Barack Obama Faces a Tough Choice

Health Care Reform Disputes have Become Aggravated and the President’s Rating is Declining

U.S. President Barack Obama will speak today at the joint session of Congress with an explanation of health care reform. He intends to overcome the resistance of influential legislators who have opposed the idea of federal financing of medical treatment for those Americans who do not have private medical insurance. Some experts say that Barack’s political career depends on whether his reform plans will be approved by legislators.

The president and members of Congress have come back to work after Labor Day and summer vacations. Obama rushed to have a talk with legislators in order to convince them to deal with the most important question, from his point of view, which is health care reform. The issue has become acute because many Congress members doubt the president’s offers regarding this reform. The question at stake is one of the main promises of Obama’s pre-election campaign – to provide medical insurance for all Americans.

Threat of a failure for the White House’s plans has affected the president’s rating. Having returned from his vacation, Obama found that his ratings are declining. According to the polls conducted by Pew Research Company, since April his approval ratings have fallen by 10 percent and current support of the president is only 52 percent.

There is a threat of even more serious disappointment for Americans by their leader. According to the Washington Post, Obama’s honeymoon with the American people is over. The first seven months of his presidency were filled with urgent affairs, which he has managed to accomplish successfully. Thus, his decisions to close Guantanamo prison in a year and prohibit the use of torture during the interrogation of terror suspects were met favorably by American people and promoted the USA’s prestige abroad. As a whole, central activities of this period, connected with the struggle against the economic crisis, financial injections into the banking sphere and federal assistance to rescue the car industry, are viewed positively.

The success of the struggle against the economic crisis was achieved by the White House’s active use of federal resources. As a result, the federal government has become the main shareholder of General Motors, the largest American automobile corporation. Businesses, however, hurry to free themselves from such protection; as well as banks, which have received federal aid, and now hurry to pay it back with interest. Besides, serious fears have appeared in business circles, regarding the idea that economic recovery can be hindered by increased debt and by the prospect of a long and significant federal budget deficit – totaling $9 billion over ten years.

These factors have increased criticism of Obama’s offer to provide medical insurance to those Americans who cannot afford to pay for it themselves or with the help of employers. It is estimated that there are about 50 million people in this situation. Insurance companies and health care establishments consider that such measures will undermine the whole health care system. Politicians have another argument; they are against increased government expenses and taxes. They are not persuaded by Obama’s promise not to raise taxes, except for the richest, and to raise necessary funds at the expense of other aspects of the health care system.

The White House is torn apart. Conservatives, mostly Republicans, say “No” to the reform. Liberals, mostly Democrats, remind us that voters are waiting for pre-election campaign pledges to be justified.

Obama decided to announce his plan in Congress in order to receive public support of his offers. As his assistants explained, “the president is a ‘consensus achieving politician,’ he’s inclined to common consent. Thus, he may not adhere strictly to his intention to receive federal support of the idea of universal medical insurance.”