Presidential Campaign Could ‘Permanently Shift’ Debate on Issue of the Uninsured, NPR Commentary States
The United States has the "best chance in a decade to finally end this national shame" of having more than 43 million residents without health insurance coverage if President Bush increases the number of uninsured U.S. residents who receive coverage under his health care plan from approximately five million to 25 million, Matt Miller, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and author of the book "The 2% Solution: Fixing America's Problems in Ways Liberals and Conservatives Can Love," said Thursday in a commentary on NPR's "Morning Edition." According to Miller, "Bush doesn't have to care about the uninsured, he just has to raise his offer" and "the center of gravity in this debate will permanently shift no matter who wins in November." Miller said that although the "key thing now" is to move "Bush's needle" on the issue, "thank goodness" presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) "talks constantly" about the uninsured and "has a plan that goes a long way" toward expanding health coverage. Miller suggests that progressives should repeat "at every opportunity" the "astounding" fact that the number of uninsured in the United States is equal to the combined populations of 24 states. "Ideally when the new president and Congress are sworn in next year, no matter who wins, insuring the uninsured will be central to the agenda," Miller concludes (Miller, "Morning Edition," NPR, 7/15). The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
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