health care stimulus

There is Money for Health Care Reform
The Washington Post decided to do he said/she said reporting on health care rather than inform its readers. It told readers that Senator Max Baucus, the chair of the finance committee, wants to push for health care reform, even though it will initially cost money. It then comments that his Republican counterpart, Senator Charles Grassley, says that the government doesn't have this money.

In fact, the government is planning a large-scale stimulus package where it is looking for areas in which it can usefully spend money. If health care reform would require an initial increase in spending, before subsequent savings could be achieved, then it would be an obvious target for the stimulus. The Post should have noted that Grassley's claim about the lack of money for such an investment is contradicted by the vast majority of economists from both political parties.

--Dean Baker