Feb. 06--For the 56th time the United States House of Representatives has passed an anti-Obamacare measure this past week. It will be sent onto the Senate where it does not have much of a chance of passing, and will most certainly be vetoed by President Obama. Why the Republicans are spending so much time on this seems to be a matter of standing up for the constitution.
After 55 previous votes that went nowhere, you would think that those Republicans that oppose the legislation would be spending more time on coming up with a better way to solve our nation's health care crisis. How did we get ourselves into this phenomenal mess?
Our founding fathers could never have predicted or envisioned how our country looks today. Did they foresee skyscrapers, fast food chains, or huge medical centers that provide health care that is improving our quality of life and extending our life spans?
They wanted to provide a country for its citizens to live, that gives equal opportunities to all, including religious freedom, the right to protect ourselves, and the right to elect representatives to let their voices be heard. Could they have known that medical science has advanced to the point of repairing hearts, transplanting organs from others, and successfully treating some forms of cancer?
The mess we find ourselves in, however, is how do we pay for this exceptional health care? Is this a basic right for all to enjoy like religious freedom? The Affordable Care Act is a step toward making health care a basic right, but does our constitution require American citizens to purchase medical insurance?
As it presently stands by law, not a Constitutional Amendment, all Americans must purchase insurance to pay for health care, but just because the constitution gives us the right to own a weapon, does that mean we must purchase one?
As I look at the two full service hospitals in Elgin, I am glad to be able to have excellent health care services so close to home. Presently, I must be a card carrying health insurance member to access those medical services or pay a financial penalty under the Affordable Care Act. As the U.S. House of Representatives again tries to make health insurance an option not a requirement, isn't the underlying fight really just about who is going to pay for it?
Linda McDaniel-Hale is a Fox Valley resident who offers opinion on local and national topics.
