Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) and leaders from the organizations Democracy for America and Progressive Change Campaign Committee argued Thursday that the majority of Americans would prefer having the controversial 'public option' be a part of healthcare reform.
"New Research 2000 polling shows voters in state after state hate the current Senate bill, overwhelmingly support the public option, and want senators like Tom Harkin, Byron Dorgan, Claire McCaskill, Jim Webb, and others to fight harder for the public option," said Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) Co-Founder Adam Green.
According to a recent New York Times poll on public option, 59% of Americans support the public option, Green added.
Pingree said he believes the public option, essentially a government-administered insurance plan, is necessary to reduce the nation's deficit, as well as to inject competition in the marketplace. The combination of a public option plan and a repealing of the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies will greatly improve things, added Pingree.
"It's important for this bill for reducing the deficit, and for really injecting competition into a field," she said. "The House took its historical vote yesterday on repealing the antitrust provision -- the exemption that insurance companies have had; we took an important step but the public option will take it all the way."
Weiner said he was hopeful that the public option would be discussed during Thursday's healthcare summit involving Members of Congress and the President, stating his desire that the politically poisonous provision wouldn't be neglected in the name of bipartisanship.
"We have to not see this urge for bipartisanship as being a substitute for our elective responsibility to make good law," said Weiner. "The Republicans have expressed their imperatives, which is to try to stop the President from being successful."
Democrat Pingree: Public Option Is The Key To Health Reform
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) and leaders from the organizations Democracy for America and Progressive Change Campaign Committee argued Thursday that the majority of Americans would prefer having the controversial 'public option' be a part of healthcare reform.
"New Research 2000 polling shows voters in state after state hate the current Senate bill, overwhelmingly support the public option, and want senators like Tom Harkin, Byron Dorgan, Claire McCaskill, Jim Webb, and others to fight harder for the public option," said Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) Co-Founder Adam Green.
According to a recent New York Times poll on public option, 59% of Americans support the public option, Green added.
Pingree said he believes the public option, essentially a government-administered insurance plan, is necessary to reduce the nation's deficit, as well as to inject competition in the marketplace. The combination of a public option plan and a repealing of the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies will greatly improve things, added Pingree.
"It's important for this bill for reducing the deficit, and for really injecting competition into a field," she said. "The House took its historical vote yesterday on repealing the antitrust provision -- the exemption that insurance companies have had; we took an important step but the public option will take it all the way."
Weiner said he was hopeful that the public option would be discussed during Thursday's healthcare summit involving Members of Congress and the President, stating his desire that the politically poisonous provision wouldn't be neglected in the name of bipartisanship.
"We have to not see this urge for bipartisanship as being a substitute for our elective responsibility to make good law," said Weiner. "The Republicans have expressed their imperatives, which is to try to stop the President from being successful."