Dems to defend health law as anniversary nears

Democrats left Congress Thursday with instructions to return to their districts and find a way to mark the one-year anniversary of the healthcare reform law.

"Each one of us will go back to our district and try to make a statement," Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) told The Hill. "Whether it's a town hall meeting or a press release or some type of event, we've been encouraged to do that."

The official anniversary of the bill, according to the Democratic leadership, is March 23, the day last year President Obama signed it into law at an event at the White House that featured more than 200 lawmakers.

A year later, voters haven't warmed to the reforms. Slightly less than 50 percent of respondents to the Kaiser Health Tracking Poll said in February they view the bill unfavorably, while 43 percent said they like it.

With that in mind, Democrats are returning to their districts to remind young adults, small-business owners, women and seniors about their new benefits. Before they recessed on Thursday, party lawmakers also held a low-key press conference at the Capitol to mark the first anniversary.

Butterfield joined House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Reps. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Henry Cuellar (Texas) and John Sarbanes (Md.), along with citizens who had benefited from the bill, in a brief exchange with reporters. 

Butterfield, a member of the party’s steering committee on policy, defended the subtle approach.

"You could do a massive event on the Capitol steps, that's one type of philosophy," he said. "The other is just to have a small event and commemorate it and to make a statement for the public through the media."

Butterfield said the option Pelosi chose was "appropriate."

"We didn't want to have any type of incidents that would be unnecessary," he said.

A massive event that was well-publicized, Butterfield added, "could have invited a backlash response, and I'm glad [Pelosi] did it this way."

Despite the Kaiser survey showing that the public isn't suffering from healthcare fatigue, Butterfield insisted voters want Congress to focus on the economy.

The healthcare debate has ended, except for the court battle, he explained. "We've got to move on to creating jobs and helping small businesses and empowering the middle class. We can't continue [the] healthcare debate. We took a year to do that."

Republicans will still bring it up on the campaign trail, the Democrat admitted. "But I think public opinion is going to be overwhelmingly in our favor.

"It's a significant legislative accomplishment, without question," Butterfield continued. "One day, we're going to look back on this legislation and say, 'It was the right thing at the right time.' "