Health Care Passes; Can We Create Jobs Now?

In a party–line vote, the Senate approved health care reform today.

As Robert Pear observes in the New York Times, this is something Democrats have been trying to do for decades.

Well, in most of those years, the unemployment rate was about half what it is today.

Now, I know health care reform is important, but, as I understand it, this legislation (once the House and Senate agree on the shape of the bill) is not going to go into effect until 2013. I've heard that it will create jobs — and that is a good thing, but I hope our leaders are planning to do more about joblessness in the next four years than wait for health care reform to pick up the slack.

I have more than just a passing interest in this. I am one of the millions of unemployed, as my regular readers already know, and if I am in the position of having to choose between paying my rent and paying for health insurance, I'm going to choose to keep a roof over my head. It's the mother of all no–brainers.

So, Mr. President and Democrats in Congress, the choice is yours.

At some point, the people in charge must decide on their priorities. What are yours?

Are you going to continue to pass the buck and excuse your inaction by blaming the previous administration?

Or are you going to start doing things to encourage job creation?

If you need more incentive, the clock to the midterm elections is ticking ...