Thoughts on the Process and Pace of Obama’s Health Reform Agenda

Last March, President Obama made the critical decision to pursue one of the toughest domestic agendas that a modern President has ever undertaken. In the midst of recession, war, and a toxic political environment, a bitter fight to overhaul the health care system in our country has done nothing but add another degree of difficulty to the already steep uphill climb facing The President and both houses of Congress. Nonetheless, we stand within ten days of a final up or down vote on the matter, despite billions spent to stop legislation, and summits that highlighted the deep ideological divide which exists between the two prominent political parties, resolution is actually near. After an ugly year of infighting, tea parties, and rabid punditry, we are finally seeing one of the biggest issues of our time approach resolution. In the end, there is no way everyone will be happy with the final result. In fact, no matter what form of the bill is passed; there is a good chance that some in Congress will lose their respective elections over their vote on the matter.

This long process should come as no surprise to those who understand how President Obama leads and legislates. In his latest book, The Audacity of Hope, he outlines how he approached passing his proposed bill allowing cameras to videotape interrogations and confessions in capital murder cases , despite fierce opposition from some in the law enforcement community. He knew there were deep rooted differences when it came to whether capital punishment did anything to deter crime, but knowing that, he got all sides together to see where they all agreed. The original bill, much like the current health care bill, would undergo changes incorporating the best ideas of all parties, and would ultimately pass despite deep rooted ideological differences on the broader issues.

Obama has always taken his time, listened to all sides, and then encouraged all parties to be happy with the combination of ideas that follows. Of course, the political realities he faced in Illinois were tame in comparison to the lion’s den he is in now, but it seems that in his second year in the White House he is starting to understand how the game is played from the President’s perspective. The pace of things will irritate those who have no patience for process. A bill so large had no chance of passing quickly, and it is only a year later that we see a final vote approaching. Obama knew this, laying out deadlines, not because he thought the Congress would actually meet them, but to put some pressure and a sense of urgency in the air.

Despite our differences as Americans, no one denies that health care costs are out of control, and though we may disagree on the process, we should rest well knowing that the issue was fully vetted and torn apart. Reform is always messy, but every now and then it may be necessary to have some faith in our collective government’s ability to work its way through difficult issues. In the end, the proof will be in the long term effects of the legislation, not the process. Then, as voters, we can render our final verdict on all parties involved.