Tonight we have witnessed something truly remarkable: the resurrection of real and meaningful healthcare reform. Because the U.S. House of Representatives voted tonight to adopt the Senate version of reform it will mean that over 30 million Americans will finally get the health care they deserve. People with pre-existing conditions will no longer be denied care, insurances companies won’t be allowed to raise their rates at will, and over time the U.S. deficit will decrease.
Download my podcast reflection on tonight's historic vote:
Download Health Care Reform Passes 3-21-10
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Read the full text below:
When I first endorsed Barack Obama for president – back the summer of 2007 when he was 30 points behind in the polls – it was because I thought he could be the kind of leader who would bring lasting change to the United States. Health care reform will clearly be part of his legacy and today he takes his place alongside Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, two other presidents who fought fiercely for the common good.
The National Council of Churches and the United Church of Christ, where I serve as an ordained minister, supported this legislation and have fought for health care reform for the last one hundred years. So many people and organizations have taken up this cause over the decades and no one was more passionate about it than the late Senator Edward Kennedy. This legislation is his legacy as well.
Sadly, some protestors, egged on by Republican members of Congress, not only protested the bill during the debate this weekend but also used racial and anti-gay slurs against House members supporting the legislation. There are clear links between the so-called Tea Party movement and extremist elements, including anti-government militia groups that promote terrorist activities. The Republican Party must distance themselves from this movement if they want to remain a legitimate force in American politics. Debate, dissent and disagreement are the hallmarks of a healthy democracy – and I know that most Americans who oppose health care reform reject the Tea Party movement – but not the Republican Party and their leaders, such as Sarah Palin and Rick Perry, who openly embrace this dangerous coalition.
As a member of Clergy for Choice, I also join Planned Parenthood and others who have voiced concern over how this legislation further deteriorates the rights of women to make their own health care decisions but also rejoice with Planned Parenthood that the legislation does not include the Stupak abortion ban.
Tonight, however, will be remembered in historic terms and will be compared with the passage of Social Security, Medicare, and the Civil Rights Act. President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid have accomplished what no one has been able to do before. This is a moral victory that brings our nation closer to being the Beloved Community we want it to be.
