Traditionally speaking, many (if not most) Republican lawmakers in Washington D.C. are fully against health care and health insurance reforms that involve more government intervention.
In particular, Republicans are staunchly against ideas of universal health care and health insurance. They dismiss it as socialism or “Hillarycare ” (a reference to then-first lady Hillary Clinton’s failed attempt at universal coverage in the early 1990s).
But lately high-ranking Democrats like U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy, Max Baucus, and U.S. Representative Ron Wyden have been overtly pushing a major health reform that will involve more government and universal coverage.
So how are Republicans reacting to the Democrats’ health reform maneuvers as of late?
Very slowly, wrote one Politico article.
Many Republican lawmakers agree that they oppose the Democrats’ plans, but they don’t have an alternative. And you can’t much oppose a plan if you don’t have a better alternative.
One consideration for Republicans is to go forward with former presidential candidate John McCain’s plan, which included new taxes on employer-sponsored group health insurance and tax credits.
But so far, there’s no consensus.
The biggest disadvantage for Republicans is that the reform plans from the Democrats have already gained big support on Capitol Hill and the health insurance industry.
We’ll have to see what happens.