Is healthcare reform a well and truly dead issue?

Apparently healthcare has been slightly moved off Congress’s radar screen. According to an article on NPR, Democrats state that they don’t intend to stop pursuing the issue but the fact that healthcare wasn’t discussed at a policy lunch and in outlining the Democrats policy agenda, healthcare wasn’t even on it. Senate Majority leader Senator Hoyer and House Majority leader Nancy Pelosi indicated that strenuous efforts would be made to get a bill passed by Congress this year but neither official detailed how this bill would be passed

I feel as though if this bill is to have any hope of making progress its got to be kept in the public’s eye, whether for better or for worse. If people stop talking about it, even if they disagree with it, then, although people might be concerned about rising healthcare costs, their minds might just turn away from the issue and focus on other concerns. If that happens, then the bill could probably be considered as good as dead.

If Congressmen and women want to get legislation through, as they say they do, they’ve got to continue to actively discuss the issue as well. If they just push it aside completely in order to work on legislation that is more likely to be successful in becoming laws, then healthcare reform might not go through at all.

It’s interesting how agendas change so quickly. Only a short time ago healthcare was all you ever heard Congress talking about and now it seems as though this reform is an issue they’d really rather, in a worst case scenario, forget about. It’s interesting how the importance given tot pieces of legislation on Congress’ agenda seems to depend upon its popularity and its likelihood of successfully passing. Because there’s now a majority that can crush healthcare reform, it’s a shelved issue. I realize Congress doesn’t want to waste time on fighting a losing battle and would rather focus on other issues they can make progress with, but I do hope healthcare reform is not completely dead.