Suburban lawmakers play key, opposing roles in health care battle

The congressman representing Addison and Lombard opposes government-run health insurance.

Just west, the congressman representing St. Charles and West Chicago is a key supporter, as is the congresswoman representing Des Plaines and Rosemont.

Heading north, Lake County is split by a representative opposed to the plan and another taking heat on both sides of the debate.

The opinions of suburban lawmakers who hold a vote on one of the largest government expansions in recent history are as varied as those of the voters who put them in office. And those lawmakers are playing lead roles in this raging debate.

Take U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, a Wheaton Republican in the DuPage County-centered 6th District. Once a member of the state Senate with President Barack Obama, Roskam has long been an opponent of government programs in nearly every form.

Today he is taking a lead role in attacking the insurance plan, warning voters Obama's proposal will run up unconscionable national debt and kill private health insurance.

"They are rightly fearful," Roskam said of voters opposed to government-run health insurance.

Other suburban lawmakers opposed to government-run health insurance include U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, a Hinsdale Republican representing the Naperville-area 13th District, and U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, Highland Park Republican representing the 10th District.

Kirk is now running for Senate and he made opposition to Obama's health reform plan a central focus of his campaign kickoff speech earlier this week.

Biggert says she is convinced a government-run health insurance plan will put America on the path to a full-scale government take over of the medical field. She took part in a Republican panel Thursday that featured testimony about problems with such systems in other countries.

Meanwhile, right next door to Kirk's district is U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean. The Barrington Democrat has had protesters outside her Schaumburg office both supporting Obama's plan and opposing it.

For now, Bean says she is not pleased with the current legislation, but she supports the goals of Obama's health care reform pursuit.

"I support the President's priorities to preserve what works for Americans who are satisfied with the coverage they have, while broadening affordable access for those who don't have employer-based options, and containing unsustainable cost increases," Bean said in a statement. "I remain unconvinced that the bill as written measurably reduces increasing health care costs for American families, businesses and our government while protecting the quality of their care."

Democrats like Bean are playing a key role behind the scenes as their party needs as many in-house votes as possible given the staunch GOP opposition. Bean was once a member of the Blue Dog Democrats coalition that has famously held up Obama's legislation so far in the House. She is now vice-chair of a similar coalition, the New Dems, that has yet to take a firm position.

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster may well fit into Bean's wait-and-see category. The Batavia Democrat, who is expected to face a tough re-election battle in the West Suburban 14th District, supports government-run insurance "in theory," said a spokeswoman.

But Foster "wants to evaluate how it is actually going to be set up" before committing, said Shannon O'Brien.

At the same time, U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky has been a longtime proponent of government health care reform. She represents the near North suburban 9th District, which includes parts of Des Plaines and Rosemont.

As both sides dig in on Capitol Hill, it is clear that suburban opponents are very aware that many voters still want to see improvements in the health care system as they face skyrocketing premiums, fewer choices and the growing threat of losing coverage.

"There is near unanimity in my district," says Roskam, "that the status quo is unacceptable."

Roskam and other Republicans, like Biggert, have put forward a patchwork of reforms, including limits on awards against doctors found liable in malpractice cases.

Still, Biggert is not so convinced voters in her district are unhappy with the overall health care system. And she said residents are most fearful of government bureaucrats stepping between a patient and doctor to rule on health care decisions. Biggert denies the argument of government-run insurance supporters that private insurance companies are already making those kinds of health care decisions for policy holders.

"Your doctor tells you" what health care is needed, she said, "not your insurance."

Regardless, she argues many times people can fight an insurance company's decision to deny coverage for a doctor-recommended procedure and she insists they often win.

"Sometimes you have to take control of your own health care," she said. "In some cases, you have to fight for it."