Democrats plan for America

Topic: Democratic senators lay out plan for America

On Wednesday, January 21, 2009, the first full day of the new administration, Democratic senate leaders laid out their overarching agenda for at least the next two years.
Priorities were:
1. Economic recovery, which, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid means “jobs, jobs, jobs.” Senator Debbie Stabenow, who led the entire presentation, emphasized that each of the proposed programs should produce more recovery in jobs and return on investment than they cost.
Sens. Charles Schumer and Byron Dorgan discussed the economy. Schumer described sewage treatment and fresh water reclamation as examples of neglected infrastructure projects, which could create jobs and sustainability. He stated that Social Security is not in jeopardy, but that Medicare will require adjustments.
Both Senators said that energy programs will be major areas of investment, and Dorgan specifically said that expansion of the power grid was a priority. This would provide for the decentralization of power production and make distribution more robust.
Dorgan also specifically addressed the need to regulate practices, like derivatives, which encourage risk taking by lenders, as well as mortgages with “teaser” rates leading to balloon payments later.
While there was some inevitable finger pointing, the emphasis was on the need for bipartisan commitment.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar said that Obama has promised to personally review and approve proposed economic policies, and to improve transparency by posting financial data, such as expenditures, interest rates and returns on the web
2. Energy: Sen. Harry Reid stressed the need for oil independence, first from the need to import oil, which is a major cause of the imbalance of trade, but ultimately from domestic oil as well. He said this was a security issue as much as an environmental and economic one.
Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Jeff Bingaman answered question on energy policy. Bingaman supports a cap and trade policy for carbon units, with a need to simplify the details, and to cap the level to which fees for allowances can rise as oil prices fluctuate. He noted that even oil produced by American companies is generally imported. He declined to give a timetable for addressing climate change, reminding the press that it is not possible to address every important issue simultaneously. Bingaman did say that Sen. Henry Waxman plans to submit an energy bill by Memorial Day.
Klobuchar said, with confirmation of Ray LaHood as Secretary of Transportation and Commerce, the United States would be in a position to be leaders again at the Copenhagen conference on climate change, the successor to the Kyoto conferences. Referring to cap and trade policy, she said it is important not to ratify historic carbon emissions, but also not to punish companies that have alreadybeen working to bring emissions down.
3. Healthcare: Sens. Ron Wyman and Debbie Stabenow presented. Stabenow said that Obama will immediately lift bans on stem cell research, and that expanded SCHIP coverage, including mental health and dental care, will pass within the next two weeks. She noted that “community mental health” had become, for some, code for reduced federal funding on mental health programs. She confirmed that universal coverage includes mental as well as physical illness. As a strategy to address the critical shortage of nurses, she proposed forgiving student loans upon completion of training.
Stabenow also said that medical information technology is an important investment for better and more efficient health care.
Regarding the economic impact of expanding health coverage, she said Canada remains competitive partly because its businesses do not have to bear the costs of employee health insurance. The big question, Stabenow said, is maintaining choice for patients.
Wyman said that for progressives “the story of universal health care is one of unrequited love.” There have been several occasions in the past when comprehensive reform appeared likely, but powerful interest groups or intervening crises prevented its passage. This time, things look better in that former foes have become allies as industry tries to divest itself of the cost and responsibility of health care. Sen. Tom Daschle, who has devoted much of his career to this issue, will become Secretary of Health and Human Services. Sens. Kennedy, Daschle, Stabenow, and Wyman have worked to make the legislation more transparent and streamlined than last time, Wyman said,and the public is likely to choose the health plan that congress uses.
Sen. Harry Reid told the press this is an aggressive congress with the political tools and capital to get much of the desired legislation passed, noting that they just passed 164 environmental bills, which would have been impossible, just a short time ago.

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