What better way to attune our leaders to the needs of their constituents without health insurance than to put them in the same position? Full Story »
Posted by Cynthia Gilbert - via OneRiot, Nicholas Kristof, Opinion Source, New York Times (Most Emailed), NewsRack (Health Care), New York Times (Opinion), AllTop, mark breslauer (f)
This is an opinion piece that informs as well as opines, and it covers the subject (the disconnect between congressional naysayers on health care and simple reality) in reasonable depth and breadth. It's not exactly original, though. I first saw the same modest proposal that Mr. Kristol makes (i.e., that since members of Congress work for US, we should cancel their health insurance and let them discover first-hand what that means) in a column written by Professor Fred Niedner in the South Bend (Indiana) Tribune (September 6, 2009). So, while Mr. Kristof's piece is good, he's been scooped.
I think it'd be a great idea to cancel Congress' health insurance, at least until they get a package of reform together and voted for -- and with a public option.