Wed, 07/15/2009 - 5:32pm — a little night ...
From Don McCanne:
Senate HELP Committee
July 14, 2009Sen. Bernie Sanders just offered an amendment to the Senate HELP health care reform bill that would allow a limited number of state experiments with single payer systems. The proposal would have provided waivers from federal regulations such as ERISA, and would have authorized current federal spending on programs such as Medicare and Medicaid to be transferred to the state to be used in the single payer program.
Those voting for the amendment:
Bernie Sanders
Tom Harkin
Sherrod Brown
Jeff MerkleyAll Republicans and all other Democrats voted against it.
via Alegre
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I think we need a national day of resigning from the FKD Party--
the one we register for at our local voter registration locations. Individuals dropping out of the Dems in onesy-hundredsies won't be noticed, but a national day for changing to independent just might get some attention.
We sure aren't getting much attention with what we're doing.
Good idea
Lots of PUMAs would have to re-register as Democrats again first.
you name the day,
i'll do it.
after reading this, i was planning to rip up my voter registration card and mailing the pieces to nancy pelosi. i'll save it for a designated national resignation day.
an interesting development...
One of the commenters on Krugman's blog mentioned this, and I can't find any other source than this post by wmtriallawyer at Kos:
We can't afford not to have single-payer!
Two Things
1) It must really and truly be a shitty public option if it's seen as being a bad thing to stick Senators in it; and
2) Whatever final bill we end up with will not put Congressional leaders automatically in the public option (there will be some loophole somewhere, even if it is just to let them individually buy their insurance).
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
This Could Be Bad
Did folks voting against it give a reason? My fear is that having rejected this amendment, it will be seen as Congress intending to NOT allow this, which could be a problem if state law is preempted. OTOH, if folks voting against it said they were doing so because it was unneeded or for some other reason that would, in theory, permit state single payer plans, then that would be better.
"Do what you feel in your heart to be right -- for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't. " - Eleanor Roosevelt
I don't know if they gave reasons
The video of the hearing is here (if you want to wade through it) - I can't get it to play, though.
Yes, I would really like to know what they were thinking.
I've tried looking at the HELP bill to see if it somehow prevents the states from enacting single-payer plans, and there do seem to be some problems, most of which were addressed in what I read of this amendment. (I haven't read the amendment itself, just some summaries of it.)
We can't afford not to have single-payer!
IT'S TIME TO MARCH -- WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THIS!
JOIN US -- JULY 30TH --FOR THE SINGLE PAYER RALLY AND LOBBY DAY IN WASHINGTON, DC.
Join your fellow Americans on July 30th in Washington, DC to show Congress and President Obama that we support a national, single-payer healthcare system and demand the passage of HR 676.
Single Payer Rally and Lobby Day in Washington, DC, July 30th. See more information here: http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/single-payer-rally/
Please download the flyer and post it everywhere: http://www.healthcare-now.org/docs/july30.pdf
Our fight for equal access to healthcare for all is about democracy, freedom, human rights, civil rights, and basic human decency.
SPREAD THE WORD! TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW!