Dodd Visits New Emergency Department at Middlesex Hospital

Bright and early Monday morning before hopping a plane back to D.C. to work on health care legislation, Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd stopped in Middletown for a tour of Middlesex Hospital's new Emergency Department.

Dodd was greeted by Middlesex CEO, Robert Kiely, Dr. Bud McDowell, VP of Clinical Affairs and staff from the Emergency Department. After his tour, Dodd held a brief press conference to talk about his work on new health care legislation.

Dodd was introduced by Tom Swan, executive director of the Connecticut Citizen Action Group. Swan was effusive in his praise of Dodd's effort for a health bill which he described as important and significant.

"I don't know what you've been eating for breakfast," Swan said, turning toward Dodd. "But you're having one helluva year. The bill that Senator Dodd has put forth, on behalf of Senator Kennedy, is a very good, if not excellent piece of legislation. It wouldn't have been done without Senator Dodd's leadership."

Swan praised Dodd's efforts to include provisions for shared responsiblity for small business owners and a public option. He indicated that with his experience trying to get universal health care legislation passed during the Clinton era, his hopes for success during the Obama administration was restrained.

"I thought there was a 50-60% chance of it being passed," he said. "But with the most recent announcements, I think there's an 80% chance of legislation being passed."

Dodd, who, at Kennedy's request, recently took a leadership position on healthcare on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, himself expressed a certain skepticism that health care legislation could pass.

"I thought there was a 50% chance," he said. "I think we have a heightened chance to pass it now. But it's not going to solve every problem."

Dodd also addressed the provisions for shared responsibility, which will require small businesses of over 25 employees to contribute $750 a year for full-time, non-covered employees, and $350 a year for part-time, non-covered employees. He also noted that the much-debated public option is essential to healthcare coverage for all Americans.

"A public option which provides an alternative choice to private insurance is a a safety net for people who don't have a private option," Dodd said.

Dodd ended by noting he has the support of the Obama administration.

"The president said, 'I'm going to prepare to squander every cent of political capital I have to pass health care legislation during my term,'" Dodd noted.

I asked Dodd what he would do to give a voice to individuals, especially less powerful individuals, when lobbying firms are spending $1.4 million a day to represent the needs of powerful healthcare clients, pharaceutical companies and insurance companies.

Dodd did not answer the question directly, but noted that he would give voice to the plight of the uninsured, or underinsured individual, and that he is pushing options which not always popular with the lobbyists, or the groups they represent.

To Swann's comment about Dodd's flurry of activity this year, it should be noted that Dodd is involved in a campaign in which he is being challenged by Republican and Democratic opponents. He is working diligently to win over voters who have been critical of Dodd's involvement in questionable real estate dealings, and his acceptance of campaign donations from large financial firms.