WASHINGTON, D.C. — Saying he fears that it’s “now versus never” for health care reform, Sen. Al Franken today issued an impassioned call for the House to pass the Senate’s health-care bill if senators agree to go back later and fix it using reconciliation — a process that only requires 51 votes.
“I know that there are elements of the Senate bill that are distasteful to many members of the House of Representatives,” Franken said. “Believe me, there are a few elements in our bill that I’d like to see improved.
“But If we in the Senate pledge to fix those elements through reconciliation — a budget process that requires only 51 votes, the House of Representatives should pass the Senate bill,” he said. “Big pieces of legislation often need to be fixed and improved after passage. Health care would be no different. But we have to stop letting the perfect — and everyone has different definitions of perfect — be the enemy of the very good. “
As he spoke to a FamiliesUSA conference of health care professionals and activists, Franken ticked off several reasons he supports the Senate’s plan, such as the inclusion of quality-of-care as a factor in Medicare reimbursement rates and his medical-loss ratio amendment that would require 85 percent of health insurance premiums be spent on health care costs.
“I’m tired of this ‘House vs. Senate’ debate,” Franken said. “This is health care we’re talking about. It’s not House versus Senate. It’s right versus wrong. And I fear that it’s also now versus never.”
Franken’s remarks came the morning after President Obama’s first State of the Union speech, in which he called on Congress to finally pass heath care reform.
“Do not walk away from reform,” Obama said. “Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people.”
