COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The White House has given state negotiators until Tuesday, Sept. 15, to draft a working bipartisan bill on health-care reform. As the deadline nears, the debate is intensifying.
Proponents and opponents alike showed up for a health-care reform rally in Columbus Tuesday night.
Decked out in messages promoting health-care reform, a bus carrying Senator Sherrod Brown and other politicians was warmly greeted with cheers as it pulled into the Lausche Building at the Ohio Expo Center Tuesday night.
It wasn't an informational meeting so much as a rally of support, and it wasn't a random gathering of citizens as much as a carefully orchestrated demonstration from the Democratic Party faithful.
Supporters say reform needs to happen now.
"Whenever there is something that needs to be changed, you have to educate people to explain what the change is. The way our system is now, a lot of people are falling through the cracks, and they're not getting the care that's necessary,” Brown said.
Insiders said a blanket e-mail was sent out to known President Barack Obama backers in Columbus, encouraging a strong showing of support.
Rally placards were handed out.
Opponents said they were treated unfairly at the rally, though.
Those who oppose the measure said they were told to check their signs at the door.
“They said no outside signs, but they had union-printed inside signs. So, it's just troubling because we really care about our country, and we really care about all these people,” one opponent said.
They don't want to hear our voice … this was supposed to be a pep rally for them, another said.
Before the rally, Brown told NBC 4 he believes part of the opposition is organized by those in the insurance industry.
“I think people have passion about what they believe, but I also know the insurance industry, which has hundreds of billions of dollars at stake, are putting out a lot of misinformation,” Brown said.
Brown said anger and fear have led to mistruths about the health-care overhaul, with detractors claiming there will be no workable public option.
Senator Kennedy tapped Brown to write the public-option language.
“I don't want to say it will work because I wrote it, but I do know that public reform is going to work, and public reform will be part of the health-insurance bill.”
Brown predicted President Obama will sign a health-care reform bill by December.
“I'm interested in health-care reform for all. As a nurse and as a person who teaches people with diabetes, I see insurance companies often denying to pay for medical supplies,” attendee Trudy Gaillard said.
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