As news of Senator Edward Kennedy’s death spread quickly last Wednesday morning, condolences began pouring forth from around the world. As many world leaders and commentators have noted, one of Sen. Kennedy’s lasting legacies will be his championing of comprehensive health insurance reform.
During his nearly five-decade-long political career, this “last lion of the Senate” remained unwaveringly focused on one of his signature passions – ensuring that all Americans have access to quality, affordable healthcare.
In December 1969, he commenced his lifelong battle for a comprehensive national healthcare insurance program. During President Jimmy Carter’s administration, the “ideological divide between the two was profound,” as Senator Kennedy found Carter’s healthcare programs “timid.” And timid was something Sen. Kennedy was not.
In a statement issued last Wednesday, former President Bill Clinton thanked Kennedy for “his fierce advocacy for universal healthcare and his leadership in providing health coverage to millions of children” through his instrumental efforts to create the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Senator Kennedy will be remembered as a “leading senator of his time” who possessed the ability to build “bipartisan alliances that were hallmarks of his legislative successes.”
One’s position on the political spectrum will likely determine one’s personal feelings toward Senator Kennedy. Regardless, his passion, drive and lifelong determination to improve our nation’s healthcare system are something we can all appreciate, especially now as the nation moves closer to comprehensive health insurance reform than we’ve ever been before.
No matter which side of the debate you’re on, we can all unite around the common principles that Sen. Kennedy championed – quality, affordable healthcare for all citizens. When Congress is back in session after its August recess, let’s finish Sen. Kennedy’s life work and create real, meaningful change to improve our broken, fragmented system together.
Kester Freeman blogs regularly at Action For Better Healthcare.