How much control would Americans have over their own health care and their health-care system if Obamacare is passed? About as much as they have over the process that threatens to yield it.
Polls show double-digit margins opposing Obamacare, far greater opposition among those who feel strongly, two-to-one opposition among seniors, and two-to-one opposition among independents. Yet the administration and its congressional allies couldn’t seen to care less. And now they are trying to leave Americans as blind to the process as they are deaf to Americans’ concerns.
After months of shamelessly pledging to “broadcast health-care negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are,” the president has decided to forgo a formal conference committee for reconciling the House and Senate bills — thereby shutting out congressional opposition and the American people alike.
This follows a 1:00 a.m. Sunday night (Monday morning) cloture vote in the Senate and the breaking of at least 13 other health-care promises.
But the larger point is this: The administration and the Democratic Congress don’t think that there is any need to be at all transparent or responsive, or that the American people have a right to know what’s going on.
Do you really think that the product that such a process yields would leave you in control of your own health-care dollars and your own health care?