How Harkin's HELP Post Could Change Health Care
Jason Plautz
Thursday, September 10, 2009 5:43 PM
Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd's announcement that he would be keeping his post as chairman of the Banking Committee cleared the way Wednesday for Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, to take over the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee. Dodd had been acting as chairman during Edward Kennedy's absence.
The sudden influence of Harkin adds a new wrinkle to the health care debate and is sure to change the negotiating dynamics in the Senate. Analysts feel that Harkin will be firmer on the reform push because he is not facing re-election next year and thus will be freer of distraction and political pressure.
The most significant effect of his sudden prominence could involve the debate over a public option, something Harkin strongly supports. At an AARP forum in June, Harkin said that he was actually in favor of a single-payer system and thought that a majority of Americans felt the same way. But he acknowledged that there was not enough momentum in Washington for such a plan. In lieu of that, he favors a public option.
On MSNBC last week, Harkin said he had told President Obama that he had to stand firm on the public option. He doesn't seem willing to negotiate on the insurance co-op proposal in Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus' plan, either. Harkin recently told Fox News, "I still have not seen a viable co-op plan. I mean, how is it portable? If it's regional, then why not just have a public plan?" If the co-op plan emerges from the Finance Committee, Senate Democrats may find difficulty reaching a consensus bill with Harkin in charge of the other major negotiating panel.
By and large, Harkin backs the HELP bill in its current form. However, he has long been an advocate of prevention and public health initiatives. On his Web site and in public appearances, he has criticized the country's health care system for being a "sick care system," only treating people after they become ill and not trying to stop chronic conditions before they start.
In an effort to change that, Harkin has introduced the Healthier Lifestyles and Prevention (HeLP) America Act, which encourages better nutrition and physical activity, gives incentives for the construction of bike paths and sidewalks, and requires nutrition labeling on restaurant menus. His Healthy Workforce Act provides incentives to companies that offer wellness programs for their employees, and he has also introduced legislation on improving nutrition in schools.
As we've reported, public health and prevention are seen as popular ways to cut health care costs but haven't been a centerpiece of the debate so far. Still, all bills do include some expansion of public health grants, and it's almost sure to end up in the final bill. A spokeswoman for Harkin, Bergen Kenny, said that prevention probably won't become a bigger part of the debate because it's already popular on both sides of the aisle.
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