Health Care Reform: President Obama Fired up, and Ready to go!

BY RODNEY BROWN

In the bitter cold on Feb. 10, 2007 in Springfield, Illinois the stage was set for a historic ending when then Sen. Barack Obama announced that he would run for the presidency of the United States.
Obama not only envisioned he would become America's first black Commander -in- Chief but also he hoped to be remembered as one of the most transformative presidents in America's history. "I am in this race not just to hold office, but to gather with you to transform a nation," he said while announcing his run for president. "Let's be the generation that finally tackles our health care crisis. Let's be the generation that says right here, right now, that we will have universal health care in America by the end of the next president's first term."
Five Presidents from Teddy Roosevelt to Bill Clinton has tried to pass Health Care Reform. Every previous attempt never made it past the floors of Congress. "History is made when a leader steps up, stays true to his values and charts a fundamentally different course for the country," Vice President Joe Biden said. "History is made when a leader's passion is matched with principle, to set a new course. Mr. President you are that leader," he said.
After 13 months in office withstanding fierce opposition from both House and Senate Republican members, right wing media outlets and conservative organizations- President Obama signed a Health Care Reform Bill that will cover 32 million uninsured Americans.
During the signing of the Bill members of the Democratic Party exploded in jubilant chants of "Fired up and ready to go! "The chant was in remembrance of the up and down struggle to deliver universal health care to the American people," said a member of the House of Representatives.
In the beginning of the debate Republicans publicly announced they were committed to working with the President in a bipartisan way to make health care a reality for millions of Americans. Both Democrats and Republicans agreed that health care needed to be reformed immediately in fear that the current system would continue to increase insurance premiums for millions and push the country into bankruptcy.
In the end not one single Republican member in both the House and the Senate voted for the Bill.
Instead Republicans united together to try and block the reform at all cost. Republicans labeled the reform bill as social welfare and flooded media airwaves with information citing the bill would create death panels, pay for abortions, increase taxes and balloon the country's deficit. Many political insiders have accused the Republicans of using fear tactics to divide the American population in order to build a coalition against health reform. In February an official memo and power point presentation from the Republican National Committee was leaked to the media. The presentation was designed to teach Republican members how to use scare tactics and misinformation to discourage democratic objectives and boost fundraising.
Overnight Health Care Reform became the most controversial piece of social legislation since the 1964 Civil Rights Act that declared an end to unfair employment practices and made discrimination in public places including, theaters, restaurants and hotels illegal.
"The Republicans strategies to kill health care reform have made the issue inflammatory and divisive," said Democratic House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. "The Republicans have reached out and aligned themselves with groups like the Tea Party who have expressed intolerance for people of color."
The Tea Party is a predominately white conservative group that is against any version of health care reform that would be headed by the Federal Government.
When Democratic lawmakers attempted to enter Capitol Hill to vote on Health Care Reform demonstrators shouted "nigger" at U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Congressman and Civil rights Icon who was nearly beaten to death during an Alabama March in the 1960's. The protesters also shouted obscenities at other Congressional Black Caucus Members, lawmakers said.
"They were shouting, sort of harassing," Lewis said. "But its okay, I've faced this before. It reminded me of the 60's. It was downright hate and anger and people being downright mean."
Republicans have distanced themselves from the racial epithets but continues to support and argue the position of Tea Party members.
Political insiders have proclaimed that the Republicans strategy was to keep the Democrats from passing any meaningful legislation before elections in November. "If successful they would be able to paint the Democratic controlled House and Senate as the "do nothing Congress" in hope of reclaiming control of both chambers in upcoming congressional elections," said Chuck Todd, MSNBC -Chief Political Analyst.
"Today after almost a century of trying; today after over a year of debate; today after all the votes have been tallied, health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America- today," said the President before signing the Bill into law."
The Health Care Reform Bill will take 4 years to be fully implemented but it will immediately offer tax credits for about 4 million small business men and women to help cover the cost of insurance for their employees, forbid insurance companies to drop any person with pre existing conditions or drop any person after being diagnosed with a medical condition and allow children to stay on their parents health coverage until the age of twenty-six.
Most importantly, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the reform bill will reduce the country's deficit by a trillion dollars in the next two decades. The bill will also create a competitive marketplace where uninsured people and small business will be able to purchase quality insurance.
Before signing the reform bill President Obama said, "It is paid for, it is fiscally responsible and it will help lift a decades- long drag on our economy."
The CBO's panel of health advisers says that millions of people will get tax breaks to help them afford coverage which represents the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history.
"We pushed back on undue influence of special interest," the President said. "We didn't give in to mistrust or to cynicism or to fear. Instead, we proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things."
"This isn't radical reform," he added. "But it is major reform."
The House Republican leader, Rep. John A. Boehner of Ohio, said lawmakers were defying the wishes of their constituents. "The American people are angry," Boehner said. "This body moves forward against their will- shame on us."
The President's Administration and fellow Democrats has begun plans to revamp America's failing educational system and are committed to passing fiscal legislation that is aimed to get unemployed Americans back working.
Republicans are gearing up to repeal Health Care Reform and reign in the President's initiatives if they win back control of the Congress in November.
In response to the Republicans threats to his agenda the President said, "I am fired up and ready to go!"