Next Gen Journal

By Clint Akarmann

Having reached the August recess, Democrats in Congress are vowing to continue pushing healthcare reform, unwilling to see the milestone bill fail.  Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) stated that “no matter what happens we are going to enact healthcare reform by the end of the year.”

Capitol Hill (A Public Domain Image)

Democratic representatives are preparing for various town hall meetings with their own constituents throughout the month, seeking as many opportunities as possible to convince everyday Americans that healthcare reform is being done right.  The exact details of the trillion dollar bill are not set in stone, as recent complaints from fiscally conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats have forced more left-leaning Democrats to make some compromises on the bill in the House of Representatives.  Yet, Democrats remain hopeful that they can pass a bill by the end of the year.

However, Republicans, Libertarians, and some Independents do not seem willing to back down from the legislative fight.  They have accused Democrats of rushing a healthcare bill; many say they want to spend more time debating such a sweeping and lasting change to the nation’s health infrastructure.  Tensions flared in town hall meetings in Texas and Missouri, and citizens booed Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pennsylvania) when he stated that “We have to make judgments very fast.”  Clearly, the nation is divided on the hot-button issue of healthcare reform.So here’s the question for you:

Do you believe that some members of Congress are pushing for healthcare reform too quickly or do you think that action on the issue is needed now?