In Part 2 of the Free Lance’s interview with Congressman Sam
Farr, the Carmel Democrat contends that the health reform bill
would boost the economy and how quality of care would only
increase. He also responds about the stimulus and acknowledges it
hasn’t done its promised job to this point, while he believes
citizens will see the biggest impact this winter.
Congressman Sam Farr sat down with the Free Lance for an in-depth interview on four of the most pressing topics in national politics that affect San Benito County residents. Below, Farr responds to questions about the health reform bill and the stimulus package. For the first part of the interview, go here.
Farr says health care quality ‘may go up’
Most of Farr’s time in Hollister and other districtwide cities these past couple of weeks has been spent answering questions about the health care reform bill before Congress.
The Free lance asked Farr about his concern regarding the bill’s potential effect on the economy, and the Congressman asked another question back.
“That’s the opening question. If we do nothing, what will it do to our economy?” Farr said, contending the system sets the nation up to be “unable to compete with the rest of the world.”
As far as quality of care goes, Farr said he believes the proposal’s only effect would be a positive one.
“I don’t think it’s going to affect quality of care,” he said. “But it may go up.”
Farr stressed that the bill must be “financially sustainable” and he contended that it won’t negatively affect the private sector.
“It’s also required to compete with insurance companies,” he said. “It’s going to be attractive enough to keep these insurance companies competitive, but it’s not going to be so attractive that it sucks away all the business.”
One of the biggest criticisms of the health care bill is its costs, with significant tax hikes on the way if it passes. Supporters have argued the legislation would create efficiencies to eventually allow the system to pay for itself.
“On any substantive criticism of the bill, you deal with the deficit,” Farr said. “You also have to put this in perspective. We’ve been paying for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars totally with deficit money. We’re not going to be in those wars forever. By the way, they’ve cost more than this entire national health care bill in the deficit they’re going to create.”
Above all, Farr touted how the bill would eliminate “preexisting conditions” as a reason to drop clients in the midst of their treatments.
“For the first time, all of the insurance companies are going to have to play on a level playing field.”
Feds ‘underestimated’ stimulus
As Farr and other congressman are hashing over health care, they’re also still toiling with the federal stimulus package. Federal officials still have a huge chunk of the $787 billion to spend.
Though he remained confident in a late 2009 impact, Farr acknowledged the stimulus hasn’t met its objectives to this point.
“I wouldn’t have said it’s had that much of an effect,” said Farr, as unemployment rates remained just under 10 percent nationally and at around 14 percent in San Benito County.
Added Farr: “We underestimated the capacity. An awful lot of contractors are still out of work.”
Asked if he supports allocating more than the current bill offers, and he replied: “Not necessarily. We’ll have to see whether,” before switching tones and noting how “it’s taken too long to get the money on the streets.”
“The president, to his credit, has kept reminding us the wheels of everything don’t turn rapidly, because we still have to be accountable.”
He said he believes the majority of the impact from the stimulus package “will be seen in the last quarter of this year.”
Farr said he didn’t have any specific examples of a recovery to this point.
“I don’t know. I can’t give you a specific industry. It’s always been hard to say, what is the whole economy?
Pressed as to whether the stimulus has done its job, and Farr had this to say: “It isn’t as good as it was promised, but I think it’s going to get better. My final judgment on it is still out. Was it worth it? It seems to have been very much necessary.”
