Health Care: Pass the Senate Bill, Pronto

It's time to get this over with, guys. The Senate's bill is far less than it could have been, but it will provide the framework we need to develop the elements we've had to leave out.

But going back to square one is not an option if Democrats want to reform the health care system in any meaningful way. Here's what we need to do:

First, start talking about health care reform as the economic issue that it is. People, who are rightly concerned about cost, are having a hard time believing that reform is deficit neutral (or a little better). But if you own a house whose roof is leaking, it certainly costs more to wait or let it leak, destroying your furniture and other belongings, than it does to replace it now. Yet that is what is happening with health care in our country right now. People are experiencing hefty increases in their health insurance premiums. My parents recently found out their monthly premiums would increase from $900 to $1,250. That's $350 a month not powering the nation's economic recovery. Factor in the ripple effect across the country, and it's clear that we can have both health care reform and economic growth. Long term, it;s the responsible thing to do.

Second, weak-kneed Democrats in Congress have been watching as polls show falling levels of support for reform. It's helpful to remember that the teabaggers and Republicans have been against this from the start, so the increasing opposition can't be coming from them. The process of compromise as the bill has been drafted has turned off progressive Dems and independents. I believe they are likely in the end to support the Senate bill. Health care reform is a defining issue for Democrats. If we walk away from what we have so far, it could be another decade or two before another chance at significant reform comes around. The Senate bill beats the status quo by far.