shot themselves in the foot with NCLB. So two out of the 5 issues Bush & Co. rode in on helped actually turn the tide against him.
Currently, Obama is trying in this budget to push healthcare reform, energy reform and an education changes. The energy bill looks to be the first out the door. It's been well documented what compromises/capitulations were made. Now we're left with education and healthcare.
It is my position that we should debate these together and make any and all necessary compromises in the education package so the strongest health care bill can pass.
Full disclosure: I have written about my own health care plan and have been ardent in opposition to much of the education, specifically student loan and Pell grant changes.
Why education & healthcare together?
Simply put, education, specifically student loans is a model for health care, like it or not. In the student loan system, there has been a long history of private and not-for-profit agencies. President Clinton added a "public option" that was supposed to lead the way for complete government takeover of the industry.
The fact that now Obama wants to end the private & non-profit student loan industries and make a "single payer" Federal option is not lost on Republicans. One of the three committees working through the healthcare debate is Education and Labor. In testimony about the student loans, a Republican mentioned the health care debate and said something to the effect of "this is why we don't trust you (Democrats) when you say you a public option in healthcare won't lead to complete government takeover."
Now many may actually WANT this to happen, both in health care and student loans. Let me tell you I think that's a bad idea.
When the government option was put into place for student loans, the private and not-for-profit agencies instantly changed for the better. They got their default rates under control and ended excess fees, added services and generally provided a better product. If that were to happen in health care, a great majority of Americans wouldn't just be satisfied, they'd be thrilled and thankful to those responsible. While we may extol the virtues of Ireland or some other single-payer system, the fact is we don't know that America would become a better model and if it were to go awry, we could make things worse for reform. Our current system is expensive and doesn't cover everyone, especially the poor and the "uninsurable." A viable public option would solve those problems, and at least in theory dramatically cut premiums across the board in a fashion similar to the student loan industry.
Next, government-subsidy programs bailed out the Government program a decade ago. Now the roles are reversed. Over time, it is the competition, the opportunities and nature of government competition that balances out the system. It keeps the government entity from getting bloated with red tape, waste fraud and abuse, the same as it does for the private sector.
Now I do believe the student loan changes are wrong in and of themselves. They don't make sense (forcing schools to choose an option they've long NOT chosen) won't save anything (this year the FFEL program is actually subsidizing the government) could be handled better (give state agencies & not-for-Profits direct access to treasury capital) and is tied to a horrible economic idea (Pell Grants as entitlements, to be permanently paid for on the backs of middle-class students) and will cause more harm than good (the end of state-run loan forgiveness programs as incentives for needed professions). The last thing Democrats need to do is green-light a short-sighted, ill-conceived program that will give Republicans true ammunition even with liberal-leaning groups. And the fact is if this is where health care is headed, as a single-payer option, the Republicans may be right.
Thus, making good compromises to shore up the competition and maximize the potential of the public-private competition model in student loans could be a great way to get true healthcare reform with a true, viable public-private healthcare competition.
The facts are Government works most efficient, most effective and best when it works in a competitive environment. Let's show everyone how our government can use the principles that make America what it is to truly advance the President's agenda in a way that makes sense and solves problems for years to come. Let's not compromise any more than absolutely necessary in health care reform. Make any compromises in education. Give the American people what they want and leave the Republicans with nothing to stand on.