Kucinich Wins Five Amendments to Health CareReform Bill

The first amendment created an opening for the single payer health care movement by eliminating a federal barrier to stateschoosing to enact single payer health plans. Although the amendment doesnot create a single payer health care system, it removes a major obstacle forany state that wishes to pursue the single payer option. This amendmentbuilds on the momentum of the national movement for single payer health care.

For years there has been a growing support for a fundamental change in the way we look at health care in this country. A single payer health care plan is the best and most tested way to provide healthcare for everyone while increasing quality and controlling costs. The amendment removes a legal obstacle tostates that choose single payer plans. The Employee Retirement IncomeSecurity Act (ERISA) has been used to pre-empt health care reform at a statelevel if the state efforts challenge employer-based health care plans. TheHouse Education and Labor Committee passed the Kucinich Amendment by a bipartisan27-19 vote.

The most important thing we can do is make sure that the Kucinich Amendment is included in the bill that emerges from conference. This would be much easier to push for if we knew exactly which section of HB 3200 contains the text of the Kucinich Amendment. We could link to it, reproduce it on our blogs, and send the text to our respective representatives.

Do we have anyone who lives in Pelosis district? It is critical that she support the Kuncinich amendment. After all, the California legislature has passed single payer twice, so clearly the people of California want this. That ought to count for something.