Kennedy Is Gone, But Health Care Still His Issue

WASHINGTON_Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is gone, but his words echoed through the House chamber Wednesday as President Barack Obama tried to prod recalcitrant Democrats and Republicans into finishing the late senator's life work _ overhauling the nation's health care system.

"'Soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family's health will never again depend on the amount of a family's wealth,'" Obama read from a letter Kennedy wrote May 29 that was delivered after his death last month from brain cancer.

"While I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will _ yes, we will _ fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege,'" Obama quoted him.

In the gallery overhead, First lady Michelle Obama reached over and took the hand of Vicki Kennedy, the senator's widow.

Just over two weeks after Kennedy's death, evidence abounded that the senator's legacy _ even the mention of his name _ remained vital to the muddy prospects for Obama's top priority _ legislation that would provide health care to every American who seeks it.

Even before Obama disclosed the letter, Democrats had set Kennedy's memory as the background for difficult health care discussions still to be had as Congress returns from a monthlong break.

At their first news conference of the fall session, Senate Democratic leaders invoked Kennedy's name 11 times and set aside three hours on Thursday for tributes to him.

Kennedys sat at both ends of the House chamber, overhead in the galleries during Obama's address _ his widow, Vicki, was seated next to First Lady Michelle Obama on the Republican side. Across the chamber, were five more familiar faces: the senator's sons Teddy Jr., and Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., were seated with their sister, Kara. Her two children, Max, 12, and Grace, 14, sat toward the end of the row.

Kennedy called health care reform his life's work and a key focus of his 47 years in the Senate. His death last month was widely mourned in Congress, even by political opponents who respected his ability to thunder liberal dogma from the Senate floor while cutting complex deals, however imperfect, away from it.

That's what Obama is urging his own party to do now _ make some kind of deal toward making health insurance available to every American.

Nevermind that congressional Democrats are threatening to use an arcane procedure called reconciliation to push through any plan on which they can agree _ with or without Republican support. That would mean that the possibility of striking a bipartisan agreement, Kennedy's strength on the toughest of legislation, had failed.

It wasn't clear, however, whether Kennedy would have stood in the way of using that scorched-earth technique.

Getting something that can be called health care reform passed into law this year remains the goal, "in the spirit of Ted Kennedy," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.

There was nothing joint about this joint session of Congress that Obama faced. Before him sat Democrats split over issues of cost and whether the government should offer its own insurance to compete with private plans.

And behind him, Pelosi. She's said repeatedly that a government option is essential to any bill that has a chance of passing the House. Obama favors the public option, but has said it's not a deal-breaker.

From the Republican side came some applause and standing ovations. They also held up copies of their alternative to the Democrats' health care bills when Obama said he was open to negotiating with them.

When he noted that significant issues remain to be worked out, Republicans audibly laughed.

And when Obama said that illegal immigrants would not be insured under his program, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted, "You lie!"

Michele Obama shook her head from side to side; Pelosi frowned.

The president used Kennedy's posthumous letter to try to raise the debate from particulars to broader, humanitarian themes. Kennedy, Obama said, saw access to health care reform as a moral issue.

"'At stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country,'" Obama read.