Transformers: Health Care Edition

Ernest Istook / July 14, 2009

Transformers aren’t only in the movies and toy stores; they’re a fact of life in the U.S. Congress as well. And we should beware of them. As Washington’s plans for super-sized health care reform get mugged by reality, beware the fallback proposals that are likely to emerge. Such proposals could lure the unwary into traps. In ancient times, disguised threats were called Trojan Horses; the modern equivalent is Transformers.

A common tactic in Congress (and other legislative bodies) is to replace a troubling piece of legislation with a scaled-down substitute, often substituting vague and innocuous-sounding language. Members of Congress are then asked to support and pass the replacement bill “to keep the process alive.” Later, in a House-Senate conference committee, the bad provisions can be re-inserted and the bill is then brought up for a final vote. The whole process buys time for Congressional leaders, the White House, and an abundance of pressure groups to push for more government takeover of health care, while opponents are lulled into inaction. Bad legislation deserves to be killed, not given a second chance. (more…)