Health care looms; Congress goes fishing

By Weekly Archive On Jul 29, 2009

By Bill Press

President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid don’t agree on everything. But, when it comes to vacation plans for August, they are all three on the same page.

As AP reported from the Rose Garden on July 15: “The president wants the House and Senate to pass legislation overhauling the nation’s health care system before lawmakers leave town for their annual August recess.”

Speaker Pelosi vowed prompt action: “We will be on schedule to pass this bill before we leave for the August recess.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid echoed her commitment: “I look forward to considering this legislation (approved by the Senate HELP Committee) along with the Finance Committee product before the August recess.”

So now, as August draws closer, everybody’s wondering: Will they make their self-imposed deadline? Will Congress be able to pass health care reform legislation, as the president demands, before the August recess?

Well, call me a contrarian, but I think they’re all asking the wrong question. The real question should be: What August recess are you talking about?

Given the seriousness of the issue, it would be obscene for members of Congress to run out of town and head to the beach for a month without taking action on health care. The goal for Congress should not be to get health care reform done before leaving for a month’s vacation. The goal should be to get it done, period, before anybody even thinks about taking a vacation. And if it works out that Congress doesn’t get a month’s vacation this summer — or even a week’s vacation — too bad. Passing universal health care legislation is more important.

After all, it’s nowhere written in the Constitution that Congress must adjourn for the entire month of August, although, believe it or not, it is a matter of law. In 1970, as part of its Legislative Reorganization Act, Congress conveniently gave itself a statutory month’s vacation every August — without, you might have noticed, giving every other American the same privilege. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all say: “I have to go fishing for the entire month of August. It’s the law!”

Nor should you feel sorry for members of Congress for working so hard. In addition to their official month’s vacation in August, they also enjoy a week’s break for President’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, and Independence Day, plus another two or three weeks in December-January. Even when they are in session, their normal workweek is only Tuesday through Thursday.

According to Norm Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute, who keeps track of such things, in 2008 the House was in session for a total of 118 days; the Senate, only 184 days. Which doesn’t make for what most working stiffs would call a heavy schedule.

But, surely, law or not, Congress could decide to remain in session in time of crisis. And today there’s no more serious crisis than our broken-down health care delivery system.

The numbers are staggering: 47 million Americans with no health insurance whatsoever for themselves or their families; another 25 million Americans with inadequate health insurance; a health care system that is devouring one out of every six dollars in our economy, and bankrupting millions of American families and businesses, large and small.

What happens if Congress just walks away for the month of August? Get this. Based on the current rate of lost coverage, while senators are catching up on their summer reading, another 153,000 Americans would lose their existing health care policies. In addition, 53,000 Americans would be forced to declare bankruptcy because of health care costs. And 1,200 would die without the health care they need.

In the end, the one leader who understood the real and symbolic importance of a planned August vacation better than anyone else was Henry Waxman, powerful chairman of the House Energy Committee. Waxman put it bluntly: “We, quite frankly, cannot go home for a recess unless the House and the Senate both pass bills to reform and restructure our health care system.”

Speaker Pelosi now says she’s open to the idea of canceling this year’s August recess. So the next step is President Obama’s — to call on members of Congress to voluntarily give up their August vacation until they get the job done.

They want to go fishing? Fine. First, put a bill on the president’s desk. Then, take all the vacation they want.

Bill Press is host of a nationally syndicated radio show and author of a new book, “Train Wreck: The End of the Conservative Revolution (and Not a Moment Too Soon).” You can hear “The Bill Press Show” at his Web site: billpressshow.com. His email address is: bill@billpress.com.