A single health policy issue will decide who controls Congress after the 2014 election. Here’s why.
You may have noticed the relative dearth of partisanship emanating from Washington over the past couple of months.
Congress isn’t suddenly taking to heart its relentlessly low approval ratings in 2013. And it hasn’t just become aware of how unproductive it has been.
Barring an unforeseen catastrophe like 9/11, Katrina, or Superstorm Sandy, it’s just that members of Congress already know which issue will swing the upcoming election. And they are not interested in muddying the waters at this relatively late date.
The Democrats know that they have an advantage in the improving economy, their stand on women’s issues, and their strong support among minorities. Republicans know that they gain support because of a still-too-high unemployment rate, unbalanced budgets and the increasing national debt, and an unpopular foreign policy.
But the issue that will swing the Congressional elections in November is the one in which the political advantage then is a little less clear today. It’s Obamacare. And that’s proof that our health policy matters more than ever in 2014.
(To read the entire column, go toOur Health Policy Matters.)