Edwards' Credible Health Insurance Threat

John Edwards has said that if he becomes President he will take away Congressmen's government provided health insurance if Congress does not pass universal health care.

Many have criticized Edwards because as President he will not have the legal authority to eliminate Congressmen's health insurance unless Congress passes legislation authorizing this. And supposedly Congress would never agree to eliminate their own health care.

But I think that Edward's threat is credible. Imagine that Edwards becomes president and demands that Congress pass universal health care. Further assume that the American people overwhelmingly want universal health care.

If Congress didn't pass universal health care there are lots of tricks that congressman could play to protect themselves from the voters' wrath. For example, there could arise three separate universal health care proposals, none of which commands a majority. All congressmen could claim to support universal health care, but no health care law would ever get passed.

But if Edwards demanded that Congress terminate its own health insurance, it would be very difficult for Congressmen to oppose this and fudge the issue. As a result, it may well be more politically costly for Congress to not terminate its own health insurance than it would be for Congress to fail to pass universal health insurance.

Thus, Edwards might reasonably use the threat of politically forcing Congress to end its own health insurance as a lever to get Congress to pass universal health care.