Public Option Will Have Same Problems As Medicare Says Former CBO Head

Former Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Holtz-Eakin says, during a conference call Monday hosted by the Galen Institute, that a public option will not aid in solving the fundamental problems of health care, and if it were to reimburse on the basis of medicare payment rates it would only add to the problem. (0:25)
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Former CBO Director: Real Healthcare Reform Is Needed

Former Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Holtz-Eakin says Monday, during a conference call hosted by the Galen Institute, that the public option is not a necessary component of the healthcare reform debate and will not solve the fundamental problems with America's health care system. (0:16)
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Public Option Will Not Spur Competition, Says Former CBO Director

Former Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Holtz-Eakin said Monday, during a conference call hosted by the Galen Institute, that an increase in competition between health insurance carriers is needed and that a public option will not help in that regard. (0:26)
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Harkin Likes Public Option In Senate HELP Committee Healthcare Bill

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) believes that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee's version of health care reform legislation, which includes a public option, is right. (0:29)
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Sen. Harkin Confident Public Option Will Be In Merged Bill

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said he is confident that a public option in the merged bill and says he fails to see how an alternative non-profit health care co-op could work. (0:25)
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Boehner Acknowledges Some Public Option Support

House Minority Leader John Boenher (R-Ohio) was asked if he had heard from any supporters of the public option. Boehner jokes that he has received "some" calls from supporters. Two weeks ago, Boehner claimed he had not spoken with anybody outside of Congress who supported the public plan. (0:07)
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American Muslim Taskforce Leader Leans Toward Single-Payer Healthcare

American Muslim Taskforce Board Member Mahdi Bray encourages religious leaders to advocate for a single-payer health care system.

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Kucinich: Health Care Reform Without Public Option Would Be Tragic

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) says it would be tragic if health reform does not include a public option but still mandates health insurance. (0:21)
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Boehner: Public Option As Unpopular As A Garlic Milkshake

“I’m still trying to find the first American to talk to who is in favor of the public option,” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said during a press conference Thursday. “This is about as unpopular as a garlic milkshake.” (0:25)
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Democratic Rep. Confident Public Option Is On The Table

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) met with Vice President Biden Thursday. Lee said that she is confident the public option is still on the table.

"[President Obama] cared about the public option before his speech and he cares about it now," said Lee. (0:25)
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Pelosi Challenges Critics Of Public Option To Bring Something Better To Table

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says in a press conference Thursday that she supports the President's wish for a public option provision within his administration's healthcare plan, and challenges opponents of the public option to present a better idea. (0:26)
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Reid: Public Option Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

“The public option is in the eye of the beholder. There are different types of public option. We’re going to look at all of them,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) stated during a press conference with Senate Democratic leaders Thursday. (0:08)

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Co-Ops Will Kill Public Option, Chances Of Real Reform, Says Public Policy Expert

Professor Jacob Hacker, widely credited as being the originator of the idea of a "public option" to compete with private insurers, says that a co-operative is not a viable alternative to a real public option. The Yale professor says co-operatives should be shown for what they really are; a means to kill the public option. (0:27)
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Health Care Reform Without A Public Option Is Not Worth The Vote, Says House Progressive Leader

While the public option battle continues, congressional progressives are "drawing a line" when it comes to abandoning the public option says Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.). He says that any bill that continues to fund the "same bankrupt system" without a public option is not worth the vote. (0:24)
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GOP Against Reform, Not Just Public Option Say House Progressive Leader

Congressional Progressive Caucus vice Co-Chair Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), says that abandoning the public option would not guarantee bi-partisan support of a health care bill. Despite what they claim, Republicans are against real reform and removing the public option will not change that says Ellison. (0:37)
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Health Care Reform Foes Using Lies To Promote Fear, Says Sebelius

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius denounced the rumors that health care will be rationed and medicare will be cut if health reform is carried out. Sebelius says that the concerns "could not be further from the truth." (0:15)
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Congress Should Not Be Required To Use Public Option, Says Sen. Whitehouse

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) says that members of Congress should not be required to use the proposed public option because it "casts a shadow" that the public option is mandatory. "[Republicans] are trying to maintain that the government is here to take away your choices, that this is going to be mandatory, that we're somehow moving to single-payer all of which is complete nonsense," says the Rockefeller. (0:34)
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Democrat Velazquez Says Public Option Will Ensure Lower Health Care Costs

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) says that in order to lower health care costs there must be competition, and adds that in order to have competition there must be a public option (0:13)
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Union Workers Want Both A Public Option And Ability To Keep Their Current Health Care Plan

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) stated that union representatives he spoke with Wednesday, expressed to him that they do want a public health policy, but they also would like to keep their own health care plans if they so wish. (0:25)
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