Pushing the vote ahead

After announcing he would vote for health care reform legislation on Sunday, Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., became the second Indiana Democrat to verbalize his support for the bill.

Ellsworth, who has been a firm opponent of abortion, said he is pleased the bill does not conflict with his pro-life beliefs. While some pro-life advocates, such as Americans United for Life, claimed his vote “establishes for the record his support of taxpayer-funded abortion,” President Obama assured pro-life Democrats he would sign an executive order prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortions except in certain rare cases.

Abortion is a contentious issue that should be kept out of the already messy health care debate. Restricting federal funding for abortions keeps the attention on the most pressing aspects of health care reform and prevents the alienation of key Democrats.

One of the most often mentioned issues with this reform package is the denial of coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. The health care bill addresses this problem by eliminating insurance companies’ ability to do so.

Forming strategies to finance the package without contributing to the federal deficit was another essential factor in securing votes for the bill. Doing so allowed the passage of a much sought-after reform to be unburdened by concerns about future deficits.

Too often bills are passed solely by considering their immediate effects rather than considering their ramifications. Planning ahead addresses the sensible concerns of members of Congress who had been resisting reform because of the federal deficit while continuing a decades-long push for improved health care.

Ellsworth seems to have fulfilled his duties as an Indiana representative by acting on the wishes of his constituents and pushing forward to make sure those views are heard on a national level. After “months of meetings and conversations with thousands of Hoosiers, health care experts and pro-life advocates,” Ellsworth has managed to fight for his constituents while staying true to his personal beliefs and political platforms.

Although the fight for health care reform is far from over, substantial steps were taken to turn years of heated debate into reality.