A breakthrough in President Barack Obama’s attempt to institute a massive overhaul of the American health care system occurred Friday, as the House of Representatives narrowly passed the bill. Although met with criticism from most members of both Democratic and Republican parties in the House ‘- the Republicans feeling there is too much government involvement sanctioned by the bill, Democrats thinking it lacked provisions for reproductive rights, moderates concerned about costs ‘- Obama called it a historical moment comparable to the passage of Social Security or Medicare legislation. The president’s success sprung from compromise in the House, particularly that of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who after crusading for the addition of a federal subsidy for abortions in the bill, had to drop her cause as the passage of the entire bill hung in the balance.
Though some liberals may have lost esteem for Pelosi for abandoning her convictions, many will see her compromise as another nod toward the system that makes Congress work. As Speaker of the House, Pelosi does not just represent Pelosi, nor does she just represent the Democrats, nor does she just represent members of the House or Congress. Rather, she represents, as Congress was designed to do, the entirety of American constituency, for better or for worse. And in sacrificing her own agenda for the sake of the success of the health care bill over all says a lot about her character as a political leader ‘- she can transcend party and personal principles for the good, and health, of the voters she represents.
The Boston Globe called the bill’s passage through the House ‘a test of the political strength of the president.’ But a president is only as strong as the legislative body with which he shares power, and Congress is only as strong as the moral ethics of its members. The health care legislation has made for a story Congress thus far because it is easy to get caught up in the minute details and accessories of the bill and forget the benefits the big picture offers. If one runs away with one’s personal beliefs and hangs upon one single aspect of the bill, the entire process becomes more complicated and stalls, while Americans continue to suffer under the dysfunctional health care system currently in place. Addenda such as abortion stipulations can be sorted out later, but now is the time for the big picture, which is much easier to agree on: sick America needs help. Plain and simple. With more moves such as Pelosi’s ‘- more selflessness, more focus ‘- the momentum will pick up and the health care bill may finally emerge from Congress as the change Obama has been promising since long before he was elected.
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