Hours after I posted a challenge to Senator Moran to step up on health care and represent the best interests of Kansas, he initially did. I’m sure that decision was already made, but it was a significant first step and I thought maybe one that might inspire others to follow. Then late last Thursday night, the last vote (for now) on repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) took place. Everyone knew this vote would be close, requiring at a minimum three Republicans voting no to defeat the motion. Fortunately, three Republican Senators joined the entire Democratic Caucus to stand up for sanity. Unfortunately, Senator Moran was not one of them. Senator John McCain joined Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins to stop the legislation from going back to the House and possibly on to the White House. For Senator Moran, to explain why he voted against the interests of the health industry and, most importantly, the thousands of Kansans who would have lost their health coverage will not be easy. The difficulty of going back to Palco was saved, to some degree, by the three who had the courage to do what is right.
Last week’s effort to find something that would pass in the Senate that would be able to accomplish their goal of repealing the Affordable Care Act was truly bizarre. When reviewed in the context of historical Senate actions on key legislation having such impact on citizens directly, there is no comparison. The secrecy, the failure to hold any public hearings, the total dismissal of the numbers provided by the Congressional Budget Office, and no effort in bipartisanship, could negatively impact our system of government in ways never before seen if these tactics become a pattern. Senators often had no copy of what they were being asked to vote on. If this had been a resolution on thanking Kansas for growing wheat, no big deal, I trust they could get that one right with little controversy. But this is an issue that has huge impacts on our national economy as well as the potential to deny health coverage to millions of Americans.
Health care will and should remain a key effort for the Congress to resolve, and Senator Moran still has an opportunity to play a key role. The flaws in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) need to be addressed. But it will require Republicans and Democrats working together to best serve the people most impacted by what the federal government does to ensure access to quality health care. The bottom line Senator, as I’ve said, is that this is a really significant opportunity for you. You only have to look to earlier Kansas Senators, Dole and Kassabaum for example, to know the “Kansas way” of leading and appealing to the “better angels of our nature”—a phrase which harks back to President Lincoln’s first inaugural address and represents an approach to public service that is sorely needed in our politics today.
If you concur, here is a number you can call to share your story and your point of view: (202) 225-3121. Individual citizens expressing their concerns can often make the difference.
Last week’s effort to find something that would pass in the Senate that would be able to accomplish their goal of repealing the Affordable Care Act was truly bizarre. When reviewed in the context of historical Senate actions on key legislation having such impact on citizens directly, there is no comparison. The secrecy, the failure to hold any public hearings, the total dismissal of the numbers provided by the Congressional Budget Office, and no effort in bipartisanship, could negatively impact our system of government in ways never before seen if these tactics become a pattern. Senators often had no copy of what they were being asked to vote on. If this had been a resolution on thanking Kansas for growing wheat, no big deal, I trust they could get that one right with little controversy. But this is an issue that has huge impacts on our national economy as well as the potential to deny health coverage to millions of Americans.
Health care will and should remain a key effort for the Congress to resolve, and Senator Moran still has an opportunity to play a key role. The flaws in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) need to be addressed. But it will require Republicans and Democrats working together to best serve the people most impacted by what the federal government does to ensure access to quality health care. The bottom line Senator, as I’ve said, is that this is a really significant opportunity for you. You only have to look to earlier Kansas Senators, Dole and Kassabaum for example, to know the “Kansas way” of leading and appealing to the “better angels of our nature”—a phrase which harks back to President Lincoln’s first inaugural address and represents an approach to public service that is sorely needed in our politics today.
If you concur, here is a number you can call to share your story and your point of view: (202) 225-3121. Individual citizens expressing their concerns can often make the difference.
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