Since Tom Daschle, plagued with questions about unpaid taxes, withdrew from consideration for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, there has been speculation in Washington that any significant health care reform will be delayed. But Marc Ambinder, of The Atlantic, has a copy of a letter that Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy and Montana Sen. Max Baucus sent to President Barack Obama that basically says they won’t let that happen. An excerpt:
We are writing to affirm our continuing commitment to enacting comprehensive health care reform this year, and to express our confidence that you will swiftly choose an exceptionally qualified and dedicated alternate nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services to assist in our efforts. As you have emphasized, we must act now. The ranks of the uninsured grow larger each day. The cost of health care to families, businesses and government are crippling and, although we spend more on health care than any other country, the quality of care provided by America’s health care system is often uneven compared to other industrialized nations.