Messaging Health Care Implementation

We've already seen the Internal Revenue Service Commissioner push back against the idea that his agency will hire a bunch of new agents, arm them, and send them out to hunt down people who refuse to comply with the mandate to purchase health insurance once that requirement goes into effect. Now, Health and Human Services Secretary is pushing back against the idea that she's going to hire a whole bunch of people to do the enforcement work health care reform assigned her department to perform.

I understand why folks in the administration are doing this. There's a lot of backlash against the bill and political pressure from Republicans. But I think if agencies have to backtrack, if they find they do need to staff up, they're going to be in even more trouble, because they'll be on the record as saying they wouldn't build the bureaucracy. Better to stick to a message of "we will enforce this effectively and efficiently," bear the short-term pain, and not have to go hat in hand later.