U.S. House Takes Step Toward Affordable Health Care
Rep. Murphy: “This bill starts the process of fixing it….”

By a razor thin margin (220-215) and only one Republican vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Affordable Health Care for America Act” Saturday (Nov. 7) with the support of U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy (D-5).

According to a statement released by Murphy’s office, affordable health insurance is slipping from the grasps of too many Connecticut residents. This summer, Connecticut's biggest insurer announced that it was increasing rates for individuals by over 30%. And a recent report by Families USA found that 28,100 Connecticut residents will lose their health coverage in 2009 as a result of losing their jobs. By the end of the year, Connecticut will be home to 303,000 uninsured adults, an increase of ten percent in just one year.

"Every night in this country, thousands of children go to sleep, sick in their bed because their mother couldn't afford to get them to the doctor. And every day, thousands more families file for bankruptcy, losing everything they own, because their loved one got sick and they couldn't afford the bills anymore. This is the most affluent, compassionate nation in the world, and it makes no sense that our health care system leaves so many behind. This bill starts the process of fixing it, for people in Connecticut and across the country," said Murphy.

The debate in the U.S. House included delaying and sometimes juvenile tactics by House Republicans but the measure passed after more than 14 hours. Proponents of the heavily-compromised bill cite the components of the legislation as a major step forward in the fight for universal and affordable coverage:

• reforms insurance law to stop discrimination based on pre-existing conditions;
• ends the practice of patients losing their insurance if they get too sick;
• provides tax credits for businesses that provide health insurance coverage to their employees;
• strengthens Medicare by beginning to close the prescription drug donut hole immediately, cutting co-payments for preventive services, and slashing waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicare system; and
• reduces the deficit while covering 96% of Americans

The close House vote was attributable to some progressive Democrats opposing the measure for what they called a “weakened” public option. U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a former Presidential candidate from Ohio’s 10th Congressional District, stated:

“But instead of working toward the elimination of for-profit insurance, H.R. 3962 would put the government in the role of accelerating the privatization of health care. In H.R. 3962, the government is requiring at least 21 million Americans to buy private health insurance from the very industry that causes costs to be so high, which will result in at least $70 billion in new annual revenue, much of which is coming from taxpayers. This inevitably will lead to even more costs, more subsidies, and higher profits for insurance companies — a bailout under a blue cross.”

Debate on the issue is far from over. The House-adopted bill now goes on to the U.S. Senate and a merged version of the legislation will be developed in a conference committee for a final vote.

City Government Begins Anew On Tuesday (Nov. 10)

Gov. M. Jodi Rell is scheduled to administer the oath of office to newly elected municipal officials on Tuesday in ceremonies to begin at 11 a.m. Trinity-On-Main Performing Arts Center in downtown New Britain. The public is invited to attend.

A Correction on Tuesday’s Municipal Election Numbers

The Nov. 7th New Britain Democrat e-letter incorrectly stated that 1,000 more voters voted in the Nov. 3 Municipal Election. The comment should have said:

Only 200 more voted this year compared to 2007 (9,006 to 8,808) making the turnout a paltry 27.86%. The lower percentage but slightly higher turnout is attributable to the "Obama bounce" of 2008. In 2007, there were 30,433 registered voters. This year enrollment was 32,323. The likelihood is that a few more percentage points would have led to a different outcome. The challenge remains: to encourage citizen participation at the local level where government can impact people the most.

End Quote for Veteran’s Day

“In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” - Mark Twain