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Daily Targum: Health care law secures last approval

By Colleen Roache

Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Updated: Wednesday, March 24, 2010

When President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law yesterday in the East Room of the White House, he — like former President Lyndon B. Johnson 45 years ago — changed the scope of health care for millions of people nationwide.
“Many, many men and women are going to feel the pride that I feel in watching you sign this bill, knowing that their work has helped make this day possible,” Vice President Joseph Biden said in a statement prior to the president signing the bill. “But Mr. President, you’re the guy that made it happen. … You’ve done what generations of not just ordinary, but great men and women have attempted to do.”
With his signature on the landmark health care reform legislation, the president made the right to access decent health care a reality in the United States, Biden said.
“The bill I’m signing will set in motion reforms that generations of Americans have fought for and march for and hungered to see,” Obama said in a speech before signing.
Though some reforms will not take effect until 2014, the president discussed a few changes that will take place immediately.
For example, this year, tax credits will be offered to about four million small businesses to help them insure their employees, and insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to those with preexisting conditions or drop coverage when insurance holders become ill, Obama said. Also, starting this year, young adults will be able to stay under their parents’ coverage until age 26.
Ultimately, reform will lower costs for families, businesses and the federal government, whose deficit will decrease by more than $1 trillion over the next two decades, Obama said.
Still, there are those who do not support the president’s actions regarding health care reform.
“I think that health is one of the most important things,” Ron Holden, president of Rutgers University College Republicans said. “Without your health, you’re nothing, but I just don’t agree at all with the way this administration is going about things.”
Though he said he does believe Obama is passionate about improving health care and does care about the American people, Holden said the law would do more to cause problems than solve them.
“I see him bringing Chicago-style politics to Washington, I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the change we we’re supposed to be believing in,” said Holden, a Rutgers College senior.
The law would be more favorable if it had support from both political parties in U.S. Congress, he said.
“Instead of just ramming something through, if he would’ve sat down and actually taken the time … to gain some conservative and Republican support by coming up with something that both sides can agree with, I think [there would be] something that could become effective,” Holden said.
Many Republican congressmen have vowed to fight the law, and Holden said the first step would be to listen to constituents, who are against the tax increases and other problems with the legislation. Republicans must make a point of challenging the constitutionality of the government regulating private industry.
“That might be what it takes to get this president to realize that he can’t just ram anything through … by giving people rides on Air Force One and by promising people political favors,” he said.
On the other hand, Alex Holodak, president of Rutgers Democrats, was pleased with the new law, passed over what he described as a “historic” weekend.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction for the country,” said Holodak, a School of Arts and Sciences senior. “A lot of the provisions that are in the bill are going to immediately help a lot of people.”
The law will be especially important to college students, he said.
Still, Holodak said one provision — a public option — is missing, but like past health care changes, such as Social Security and Medicare, the law would not be perfect on the first attempt.
Though some argue that the cost of the law is too high, Holodak cited Congressional Budget Office data that says insuring more people will save the government money. He expressed a need for the nation to prioritize its expenditures.
“We can spend millions and millions of dollars when it’s war, but we can’t when it’s caring about insurance and providing for our citizens in their time of need,” he said.
Republicans’ commitment to opposing the legislation is nothing but rhetoric, Holodak said.
“It’s similar to what we heard after Social Security passed,” he said. “It’s similar to what we heard after Medicare passed in 1965, that it would be a socialist takeover of the government and the American people wouldn’t accept it. You cannot find a Republican that would argue for getting rid of Social Security or Medicare today. …. It’s all about how we can better the system.”
Though he is happy the bill was signed into law, Holodak said this is only the first major step on a journey to health care reform in America.

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