Need bipartisan effort

I am concerned with the current health care impasse that has been fomented by the Republican Congress and Trump administration. I am also tired of hearing the mindless mantra of "repeal Obamacare." It is obvious now that this is a political ploy devoid of substance or merit. The newly proposed plan, hastily put forth, is ill-conceived and manifestly a step backward in meeting the needs of the American people.

Health care is a daunting problem to resolve. Rising medical costs and the demands of an aging population bedevil any efforts to negotiate its shoals. The Affordable Care Act was a brave and respectable first attempt at this goal. To propose that we discard this progress for political posturing is offensive and self-defeating. Why not set aside political pettiness and join together in statesmanship with the Democrats to forge an honest solution? Build on the valuable lessons learned and modify our present program to further advantage and improvement.

The expense of health care is onerous and escalating. Any program designed to meet its demands is necessarily problematic and beset with inherent difficulties. This is no time to quibble over personal differences and vacuous ideologies. It is high time for our representatives to step forward to join in a meaningful bipartisan effort to meet a fundamental need of the American public. The mandate of their mantle will settle for no less.

Kent Fetzer

Salt Lake City

Credit: By Kent Fetzer For the Deseret News