Why the expectation that we will get a better bill if we "start over"?

I understand that the bill is flawed. I also believe that many will be helped, millions immediately with the National High Risk Pool. Combining that with the subsidies, healthcare will be made affordable for many. It's a start.

On the other hand, some think the bill is so flawed that we must start over. Here are my questions if the bill fails:

1.We will have pretty much the same cast of characters - same President, same Congress, same Senate except for some minor changes, possibly to the Democrats disadvantage. How will we get a better bill with the same people involved?

2. Who says they are willing to start over anytime in the near future? Are you willing to wait until the next general election or even longer?

3. What would you be willing to do personally to ensure we get a better bill? March,demonstrate, etc.?

4. Do you even really care if we get a better bill? Is your own personal situation just fine - you're on Medicare, state or Federal employee, etc. and it's just too bad about all the collateral deaths due to Lack of Coverage but oh, well.

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I personally hope that healthcare passes, even in its flawed state. If it does not, the backlash against the Democrats by EVERYONE, including other Democrats included will be amazing. The conclusion will be that although they have both houses and the Presidency, they are feckless, disorganized and unable to pass legislation critical to their citizens. Additionally, the rest of President Obama's term in office will be hampered even more by the Republican dickheads crowing about how they took him and his signature issue down with the help of Fox news, Glenn Beck and a moronic and belligerent group of bullies.

for another few generations. Are all the naysayers here willing to wait? Not me. Build on what has been accomplished. (BTW I have great, affordable health insurance, but this is not about me.)

They are saying continuing down the same road we are on for the indefinite future is preferable to passing the bill on the table. I do not agree.

And now that seems to be the majority opinion, at least on this board. Am I wrong about that?

Watch for it - healthcare will fail. The Repubs will sponsor a bill for :

TORT REFORM

and the Dems will enthusiastically rally around it, we'll have a big bi-partisan signing ceremony and good-bye healthcare for another 10 years, Mr. and Mrs. American. Just despair in private and die quickly - the "rest" of the Republican package.

I think the b*sh years addled peoples brains. They have no idea how our system of government works. The President can't order the Congress to do anything. And Congress is a committee of committees. Anybody ever been on one knows that it is hard to get anything done especially if the committee is large - the more members the greater the chance of conflict and gridlock.

This bill isn't great, but the status quo is horrible.

The Healthcare Industry and Republicans are still trying to kill it because they are afraid of where it will lead.

They would love to "throw it out" and "start over".

that if healthcare passes, Americans will like it, they won't want to give it up and the Republicans will be cooked for the foreseeable future, isn't there a message there?

Repubs are TERRIFIED this will pass. Yet our own loyal Dems right here would rather send it to the morgue in their search for something better.

Better to be insisting that the Senate hold the line and not gut the House bill. That's where the fight should be focusing right this minute

On this issue, the denial is going on quite a long time. But just because the denial is going on a long time doesn't somehow make it "not denial." There is of course no way the next Congress will be any more likely to pass healthcare reform than this one.

The people who want to start over want to preserve the status quo.

their wish.

I always get a kick when some DUers are rooting for repubs (not out loud of course, but silently) to save the day on some piece of legislation (immigration reform is another one where DUers opposed to it get more support from repubs in congress than from Democrats). Those here who oppose the House HCR bill were almost rescued by the repubs who voted 99%+ against it while 85% of Democrats voted for it (with defections from a bunch of Blue Dogs and DK).

Now if looks like there is a good chance that Lieberman and the 40 repubs in the Senate may well rescue the anti-House bill DUers and allow them to "start over again" to get a more progressive bill with a weakened president and emboldened repub party and insurance industry.

because whatever their personal gripes with the bill now (and more gripes with whatever passes the Senate) this is still the first major healthcare reform in around 50 years that has any chance at all of passing.

This is it-- if something doesn't pass now, it's all over. Next year will be a new Congress and a possibly weakened President. After that it's Obama's second term, hopefully, and nothing serious gets done in a second term.

Excuses can be made and fingers can be pointed all over but the US has a long history of refusing to reform healthcare and that is not changing any time soon. We take what we can get right now, sing Hosannas that we got anything at all, and work to improve it in the future.

Alternative scenario-- everything goes to hell with millions more people out of work and over a hundred million sick without affordable healthcare so we elect a Republican President who forces his own party to come up with a good bill.

(Yeah, right.)

I'm sure I've read something to that effect in about 500 separate threads here.


Anyone who's upset about the current bill would be vomiting blood at the sight of whatever bill would result from "starting over."

This bill is far from perfect, but it's far better than what was in place already. It's a step in the correct direction.