Brown Targeting Health Care

The Boston Globe has a story today about U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Ma., filing legislation to make changes to aspects of the landmark health care reform bill.
Brown, along with Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, call for allowing states to opt out of certain portions of the health care.
For example, according to the Globe, some aspects of the bill require states have an individual mandate and a health insurance exchange. States can appeal to the government to opt out of the requirement if the state can prove its system is at least as competitive for residents as the federal one. Currently, states can opt out as early as 2017. Brown and Wyden want to allow states to opt out in 2014, when other aspects of the bill go into effect.
Brown’s calls here to make some changes to are obviously an attempt by Brown to distinguish himself as a moderate, working-class legislator. While mainstream republicans of his party are calling for a full-blown repeal of “Obamacare,” Brown is taking a more centrist approach. He does not want to scare off independent voters in left-leaning Massachusetts where he will be running for re-election in two years.
While not being too polarizing, Brown is also tapping into voter discontent. Republicans were launched to victories in the most recent election, in part, on a platform of repealing some aspects of the bill. Brown wants to show he’s listening, and willing to do that.