“Obama’s Deal” – a documentary guide
- What immediate problem did the president run into when initiating the health care reform and why?
- Obama’s administration believed that taking on a health care reform is a test of something in American politics. According to president Obama, it was intended to prove what? What were the stakes?
- Which groups opposed the health care reform under both Clinton and Obama? Which interest groups stood to lose considerably from the health care reform?
- What did the propaganda ads funded by insurance lobby advertise to the American public about the health care reform? Whose interests were kept in mind in the process?
- Who (which groups and individuals) could get to the congressional hearings on the health care reform? Was there anyone representing the uninsured Americans or consumer advocates?
- While insurance lobby initially stated that they would support the reform, what did they request in return and why? (hint: they wanted some feature added to the bill, what was that feature and why?)
- What was Senator Baucus expected to do in return for receiving $2.5 million from insurance interest groups? Whose interests did he represent?
- What groups were denied a seat at the negotiation table about the health care? What groups were removed physically by guards from the press conference in the White House?
- Insurance lobby spent tens of millions of dollars to defeat and rewrite the proposed health bill through TV ads that created panic, scare, rumors, and etc. What was at stake for insurance and pharmaceutical lobby if their respective industries were regulated by the bill?
