President Obama and Congressional Democrats, who were hoping to pass sweeping health care legislation through both houses before the August recess, apparently have become more flexible on their timetable and now hope to pass legislation by the end of the year. The New York Times reports:
Mr. Obama emphasized the need to reach a final agreement by the end of the year. “So let’s fight our way through the politics of the moment,” he said. “Let’s pass reform by the end of this year.”
This comes on the heels of less than fervent support among some Democrat members of both houses, lackluster support among health care organizations, and a stinging rebuke from the Mayo Clinic, which had offered a sensible solution way back in 2007. Said Mayo about the current health care initiative:
“The legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher-quality, more affordable health care for patients.” And, “Unless legislators create payment systems that pay for good patient results at reasonable costs, the promise of transformation in American health care will wither.”
