Democrats hope to succeed where Republican President Theodore Roosevelt failed — provide medical coverage for all Americans. 
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, who played a major role in writing the legislation now being debated in the Senate, in making the modern day case for healthcare reform cited Roosevelt’s unsuccessful 1912 campaign after he broke away from the Republican Party.
“As in Teddy Roosevelt’s time, we seek protection against the hazards of sickness,” Baucus said. “Of necessity, we seek a system uniquely adapted to American use. And recognizing the daunting task still ahead of us, we pledge ourselves to work unceasingly, to get the job done.”
Roosevelt never saw healthcare coverage for everyone enacted into law. But nearly a century later, Congress seems ready to do what Roosevelt sought and enact healthcare reform that extends medical coverage to most people in the United States.
Republicans stand solidly against the healthcare bill that the Senate is expected to debate for at least three weeks. For those watching it on C-Span don’t be confused by the title of the bill flashed at the bottom of the screen.
