Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Monday, November 23.
1. Yesterday, Jon Walker took on Nate Silver, who "believes progressives should trade the public option away, but what he wants in return is far more useless and an even tougher political battle."
2. Jane Hamsher says it all "comes down to a simple question: will Harry Reid allow for majority rule? Or will he let corrupt members of his own caucus block a majority of the public and Congress who want a public option?" Hamsher urges everyone to sign the petition to Harry Reid to pass the public option.
3. Jon Walker writes that Sen. Blanche Lincoln "is willing to force tens of millions of Americans to pay higher premiums for the small possibility it could gain her some political advantage," and that this constitutes "the trifecta of awfulness." For those keeping score at home, that's a lot of awfulness! :)
4. Jon Walker points out "what a difference a serious primary challenge can make." Specifically, "{Sen. Michael} Bennet is currently facing a serious primary challenge from Andrew Romanoff, while {Sen. Blanche} Lincoln is not currently facing a primary challenge." Walker concludes, "It is amazing how quickly a serious primary challenger turns a senator into a reliable vote on the important issues." Sounds like we need a lot more primary challenges from real progressives.
5. Speaking of progressives, Jon Walker argues that "you can't be a progressive and support the filibuster," which he calls "a tool to thwart the will of the people" and "the great maintainer of the status quo." It's not like the filibuster is in the Constitution or anything, it's just an internal Senate rule, and those rules can be changed. Is there any good reason not to change it?
6. Jon Walker warns that Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) may be "jumping on the trigger bandwagon." Even if he's well intentioned, the problem is that any trigger in this case will likely "be designed to make sure it is never pulled, so there will never be a public option." Obviously, that's not an outcome we - or hopefully Sen. Menendez - find acceptable.
7. Jon Walker analyzes "what the Senate bill does better," focusing in this post on the "waiver For state innovation." Given many progressives' frustration at this point, it's good to know that the Senate bill "is not all bad," as Walker puts it.
8. Finally, Jason Rosenbaum reiterates that "triggers are nothing but a plan to kill the public option." Other than that, they're a greeeeeeaaat idea. (snark)
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Friday, November 20.
1. Jon Walker asks, "Is Harry Reid Laying The Ground Work To Betray Progressives For Snowe's Vote?" In the end, Walker concludes, "Reid does have the power to get a public option passed, there is no good excuse for failure." Cool, so don't fail! :)
2. Jon Walker says that "the crack team of reporters at the Washington Post don't know how to read" and that they "make the ridiculous claim that the public option would not be able to keep down costs." Other than that, they totally know what they're talking about. Heh.
3. Jon Walker discusses why the House bill is much more "small c" conservative than the Senate bill. In short, the House bill "would do a better job of maintaining a health care system similar to the one we currently have" and the "reason for this is the employer mandate."
4. David Dayen reports that "Ron Wyden has reached agreement with the leadership to get an amendment into the bill which would allow as many as 1 million additional individuals who get health care from their employers to participate on the insurance exchanges, including selecting the public option." Dayen believes that this could "lead to significant changes in the current health system by expanding the risk pool in the exchanges, strengthening them, and setting a precedent for moving away from the employer-based system." The Republicans' worst nightmare, in other words.
5. David Dayen reports that Bill Clinton told FDL's Eve Gittelson that it would be problematic for him to attend a free medical clinic being held in Little Rock, Arkansas tomorrow because MSNBC's Keith Olbermann had 'politicized" the event.'" Huh?
6. David Dayen says that while "{e}veryone's talking about the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and their imposition into the legislative debate over health care, particularly abortion," the there's also their "opposition to a restrictive provision in the Senate bill that would ban undocumented immigrants from purchasing health insurance on the exchange with their own money." Go Catholic Bishops on this one!
7. Jon Walker asks, "Why Does The Senate Bill Create Two Exchanges?" The answer: "I have been unable to find a good reason why the decision was made to create two separate marketplaces." Well, that's comforting! :)
8. Finally, tomorrow (Saturday) at 8pm eastern time is the big vote to proceed to debate on health care reform legislation in the U.S. Senate. We'll see how it goes, but there's little doubt that conservadems love their leverage in this process. Thrilling, no?
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Thursday, November 19.
1. Jon Walker lays out "eight things wrong with the Senate health care bill," beginning with "Delays Start Until 2014" and including "Nationwide Plans Gutting State Regulation." Definitely a few things that need to be fixed here.
2. Jane Hamsher has a statement from FDL on the Senate health care bill. The statement concludes, "If Harry Reid truly cares about fighting for the good of the country over the good of Wellpoint, he will immediately dispense with the opt-out and move to reconciliation and allow a majority in the Senate to deliver to Americans what they want and desperately need." Unfortunately, it doesn't appear at the moment that Reid is so inclined.
4. Jon Walker identifies the "most frightening line in the CBO report," regarding risk adjustment mechanisms in the Senate bill that are "dangerously weak." According to Walker, "that might not sound scary, but that line should strike fear in the hearts of any health care policy expert." Find out why by clicking here.
5. Jon Walker writes that "at the request of AHIP, [the] Senate bill guts state health insurance regulations." Walker says that this "is a dramatic move by the federal government, forcing states to deregulate their health insurance markets," and that it could "gut state health insurance regulations and create a race to the bottom." Other than that, it's great! (snark)
6. Jon Walker examines the House and Senate health care bills and concludes that the House bill is 12% more cost-effective than the Senate bill.
7. Jon Walker analyzes "how the Senate abortion language differs from Stupak". In short, the Stupak amendment "would make it practically impossible for any insurance provider to offer abortion coverage on the exchange for a variety of financial and legal reasons."
8. Jane Hamsher contrasts Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) "hold[ing] health care...hostage" while Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter "brings Olbermann clinics to Arkansas." Quite a contrast.
9. Finally, Jon Walker reports that, "{l}ike a monster in some B horror movie," Tom Carper is now working with Olympia Snowe "to bring back the trigger, which [Carper] has comically named the 'hammer.'" The hammer? What, is this named after Tom DeLay or something? Weird.
2. Jon Walker writes that "it seems [Senator Thomas] Carper [D-DE] has completely reinvented (cribbed? copied?) Snowe's trigger proposal, and must be hoping no one notices." Whoops, we noticed! :)
3. Jon Walker writes about a new CBS News poll which "found that a majority of Americans (51%) want Congress to pass a health care bill with a public option." Only 26% of Americans prefer "no bill at all," while an even smaller share (16%) would like a health care bill without a public option. Part of that 16%, of course, is Joe Lieberman, who is now being asked by "Concerned Clergy of Connecticut", "what is it that your conscience tells you?" A scary thought, indeed.
5. Jon Walker analyzes the Capps, Ellsworth, Stupak, and Senate Finance language on abortion.
6. Jon Walker says that "Ben Nelson is unlikely to block allowing debate to proceed on health care reform" because - get this - he fears that if he doesn't, the legislation would move ahead under reconcilation and turn out less "moderate" (e.g., more progressive) than he and his pal Joe Lieberman would prefer. And that would be a bad thing, apparently. Got it.
7. Jon Walker writes that the Senate health care bill, at long last, will be unveiled tonight, with a vote possible on the motion to proceed as early as Saturday night. Of course, as Walker points out, "allowing a bill to be debated on the Senate floor is a long way from allowing the final up-or-down vote needed to pass the bill out of the Senate." Hey, after decades of waiting, why rush this thing? (snark)
8. I blog about a story in North Decoder on Kent "Coop" Conrad calling Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Dakota "irresponsible" for a mailing it did on health care reform. What's hilarious is that Conrad has been the biggest proponent of health care cooperatives, yet that's exactly what "irresponsible" BCBS of North Dakota hopes to be under federal legislation. Nice, huh? :)
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Tuesday, November 17.
1. Jon Walker reports that a new ABC/Washington Post poll indicates the country "nearly divided" on the overall health care reform effort, but "very high popular support [for] the public option and the employer mandate." Isn't it interesting how the most progressive parts are the most popular? Hmmmm.
2. Jane Hamsher comments on an email from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) that says, "The question is no longer if we will have some sort of public option in the final health care reform bill, but instead what form it will take." To put it mildly, Hamsher is suspicious of what this means. asking if Durbin's and Reid's "online people really think they can burn the entire online left community by manipulating them so shamelessly on something that is this important to them, and that nobody will remember?"
4. Jon Walker analyzes the options for passing health care reform in the U.S. Senate without having 60 votes, and asks, "how many thousands of lives and billions of dollars are they willing to throw away to maintain some of their terrible, anti-democratic, anti-constitutional, special Senate privileges?" The answer to that question, of course, should be "none."
5. Jon Walker writes that we need to address health care costs, and that it's no "great mystery" how to do so: "There are plenty of thoroughly tested, completely proven cost control mechanisms we can directly borrow from other nations." One thing's for sure, though, Walker concludes, "we need to take off the 'free market economagic' blinders" and "start by adopting solutions proven to work elsewhere."
6. Jon Walker is concerned that the Stupak Amendment "could radically reduce the availability of abortion coverage in this country," and that "its reach could be far beyond the exchange." Which is why it's such a bad idea and should be removed from health care reform legislation, ASAP!
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Monday, November 16.
1. Jon Walker reports that "HR 3962's Massive Expansion Of Coverage Would Result In Very Small Increase In Health Care Spending." Walker adds, "Despite the Republican talking point, it is not some liberal overreach-this reform bill is extremely modest reform that leaves statue quo mostly unchanged."
3. I blog about a story on My Left Nutmeg, which has a rabbi telling Joe Lieberman with regard to health care reform and the public option, "Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbors." The rabbi also asks Senator Lieberman, "what is it that you stand for?" That's an easy one: Joe Lieberman stands for Joe Lieberman, not for the people of Connecticut, on this crucial issue.
4. Jon Walker blogs about a report in the New York Times that "the drug companies have dramatically jacked up the prices of their medications this year to lock in profits before reform starts." Wonderful, huh? As Walker puts it, "there goes your magic savings from the PhRMA deal." Ugh.
5. Michael Whitney reports that "Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) will oppose a final health care bill that has triggers or that allows states to opt out of the public option - with an asterisk." The "asterisk" is that she would "allow states to opt-out only if they did provided 'a more progressive option' offered at the state level." Sounds reasonable to me.
6. Jane Hamsher asks "What do you do when you're busted spamming the Congressional Record?" Easy: "Raise Drug Prices!" As Hamsher notes, that takes "some serious stones".
7. I report on the teabaggers in Virginia backing off their plans to burn Nancy Pelosi and Tom Perriello in effigy for supporting health care reform. It turns out, they were scared off by bloggers like Blue Virginia and Firedoglake. Are we "liberal bloggers" really that scary to big, bad tea partiers? Apparently so!
8. Jon Walker writes that the Senate health care debate is expected to start on November 30, which obviously "does not leave the Senate a lot of time to finish up amending the bill before Christmas." Are we going to miss another deadline on getting a health care reform bill to President Obama's desk for signature? It's starting to look that way, unfortunately.
9. Jon Walker says that Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware "thinks Democrats should embrace Snowe's worthless trigger," and predicts that "Senate Democrats are going to rue that day if they sellout the over 80% of their base that supports a public option in order to win the support of one single Republican." And that's not even counting Joe Lieberman! Heh.
After an exciting week in Washington, I returned to the 10th Congressional District this week to host my first town hall as a Congressman. More than 100 constituents were in attendance for the event, where we emphasized economic development and job creation opportunities in Livermore. "It's about jobs, and that's what I really want to focus on here," I told the assembled crowd.
California has a 12.2 percent unemployment rate (up from 7.8 percent this time last year), and there are many opportunities to create new jobs at the national labs and through the federal stimulus package and local transportation and clean technology investments. But while I would estimate that two-thirds of the crowd was interested in the job creation discussion and supportive of my actions as a Congressman to date, a minority of the crowd was more interested in using the opportunity to criticize my vote on the House health care bill.
Lisa Vorderbrueggen of the Contra Costa Times and Randy Shandobil of KTVU 2 have good coverage of the event, including partial video. While there was a brief moment where the crowd got a little rowdy, once I respectfully asked everyone to stop shouting and clapping, we were able to continue with a constructive back-and-forth dialogue.
More of the town hall's health care discussion over the flip...
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Friday, November 13.
1. Jane Hamsher writes about a Goldman Sachs evaluation that says the House version of the public option would cause insurance stocks to drop 36% by 2019. Jane concludes, "It's hard to look at this as anything but advocacy on their part to apply political pressure to weaken and pass the Senate Finance Committee bill, because it's highly unlikely that no health care bill will be passed."
2. Jon Walker has more on the Goldman Sachs analysis. Walker highlights Goldman Sachs' belief that "the public option would be the dominant player on the health insurance exchange, with over 50% of that market...significantly more than the CBO's projection that the public option would only sign up 20% of the customers on the exchange." Walker believes that Goldman Sachs is "much better at this type of analysis" than the CBO, and thus recommends "listening more to Wall Street's analysis than the CBO's."
3. Jane Hamsher marvels at Harry Reid's "list building off the public option," saying she is "[g]lad to hear it" and that "as long as reconciliation is a possibility, I doubt either the AFL-CIO or us will accept him shrugging his shoulders and saying 'what can I say, Joe made me do it' as a solid excuse for ditching it."
4. Jon Walker writes that the CBO analysis of the Senate health reform bill "is taking even longer than expected."
5. I've got a "Voices from the States" writeup by Betsy Muse of BlueNC, in which she writes, "Under the current makeup of our state government, I don't think there is a chance that North Carolina will opt out of participating in healthcare reform."
6. Jane Hamsher highlights a story first blogged on Blue Virginia that "teabaggers" in Virginia are planning to burn Nancy Pelosi and Tom Perriello in effigy tomorrow afternoon. Fun times in Danville, Virginia! (not)
7. Finally, Jane Hamsher reports that Harry Reid's online poll indicates 67% saying that the public option is the "most important aspect of health care reform." Hamsher believes that Reid's effort is sincere, given that "You don't list build by appealing to people you plan to punk."
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Thursday, November 12.
1. Jane Hamsher writes that "Harry Reid says he has a wonderful relationship with the albatross hanging around his neck," aka Joe Lieberman. Personally, I still can't comprehend how Lieberman wasn't booted from the caucus when he not only endorsed John McCain, but campaigned with McCain and Sarah "Wolf Killer" Palin against Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2008. Argh.
2. Jon Walker blogs about a Washington Post story "that Harry Reid is looking into possibly raising the Medicare payroll tax for those making above $250,000 a year." Walker believes that "[i]f Reid can get the Senate bill to more heavily rely on taxing the wealthy, and less on taxing employer-provided health insurance benefits, it could reduce the number of contentious issues needed to be settled in conference." Not that there are any contentious issues that need to be settled in conference. Ha.
3. Jon Walker writes that "[w]hile health reform does not directly address many GLBT issues, it does try to fix many of the problems with our current system that do strongly disadvantage the community." Let's hope so, it's about time this issue is addressed!
5. I report on a new poll by Quinnipiac University that indicates the public option is highly popular in Connecticut, and on balance it's a political loser for Joe Lieberman to oppose it. Not that he gives a rat's hindquarters.
6. Jon Walker writes that this is "only one important battle for health care reform," that even if "a health care reform bill passes this year, there will be at least two more legislative battles before progressives could turn it into a quality universal health care system." Something to look forward to.
7. Jon Walker believes that Rep. Bart Stupak has no plans to "fold," and also that if "the pro-choice block in the House is not serious with their threat, the Stupak amendment will be in final bill." That's an outcome we don't want, so let's hope pro-choice representatives get "serious." Fast.
8. Jon Walker says that Senator Harry Reid "may pay for reform with Medicare payroll tax on capital gains." Walker believes that this is "a smart way to raise money and should be a relatively easier sell, as tax increase[s] go."
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Wednesday, November 11.
1. Jane Hamsher points us to Kagro's "excellent rundown of what happened on the public option fight," and also why abortion rights activists, with "an existing network of professional lobbyists and policy analysts, plus a multi-million dollar funding base," didn't see the Stupak amendment coming and work effectively to head it off. Simply bizarre.
2. Jon Walker reports on Sen. Tom Carper's "no good, super terrible, completely awful, new new new 'alternative' to the public option," namely "to take Olympia Snowe's worthless trigger idea (which already should have 60 votes if no liberal Democratic senators bolt), and weaken it further for no reason." Brilliant!
3. Jon Walker writes that "if Harry Reid tries to go this route [e.g., "accept some worthless fig leaf like the Snowe's trigger or Carper's Plan B"] to get a watered-down compromise, it will not 'show the left that he did everything he could do.'" In the end, Walker concludes, "The left will not be 'placated' by a big show and half hearted measures." Sorry, but that's not what we've worked so hard for the last several years.
4. Jane Hamsher writes that "the absolute best, most optimistic outlook for passing a bill in the House without a public option means that 13 or fewer progressive votes could stop it." She then proceeds to list 16 progressives who have pledged that they'll vote against any bill without a public option. The result of this analysis is powerful: "no health care bill will pass without a public option. Period." Now that we've got that out of the way, how about the Senate stops wasting time and gets this thing done already?
5. Jon Walker says that "PolitiFact Is Wrong About Nita Lowey: Abortion Coverage Could Become Rare With Stupak Amendment." What's weird is that even after Walker contacted PolitiFact and told them exactly why they were wrong, they still would not correct their story, arguing that the possibility of abortion coverage becoming rare "seems remote." Based on this, Walker remarks, snarkily, "PolitiFact claims to be a 'fact checker,' not a 'in my opinion it seems like an unlikely outcome' checker." Heh.
6. Finally, Jon Walker reports that "since the House agreed to decouple the public option from Medicare rates, [Sen. Kent] Conrad has expressed some tepid openness to the public plan." True, it may not be a "ringing endorsement" of the public option by Conrad, but on the bright side he "does not sound like a man who is about to threaten to bring the whole bill down if it includes one." Hey, that almost makes me tepidly optimistic! LOL
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Tuesday, November 10.
1. Jon Walker warns that the Stupak Amendment "reaches far beyond any of the reporting so far" and could "effectively stop many employer-provided health insurance plans from covering abortions for tens of millions of Americans." Scary stuff, well beyond the women's-right-to-choose piece of this monstrosity.
2. Jon Walker points out that although Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) "is completely correct our current system is completely unsustainable and will not survive another decade if it continues in the same manner it has been," he himself has "yet to endorse the kind of radical reform necessary to reduce cost."
4. Jon Walker reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is prepared to use "reconciliation" if necessary to pass health care reform with a public option. Is this leading up to a death match between Sanders and Joe Lieberman, who has vowed to fillibuster a public option? Stay tuned! :)
5. Yours truly reports that the House vote on health care has already become an issue in the gubernatorial primary in Alabama.
6. David Dayen writes that "Barbara Boxer sounds confident that the Senate will not be able to join the House in passing restrictive anti-choice language in the health care bill." Let's hope Boxer's confidence isn't misplaced.
7. Last but not least, Jon Walker says we shouldn't get too excited about Bill Clinton giving Senate Democrats a pep talk. Apparently, Clinton "told the Senate Democrats to pass anything, and do it quickly." Anything? With all due respect to President Clinton, that's not really the point here, now is it?
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Monday, November 9.
1. Jon Walker summarizes the passage of health care reform (HR 3962) as "a truly historic moment...[that] will help millions of Americans," but also "at best bittersweet" from a progressive perspective. In the end, this bill "will at least provide progressives the tools they can use build with." It certainly "will not be the end of health care reform." In other words, we all could be working on this issue for a looong time to come.
2. Jon Walker asks "the 37 House Democrats who voted against health care reform because it is too liberal, why are you even Democrats?" Walker adds, "I'm not big on party purity tests, but there are some things that are so essential that they are at the heart of what it should mean to be a Democrat." Things like providing high-quality, affordable health care to all Americans.
3. Jane Hamsher writes about her appearance this morning on "Democracy Now" with Dennis Kucinich talking about the House of Representatives' Saturday night health care vote. Among other things, Hamsher points out that "[w]ith the exception of Kucinich and Massa, all of the House progressives abandoned their July 30 pledge to vote against any bill that didn't have a public option with rates tied to Medicare." Apparently, a pledge ain't what it used to be on Capitol Hill.
4. Jon Walker argues that there are two reasons to use "reconciliation" to pass health care reform: 1) to "save the public option;" and 2) to "kill the Stupak amendment." In the final analysis, Walker concludes, "if a bill is passed under regular order that does not contain a real public option but contains the Stupak amendment, it is because Harry Reid refused to use reconciliation." I've posed this question many times before, but I still don't understand how Republicans were able to force through their agenda from 2001 to 2006 with a bare majority in Congress, yet it's so hard for Democrats with large majorities in both chambers. Any theories?
5. Jon Walker writes that in "three hours on Saturday," he managed to do what "women's organizations failed [to do] in legislative and media battle on the issue" of women's reproductive rights; namely, "coming up with a...strategic counter-proposal or attack to undercut Stupak." Maybe it's time for pro-choice organizations to hire Jon Walker? Ha.
6. Michael Whitney says that now is the time "to refocus our efforts to secure a public option in the final bill that's signed by President Obama." In addition, we need to be "nailing down enough Members of Congress to stop triggers or state-opt outs from appearing in the conference report bill." Something tells me this is going to be an intense next few weeks.
7. Yours truly blogs about Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) comparing health care reform to the 9/11 attacks. Sadly, this type of insane rhetoric is becoming typical of Republicans these days.
8. Jane Hamsher asks whether Planned Parenthood and NARAL will "score" the Stupak amendment, which "[s]ome are calling...the worst assault on a woman's right to choose since the passage of Roe v. Wade." If it's that bad, pro-choice groups should "score" it, right? Seems pretty obvious.
9. Jon Walker writes sarcastically, "Surprise! Ben Nelson Demands The Stupak Amendment!" Yes, what a huge surprise that was. Not.
I have had one of those weeks that you remember for the rest of your life. On Tuesday, I won a congressional election. On Thursday, I was sworn in by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and got to cast the first vote of my congressional career: a resolution honoring female veterans and military personnel. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to cast the most important vote of my 34 years in public service.
The health care reform bill that cleared the House yesterday, if approved by the Senate, will transform this country's health care delivery system. Denial of treatment for pre-existing conditions will be a thing of the past. None of us will have to worry that if we fail to report the chicken pox, we'll be denied treatment from our insurers for cancer. Out-of-pocket expenses will be capped and subsidies and tax breaks will be made available to consumers and small businesses. This combined with the reduction in administrative overhead costs, the savings associated with an emphasis on preventative medicine, and other measures will provide us as individual consumers and as a nation with substantial long term cost savings. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the health care reform bill will cut the deficit by over $30 billion over the next decade and will continue to create a surplus over the next 20 years.
Yesterday's plan also includes a public option that, while not as expansive I would have liked, is still very worthy of support. And as most of you are well aware, we had an unfortunate setback for women's health in yesterday's voting. But on the whole, this is change we can believe in.
When I was California's Insurance Commissioner, my staff fielded thousands of calls from California residents who fell victim to the insurance industry shenanigans. When large fires hit San Diego, Oakland, and elsewhere, hundreds of consumers were victimized a second time by their insurance companies. My capable staff was successful at coming to a consumer-friendly resolution for almost all cases, but at times, I had to personally ring up high ranking industry executives to use all forms of persuasion available to my office to make sure my constituents were treated fairly.
When one's business model depends on collecting monthly payments from people in the hope that you'll never have to provide them with the services they are paying you for, it's disappointing but not shocking that the insurance industry looks for loopholes to maximize its profits.
Depressingly ironic, that choice is no longer part of the public option. The Stupak amendment, which bans the public option from covering any elective abortions, passed by a fairly wide margin in the House today.
Of note to us here at Calitics is that, along with the entire California Republican delegation, three California Democrats voted in favor of the Amendment. The names will hardly surprise anybody: Jim Costa, Dennis Cardoza, and Joe Baca. Our three biggest conservaDems strike again.
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Friday, November 6.
1. Jon Walker asks, "Does Landrieu Not Know That All Her Demands Regarding The Public Option Have Already Been Addressed?" Specifically, Walker wonders if Landrieu is aware that "House Democrats adopted [Chuck] Schumer's idea of a 'level playing field' public option," one that is supported by premiums (not "government-run, taxpayer subsidized" as Landrieu seems to think). Very strange.
3. Jon Walker says that, "[a]s it stands, I can't say I'm 100% confident in the success of a negotiated rates public option limited to only the new exchange." Walker explains in detail how "the public option will reach several important tipping points in the first few years that will determine its long term success or failure." Fascinating stuff.
4. Jane Hamsher writes about the AFL-CIO threatening to "reduce its contributions to Democrats who don't side with them on the [health care] issue." Hardball.
5. Jon Walker asks if the Republican strategy of "[d]ragging their heels, endless delaying, obstructing everything, screaming about overreach and government takeovers" has "succeeded in paralyzing enough conservative Democrats at just the wrong moment." Walker worries that Democrats could end up "facing two opponents in 2010...Republicans, and staying home." As someone who just observed exactly that in Virginia, I can say that this is not farfetched at all.
7. An incredibly busy Jon Walker writes about a "new CBO analysis of the House bill [that] demonstrates how weak the CBO believes the new risk adjustment mechanism will be."
Finally, keep an eye on the House over the next few days, keep the pressure on your representatives for the best possible health care reform, and have a great weekend!
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Thursday, November 5.
1. Jon Walker reports on what he correctly calls a "cruel sick joke" - the Republican "health care reform "alternative." Among other things, "It does not ban insurance companies from refusing to cover pre-existing conditions. It guts state health insurance regulations, and lets insurance companies charge sicker people more." That's why I like to call the GOP the "I've got mine so @#@$@ you" party.
2. Jon Walker blogs about DCCC chair Rep. Chris Van Hollen telling "members in a closed-door meeting that Democrats win by supporting the core Democratic agenda." Both Van Hollen and Nancy Pelosi emphasized that "Republicans attacked New York Democrat Bill Owens on health care during his own victorious special election campaign, but Owens still won." In short, Democrats stand the best chance of winning when they give voters a clear alternative to Republicans.
3. Jon Walker says that endorsements of HR 3962 (the "Affordable Health Care for America Act") by the AMA, AARP, American Cancer Society and Consumers Union "should help ensure that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be able to whip the votes to pass the bill on Saturday." Let's hope they more than counteract the Bachmann tea partiers who showed up en masse today on Capitol Hill!
5. Last but not least, Jon Walker reports that Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has been disinvited as keynote speaker for the Palm Beach County, Florida Democratic Party's annual fundraiser "because she has not yet decide to support cloture on health care reform." Sorta like your mother saying, "you won't get any dinner if you don't stop hitting your brother?" :)
(I meant to promote this yesterday, but still, go get 'em Congressman! - promoted by Brian Leubitz)
On Tuesday, communities across America voted in hundreds of local and state elections. In Northern California's 10th Congressional District, voters saw fit to send me to Congress. To all my supporters who voted, volunteered, donated, and spread the good word about our campaign, you have my sincere gratitude.
Today I was sworn in by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to represent the people of the 10th Congressional District (video here, about 1:35:00 in). It is an honor to serve my constituents and my country at such an important moment in U.S. history.
When we started our campaign for Congress this spring, we knew we would run a forward-thinking campaign with unwavering support for comprehensive health care reform that includes the public option. With a team of hundreds of volunteers and the support of more than 66,000 voters, we won our special election with a double digit lead. I look forward to voting for a House health care bill worthy of support as early as this Saturday - a bill that includes a robust public option, ends the denial of coverage for so-called pre-existing conditions, creates cost-savings, and protects Medicare for our seniors.
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Wednesday, November 4.
1. Jon Walker writes that Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) "is actively working to kill the public option with help of Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and, of course, the trigger." As any good Democrat would, of course. (snark)
2. Jane Hamsher posits that Rahm Emanuel's "'act more like Republicans' strategy just hasn't worked out, and we're getting whiffs of the disaster it spells for Democrats who follow it." One example she cites, which I find particularly relevant (since I blog in Virginia), is "Creigh Deeds reinacts Little Bighorn in Virgina after saying he'll 'opt-out' of public option and Democrats stay home." Ha.
3. Jane Hamsher writes about her appearance on Rachel Maddow last night, "talking about Harry Reid's announcement that a health care bill might not pass until next year, and the White House response that they still wanted it in 2009." For a number of reasons, Hamsher concludes that "time is more on our side than not now" and that, shortly, "the pressure will be on the White House to start twisting ConservaDem arms to get health care passed - while we keep whipping progressives to hold their firewall." Sounds like a plan! :)
4. Jon Walker reports "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is signaling that health care reform might not be passed before the end of the year, and could slip into the next." Hey, there's no reason to rush, we've only been waiting a few decades for this, right? Heh.
5. Jon Walker writes, "Nancy Pelosi is set to soon pass an acceptable health care reform bill in the House, now we wait to see if how Harry Reid and Senate Democrats will ruin it." Suggestion: we can help reduce the chances of the Senate "ruining" health reform if we keep the pressure on for them to do the right thing. Thanks.
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Tuesday, November 3.
1. Ben Tribbett explains "What Happened in Virginia?" In part, Tribbett blames it on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds "bashing federal Democratic priorities like "Cap and Trade" and health care reform to appeal to the conservatives that were headed to the polls." Brilliant.
2. Jane Hamsher blogs about Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.), who "seems to think that if Democrats get their asses kicked [in elections] today, it just proves he's right about everything." Specifically, Altmire seems to think that "if the results show Republicans have a pretty good night, that probably is going to lead some Democrats to think that, going into next year, we need to take a second look at the way that we've done a lot of bills we've addressed up to this point." Hamsher responds, "Give me a minute while I clean my keyboard of all the coffee that just came out my nose." Heh.
3. Jon Walker comments on the "Failure Of Blue Dogging" in New York's 23rd District, writings that Bill Owens "was selected because he fit the Rahm Emanuel philosophy that the only way for Democrats to win right-leaning districts is with conservative Democratic candidates." Walker concludes, "If [Democrats] want to remain in power, they need to show the regular people that they are working to make their lives better." Like on health care reform, including a robust public option, perhaps? :)
4. Jon Walker wonders if "Majority Leader Harry Reid has reached some sort of secret deal with Joe Lieberman (I-CT)," adding that "[i]f Reid sells out the base again to appease Lieberman, he has much more to worry about than trying to get 60 votes for cloture." You can say that again.
5. Jon Walker reports that "[t]wo new polls released yesterday show plurality support for the public option in both Nebraska and North Carolina." What's particularly striking is that " Nebraska is one of the most conservative states in the country and is represented by the most conservative Democratic senator, Ben Nelson" - who does not support the public option. Apparently, Ben Nelson isn't listening very well to the voters of his state (or he simply doesn't care?).
6. Jon Walker comments on the Republican "alternative" health care bill, which he calls "a meaningless, very long press release, filled with some really bad ideas." I don't know about you, but I'm personally shocked - SHOCKED, I tell you! - that John Boehner and Eric Cantor would have come up with anything "meaningless" or with "really bad ideas" in it. (extreme snark and eye rolls)
(Thanks to the folks at FDL Action, who will be posting these updates periodically. You can find them in the future in the recent diaries tab or at the FDL Action tag. - promoted by Brian Leubitz)
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Monday, November 2.
1. First, thanks to Eric Pusey of Minnesota Progressive Project for letting us all know what's going on in the Minnesota Congressional delegation regarding health reform, the public option, etc. Thanks to Eric. Also, I invite other progressive state bloggers to send me (at lowell@raisingkaine.com) their "Voices from the States" for publication at FDL Action.
3. Jon Walker writes about "The Achilles Heel Of Health Reform: Risk Adjustment Mechanisms," saying that he is "truly frightened by the possible ramifications that potentially insufficient (and currently completely undefined) risk adjustment mechanisms will have on our health care system after reform."
Here are the