2nd District rivals split sharply on health care

The candidates for the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District seat have carved out sharply different views on health care.

Tom White, a Democratic state senator from Omaha, said he would have voted for President Barack Obama’s health care bill passed by the House a week ago, despite reservations about some aspects of the measure.

Republican incumbent Lee Terry voted against the bill, saying it was a government takeover of health care that would do more harm than good.

Terry and White are the two primary candidates in the 2nd District. The election is nearly a year away, but the two have been busy in recent months revving up their campaigns for what is expected to be a competitive battle.

The race takes place in the state’s most politically diverse district. About 21 percent of registered voters in the 2nd District identify themselves as independents, while the rest are nearly evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. (Republicans outnumber Democrats by about 4,400.)

The sweeping health care bill, which narrowly passed the House, would require most Americans to obtain health insurance or face penalties, an approach Republicans have opposed.

It also would create a government health insurance program. It would offer subsidies to help moderate-income people buy insurance from private companies or through the government plan.

White said he would have voted for the bill with “great reservation,” saying he believes the bill could have done more to contain costs through technology. But, he said, it was better than no health care plan at all.

He said he hopes more work can be done on the measure in the Senate.

“We have to do something. It’s one of these situations where what we have now, we can’t continue with,” said White.

He supports requiring all Americans to have health insurance to spread out the costs.

One of the best ways to reduce overall health care costs is to ensure that everyone pays into the system. Right now, he said, people without insurance are trusting that others will cover the cost if they have a medical crisis.

“If healthy people can select out of the plan, you can’t make it work,” White said.

Terry said the bill is too expensive and will increase the nation’s debt at the expense of job creation. Republicans have said the bill will cost $1.3 trillion over 10 years.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the bill would cost $894 billion over 10 years.

Terry said he believes the measure would eventually drive out private insurance companies, leaving only a government-sponsored plan in place.

“Government control of health care is not healthy for our country and our patients,” he said.

Several weeks ago, he introduced his own health care bill to create a system similar to that which covers members of Congress and federal workers.

Contact the writer:

444-1309, robynn.tysver@owh.com

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