Thursday
Aug202009
No Public Option, No Health Care Reform Say House Progressive Leaders
Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 2:25PM
By Laura Woodhead - Talk Radio News Service
Health care reform without a public option is not worth the vote House progressive leaders said Thursday. Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Raul Grijalva, (D-Ariz.) warned that a plan without a strong public option does not constitute real reform.
"The line has been drawn," said Grijalva, during a conference call to discuss why a growing number of House members refuse to support a bill without a public option. "For us to pile on a trillion plus dollars into the same bankrupt system that we have of health care delivery in this country, the same insurance industry, is not worth the vote if it doesn't have a public option."
The comments come following a letter sent to Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Monday, signed by 60 progressive members of congress, stating that there would be no support for a health care bill, either on the House floor or after conference, that contained no public option.
Congressional Progressive Caucus vice Co-Chair Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), warned that attempts at a bi-partisan compromise on the public option would not produce positive votes from Republicans, as it is reform that they oppose, not a public plan.
"Anybody who thinks that the way to get a bill is to abandon the public option better be able to explain, better be able to tell me how many people they think they are going to get from the right side of the aisle," Ellison said. "We won't get any. The fact is that we should not count on any Republican votes."
Joining the Congressmen in the discussion was Jacob Hacker, Stanley Resor Professor of Political Science, Yale University who said that the Senate Finance Committee's compromise in the form of "untested" consumer co-operative simply did not represent real reform.
"Consumer co-operatives should not be seen as a substitute for a public plan," said Hacker. "[Co-ops are a] political solution to a political problem unlike the public plan which is a policy solution to a real world problem."
"They should be understood for what they are, an effort to kill the public plan and with it an effective competitor to consolidated insurance companies."
Health care reform without a public option is not worth the vote House progressive leaders said Thursday. Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Raul Grijalva, (D-Ariz.) warned that a plan without a strong public option does not constitute real reform.
"The line has been drawn," said Grijalva, during a conference call to discuss why a growing number of House members refuse to support a bill without a public option. "For us to pile on a trillion plus dollars into the same bankrupt system that we have of health care delivery in this country, the same insurance industry, is not worth the vote if it doesn't have a public option."
The comments come following a letter sent to Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Monday, signed by 60 progressive members of congress, stating that there would be no support for a health care bill, either on the House floor or after conference, that contained no public option.
Congressional Progressive Caucus vice Co-Chair Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), warned that attempts at a bi-partisan compromise on the public option would not produce positive votes from Republicans, as it is reform that they oppose, not a public plan.
"Anybody who thinks that the way to get a bill is to abandon the public option better be able to explain, better be able to tell me how many people they think they are going to get from the right side of the aisle," Ellison said. "We won't get any. The fact is that we should not count on any Republican votes."
Joining the Congressmen in the discussion was Jacob Hacker, Stanley Resor Professor of Political Science, Yale University who said that the Senate Finance Committee's compromise in the form of "untested" consumer co-operative simply did not represent real reform.
"Consumer co-operatives should not be seen as a substitute for a public plan," said Hacker. "[Co-ops are a] political solution to a political problem unlike the public plan which is a policy solution to a real world problem."
"They should be understood for what they are, an effort to kill the public plan and with it an effective competitor to consolidated insurance companies."
Reader Comments (5)
I support a STRONG and VIABLE Public Option in the health reform bill.
Consumer co-operatives just won't due.If the interests of health insurance companies are put before the publics
Interest in this I will be so angry I will vote Republican next election just to make the Democrats pay for their cowardly betrayal.
Daniel Adams
The other day, I received an interesting and very instructive e-mail from my brother Jeff who lives in France. He asked me to share it with the readers of my blog. I think I will share it with you also.
"HELLO, AMERICA!
“As an American who has been living in Europe for most of the last 20 years, one who has visited doctors numerous times in four different countries, whose two children were brought into this world in European hospitals (France and England), who has himself spent a week in a public British hospital, and who underwent an operation in a private British clinic, I think I can say a thing or two about health care in Europe.
“Our out of pocket expenses for the births? Zero, even though in France my wife spent 5 days in the hospital after the birth, which is standard, by the way.
“During the three years we lived in England, we never once paid for medicine for our children. Children get drugs for free in the UK. Visits to the GP are free for everybody.
“My expenses for the week in the NHS hospital? Zero.
“The cost of the operation in the private clinic? Zero, it was covered by my work insurance, as was the post-op physical therapy I needed.
“In Western Europe you would never be forced to sell your home in order to pay for your medical bills, as happens all too often in America when catastrophic illness strikes and the insurance company decides that your condition was ‘pre-existing’.
“The quality of the care? Mostly good. French hospitals are excellent, even the food is decent. The food at the NHS hospital was beyond awful, but then again most English food is pretty bad (though they do have great Indian food). At night, they were understaffed, but I am guessing that, apart from that place where Dr. House works, most American hospitals are understaffed at night, too.
“In short, in the US, you pay more, get less, and die younger than we do in Europe. What part of that don’t you understand?
“My fellow Americans, you have nothing to fear except those who would use fear to keep you enslaved to the myth of the might of the American health care system.”
Jeff Degan
What can I tell you? The guy is a Communist. Not only does he live in France, he actually likes it there. An eternal shame to our family’s good name. Let us boil down his seven paragraphs to their juicy essentials, shall we?
HEALTH CARE IN THIS COUNTRY SUCKS.
Here is (Excuse me, I meant to say, “Here was“) a golden opportunity for real reform and the idiotic Americans are screaming about socialism. Is it any wonder that we have become the laughingstock of the Western world?
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
PS – I love English food!
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I am so ashamed of our country. Our duly elected democrats who call themselves "blue dogs" have proven they are not democrats at all. Their constituents are the very ones who need gov't sponsored "public option" health care the most. Those in the south & from the mining towns in the north. I wish your message about living in France & England would become a part of those people's daily read. I wish we could target the bluedogs to pressure them to not let their votes be bought by the insurance & drug companies. we now finally after all these years have a chance to do something about our dreadful system, yet they are the very ones holding it up. The democrats. I can't believe I'm writing this.
please we need and deserve a PUBLIC OPTION
it is an option!!!!!
thank you!
thank you for all your work and dedication