Krugman1. It’s petty and silly, but after what seems like a whole adult lifetime in which Central Casting insisted that major politicians be either Southern gentlemen or Midwestern heartland types, it felt good to watch and listen to Chuck Schumer, speaking the language of my roots, at the victory press conference — even with that green tie. Noo Yawk Roolz!
2. More seriously,
Jon Chait is right: this is a great achievement.
3. As expected, self-proclaimed centrists can’t bring themselves to say anything nice about a bill that delivers everything they claim to want. Many people have pointed to
David Broder’s piece this morning; let me add a historical note. Back in 2006, Broder
hailed the Massachusetts health reform as a “major policy success”. Now the Senate has passed a bill that is, broadly speaking, a better-funded version of the MA plan plus a major effort at cost control. Where’s the praise?
Anyway, a pretty good morning.
Broder wasn't hailing Mass' plan, he was writing a piece to hype Romney:
While he can point to a major policy success in health care, his relationship with the Democratic-controlled legislature that made it possible is in tatters.
Broder is a tool. Romney opposed Mass' health plan. He vetoed the major reforms in plan passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature, which then overrode his veto.
In fall 2005 as the House and Senate each passed health care reform bills.
The legislature made a number of changes to Governor Romney's original proposal, including expanding MassHealth (Medicaid and SCHIP) coverage to low-income children and restoring funding for public health programs. The most controversial change was the addition of a provision which requires firms with 11 or more workers that do not provide "fair and reasonable" health coverage to their workers to pay an annual penalty. This contribution, initially $295 annually per worker, is intended to equalize the free care pool charges imposed on employers who do and do not cover their workers.
The legislature also rejected Governor Romney's proposal to permit even higher-deductible, lower benefit health plans.
On April 12, 2006 Governor Mitt Romney signed the health legislation.<19>
He vetoed 8 sections of the health care legislation, including the controversial employer assessment.<20><21> Romney also vetoed provisions providing dental benefits to poor residents on the Medicaid program, and providing health coverage to senior and disabled legal immigrants not eligible for federal Medicaid.<22><23> The legislature promptly overrode six of the eight gubernatorial section vetoes, on May 4, 2006, and by mid-June 2006 had overridden the remaining two.<24>
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