Editorial: New approach

My latest thoughts on the health-care debate. Running out of ways to tell Washington to find areas of cooperation. Perhaps I should give up and let things fall where they may.

If only the issue wasn’t so damn important …

Editorial: New approach — Health care progress needs cooperation

The push toward health care reform stalled prior to the August Congressional recess, and the Obama administration has struggled with the restart, despite the president’s address to a joint session on Sept. 9. In that speech, he indicated a willingness to adopt some Republican ideas, such as tort reform, in order to facilitate negotiations.

Such calls for cooperation should have come earlier in this process, when bringing experienced lawmakers with an interest in health care reform — such as U.S. Sen. Richard Burr — might have helped. Though his approach differs sharply from Democrats’ plans, his voice could have served the interest of progress and moved the nation toward a bipartisan bill.

During a visit to Greenville in August, Burr was correct in saying, “Not getting something done (on health care) is the worst scenario I can imagine.” Yet it is one that seems more likely as work on the legislation continues to drag. The newest proposal, that offered by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, received howls of objection from the opposition, particularly when the lawmaker from Montana claimed he could win passage without Republican votes.

Ideally, that is not the way for the country to pursue an overhaul of arguably its most pressing public issue. The cost of health care coverage, the expected insolvency of existing programs and the legions of uninsured Americans cry out for bipartisan action and Democrats should be willing to reach out through compromise.

But those overtures must not be viewed as a way to halt the wheels of progress. Republicans are without power in either the executive or legislative branches, and could use inaction to score political points. But surely they recognize the strong case in favor of reform and the folly in obstruction.

So it falls to Obama to bring the sides together. The president reached out his hand during that speech, putting tort reform squarely on the table to facilitate compromise. That was refreshing, since Democrats have long resisted that effort despite sound reasoning behind the reform cause. But Obama is right to expect some concessions in return.

Unfortunately, this give and take should have been the initial approach, not an attempt to bail out a listing ship. Burr, for instance, might have been a partner, despite his advocacy of a strictly market-based reform, since he spent much of his legislative career on health care.

There is reason for confidence in the approach of a reform bill this year, though it wanes by the day. The best way forward is together, but both sides must be willing to deal in the interest of progress.