Helping to Shape the Future: September 10, 2009

We're back at it here in Washington, working to get important legislation, like health care reform, done.  Over the recess I heard a lot of your questions, concerns, and feedback, which I will use here in D.C. in this health care debate.  I also hope you tuned in to the President's address last night.  I think he made some very good points.

Although there has been some disagreement on what the legislation should look like, the President was right in saying that virtually everyone agrees with 80 percent of the reform we are working on. Things like the national exchange to lower costs for small businesses and family farmers and provide access to more individuals, the emphasis on the quality of care versus quantity to make sure we get the best care for the best price, reforming insurance rules to keep people from being dropped and eliminating discrimination against pre-existing conditions, and a focus on wellness and prevention to keep us healthier, all have widespread agreement.

The President also, very importantly, dispelled some of those myths about health care reform that have been going around.  Instead of having an honest debate we’ve too often had scare tactics, which unfortunately haven't helped us get the right information out there to the people who need it. We must move past this.

But what I felt was one of the most powerful parts of the address was what President Obama said in his conclusion.  He said that America's character is not defined by fearing for the future but by helping to shape it.  This is crucial when it comes to health care reform. Health care is an issue that transcends every individual and all political parties. We need a unique American solution for unique American problem. We need to shape the future of our health care system and the time to act is now.