Copy of bill presented to library Posted On: Thursday, Nov. 5 2009 04:51 AM By Hailey Persinger
Killeen Daily Herald

Killeen residents now have the option of reviewing the 1,990-page health care reform bill currently making its way through Congress.

Greg Schannep, regional director for Congressman John Carter, carried the 19-pound stack of papers into the Killeen Public Library on Wednesday morning, where it will be split up and bound in individual binders for public viewing.

The House is slated to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote on Saturday.

Passage of the bill as-is would establish a "public option," which would allow those without employee-sponsored insurance to be covered by a government-run program.

Though Schannep could not say how much of the bill is devoted to the public option, he said people are passionate on both sides.

"The reality is, even if it is a sliver, that sliver is part of the controversy," he said.

With people split on the issue of the public option and of health care reform as a whole, Schannep said the availability of the bill should give its readers a better idea of what their representatives are voting for or against.

Schannep said Carter has read the nearly 2,000-page bill. He said Carter believes that while the health care system does deserve some reform, the government should not have control over that system.

"The private sector tends to get insurance right," he said.

Regardless of what Congress decides, librarian Dawn Miller said that having the print copy of the bill is good for residents who want to get involved in politics but do not have the resources to do so.

"I'm glad it's in print format because a lot of people don't have electronic media," she said.

Though the library keeps the city budget and some government studies on hand for research purposes, Miller said that in her 25 years at the Killeen Public Library, she has not seen an actual piece of legislation come through the system.

While the bill is available, Schannep said wading through the information can be difficult for those not familiar with legislative and insurance terminology. Nonetheless, giving a copy to the people is part of Carter's goal to inform constituents on a national, controversial issue.

"They will have to take two weeks off of work to get through it," he said. "I don't think the average person's going to stroll in here and say, 'Oh, I see you have the bill. I have an extended lunch break.' This is our attempt to provide bills to the people they affect."

Contact Hailey Persinger at haileyp@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7568.