By Susan Stephens
DeKalb, IL – Only one member of the Illinois Congressional delegation broke party ranks in last night's vote on health care. That was Democrat Dan Lipinski of Western Springs. He had pledged to vote against it on pro-life grounds. Other Representatives from northern Illinois had their own reasons for sticking with their parties.
Democrat Bill Foster was tired and a little giddy after the late-night health care vote. He said a lot of members of Congress felt the same way, because they had "done the right thing." Foster was seen as non-committal up until Sunday: he says he just wanted to make sure he read the plan before voting on it. Foster says now it's time for a long, honest discussion about what "basic health care" means. For him, it's an "adequate level for every man, woman, and child." It doesn't mean a private room at the Mayo Clinic, nor unfettered access to specialists.
There was no doubt how Republican Don Manzullo would vote on the health care overhaul. He was furious that the bill was so large: he wanted it broken down into individual bills. That way, changes would be approved on their merits, not because they were packed into a flawed plan.
Manzullo says he would have supported proposals for community health centers, buying pools for small businesses, and the ability to cross state lines when purchasing insurance coverage.