Getting It Done: How Obama and Congress Finally Broke the Stalemate to Make Way for Health Care Reform [Hardcover]

Tom Daschle (Author), David Nather (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 12, 2010

Senator Tom Daschle's narrative of what went on behind the scenes in the making of the new health care legislation delivers a powerful lesson in the workings of American politics.

The evolution of health care reform was drawn-out, frustrating, and complicated, but Senator Tom Daschle is the ideal person to recount the process.  His account will guide you through the entire story, from the earliest presidential campaign debates -- and his firsthand experiences in the Obama team -- through the battles on Capitol Hill to solve our most serious health care problems.  Not simply a book about policy, Daschle’s narrative describes in vivid detail how fragile the support in Congress was at every step of the way, as well as the frantic efforts to design a rescue strategy before time ran out.  

Combining his insights as a health care expert and his political expertise, this is the inside story about how the new legislation came together: from the persistence of President Obama to the subsequent efforts--and counter efforts--within the Senate and the House.  In Daschle's hands, this becomes a dramatic personal story and a remarkable lesson in politics at the highest level.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former Senator Daschle, a key player in health care reform during his tenure, and leading journalist Nather (The New Health Care System) provide an insider's account of the negotiations that resulted in the passage of health care reform legislation. Unfortunately, Daschle is so careful to be fair and balanced, giving all involved, particularly those who oppose his views, so much credence, that his first-hand explanations are tedious and redundant rather than insightful and passionate. The ill-fated Public Option, for instance, is addressed in only five pages, during which Daschle both touts and dismisses its importance; its power, he says, was that it "combined elements of costs, quality, and access-the three broad problems that health care had to solve" and yet "it's easy to forget how few people ever would have dealt with it." Still, readers looking for an inside account of the process of drafting and passing health care reform will find much of interest here, but those seeking to understand the legislation itself should take note: Daschle only briefly covers provisions of the law itself. Readers interested in an accessible overview of the coming changes should read Nather's excellent recent effort.
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About the Author

TOM DASCHLE is a former U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader from South Dakota. He is currently a Senior Policy Advisor to the law firm of DLA Piper and a member of DLA Piper's Global Board.  Daschle is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, a co-founder of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington DC, and the author of Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.  He is on the board of directors for the National Democratic Institute, a member of the Health Policy and Management Executive Council at the Harvard School of Public Health, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Daschle is married to Linda Hall Daschle and has three children and four grandchildren.

 

DAVID NATHER spent nearly a decade reporting on the politics of Congress and the White House as a senior writer for Congressional Quarterly. He has also covered health care policy in Congress for the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., and lives with his family in Silver Spring, MD.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312643780
• ISBN-13: 978-0312643782
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #968,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Starting Point February 2, 2011

By Stanley P. Santire

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, derisively known as "Obamacar" spawned an immense amount of controversy. This book, Getting It Done, is a good starting point in seeking clarification. Along the way, the book provides insight into the undeniable problems confronting American health care delivery. No one looking at America's health care situation, whether supporters or opponents of the law, deny something must be done. Despite the law's complex and regardless of valid criticism, many myths exist as to what the law says. Instead we have a simplistic term - Obamacare - and an endless march of misinformation such as the claim that the legislation establishes "death panels." Few people have read the law. At slightly more than 900 pages, that is understandable. What is not understandable is that much criticism is seemingly more non-reflective reaction than thoughtful consideration. Criticism can turn on the perspective of what a critic believes American society is or should be. None of this gets to a true understanding of this particular piece of legislation. Nor is it helpful in dealing with the problems the legislation is meant to address. For such an understanding we need to start with where it came from, the congressional struggle and debates, the intentions and reasoning on both sides. Clearly the author, Tom Daschle, has a perspective. He is an avid supporter of the law. However, he manages to give a substantive picture of how the law came into being and the controversies that shaped it. This is a valuable resource for anyone that wants to actually understand the health care problems confronting us and some of the options. For this reason, the book can be helpful not only for those who support the law. It can be a resource for those who want to change or eliminate it. This, of course, assumes that critics fully appreciate our health care delivery challenges and are sincere in proposing a better way.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is how to understand health care reform. April 16, 2012

By Jonathan Zator

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was required to read this book for my American politics class. Tom Daschle truly does an excellent job of explaining the problems with American health care, the political battle leading up to health care reform, and what the effects will be in the future. Daschle clearly explains what is truly a complicated system. If you want to understand the health care system of the United States...read this book.