Because the bill does not mandate that all Americans carry insurance, many of the young and healthy would probably drop their coverage. For these and other reasons, even Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, whose Finance Committee gave birth to the mainstream bill, gives it little chance of passage. Harold Ickes, the chief White House strategist for health legislation, has warned Clinton that he should avoid embracing the mainstream bill lest he be identified with another failure. At the same time, Leon Panetta, the new White House chief of staff and a veteran of Congress, warns that the President must not write off the efforts of key lawmakers. Several less ambitious bills that attempt to reform health insurance also risk making it worse.
None stands much chance of passage.
But he adds some fighting words. If Congress cannot agree on at least some small step toward health reform this year, he will sponsor a bill to disqualify lawmakers from the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan. Time Inc. All rights reserved.