Is 2009 like 1993? A Conversation with Former Congressional Leaders on the Prospects for Health Reform and Comparisons to Clinton's Reform Efforts
Healthcare reform, a top priority of the current administration, depends on legislative action. In order to make real progress toward change, how do legislators prioritize the many subdivisions of reform, such as insurance, research funding, or electronic health records? Listen as political leaders explain the process of sharing ideas and getting things done.
Bio
Tom Daschle
Thomas Andrew Daschle is a former U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader from South Dakota. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was defeated on November 2, 2004, by the Republican candidate, John Thune, in his bid for re-election.
He is currently working for the global law firm DLA and is senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
Jeffrey Kluger
Jeffrey Kluger is a senior editor overseeing TIME's science, health and technology reporting. He has written or co-written more than 25 cover stories for the magazine and regularly contributes articles and commentary on science and health stories. For their 2001 global warming cover package, Kluger and two colleagues won first place in the Overseas Press Club of America’s Whitman Bassow Award for best reporting in any medium on international environmental issues. Kluger is the co-author, with astronaut Jim Lovell, of Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, which is the basis of the Apollo 13 movie released in 1995. He is also the author of Splendid Solution, about Jonas Salk and the polio vaccine. Kluger's most recent book is Simplexity: Why Simple Things Become Complex (and Why Complex Things Can Be Made Simple). Kluger, who is also an attorney, has taught science journalism at New York University.
John E. Porter
John Edward Porter, JD, is Chairman of Research!America, Vice President of the Foundation for NIH, Chairman of PBS, and a member of the Institute of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a former trustee of the Brookings Institution and the RAND Corporation. Porter served 21 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and chaired the appropriations subcommittee that funded all domestic health programs, including NIH, CDC, and AHRQ, and was Vice-Chair of the subcommittee that funded U.S. global health efforts. Porter's work in Congress focused on increasing funding for health research and public broadcasting, human rights, population and development, and the environment. He is currently a partner in the Washington law firm of Hogan & Hartson. Porter attended MIT, received his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and his law degree with distinction from the University of Michigan Law School.
Billy Tauzin
The Hon. Billy Tauzin was named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) in January 2005. Mr Tauzin came to PhRMA after a long and distinguished career in public service. He began his public career serving in the Louisiana State legislature. Mr. Tauzin made his mark serving the people of Louisiana’s 3rd District, and the American people for 13 terms as a Member of Congress. He served as Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. He received a bachelor's from Nicholls State University in 1964 and a law degree from Louisiana State University in 1967
From the self-congratulatory accolades to the go-nowhere dialogue, I find this discussion the most pedantic, communication I have seen on health care. Were it up to these kinds of discussions, we would all either fall asleep or die of boredom before anything could be done to correct our inferior American health care system.
To mouth such mental pabulum is an insult to people who need health care in particular and the American public in general.
Their concern for the "blue dogs" and the other poor members of congress that might suffer politically, rather than a discussion about the reality of what our system is doing to actual people in this country is a perfect exercise in narcissism. I sense less empathy here than from the corporate private insurance bureaucrats that ration, delay and deny medical treatments. Members of congress have lifetime health coverage of which most of the expense is paid by the American taxpayer. Health care for them is not a personal worry.
Ironically, the most information came from the poster boy for special interests, Tauzin. He at least raised the issue of how many of those who are insured are underinsured. But then he digresses into more accolades for the generosity of Americans. . . .
One audience member criticized the British system pointing out its flaws. But no one mentioned that this flawed system provided better mortality figures for its citizens than America.
How about centering the discussion on saving lives? How about a discussion on how to bring our mortality figures to those of other industrial countries? How about centering the discussion on the successes of these other countries and how we can implement similar programs in America. Now those are a radical thoughts to enter into the health care debate.
While Fora calls him the "Honorable" Billy Tauzin, his record shows him to be one of our most corrupt politicians and now head of big pharma, the lobbying firm representing the multi billion dollar group of pharmaceutical companies. As a congressman, Tauzin helped strong arm the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill (a bill written by the pharmaceutical industry) through Congress and two months later was offered $2.5 million a year to head big pharma.
Billy Tauzin made his name following the huge corporate accounting scandals when it was revealed that he blocked accounting reform on behalf of his benefactors in the industry. And now he's a classic member of Congress-turned lobbyist. That he has the gall to show his face in public shows the tragic limits of our democracy.
member. 
