SF Mayor on Pelosi: ‘I Don’t Think She Wants to See This Thing Blow Up’
Email ABC News' Teddy Davis reports: Nancy Pelosi has been adamant in saying that the House cannot pass health legislation that does not include a public insurance option.
But one of her guests in the Speaker's box tonight sees her ultimately getting behind a public option with a trigger as a compromise. Speaking to ABC News by phone after touching down in Washington, D.C., San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said that he thinks his fellow San Francisco Democrat will bring both liberal and moderate House Democrats together on final passage around the idea of passing a public option with a trigger. A public option with a trigger is a government insurance plan that only comes into effect if private insurance is not affordable. "I don't think she wants to see this thing blow up," Newsom told ABC News. "In the ideal world, we wouldn't be talking about a trigger. But in the pragmatic world we are living in, you see the House passing a bill with a strong public option, the Senate passing a bill without a public option. It goes to conference and you get a trigger." "You almost feel like it’s a playbook that's been written," he added. Newsom is a strong proponent of a public option. He was invited by Pelosi to sit in the Speaker's box during tonight's speech because San Francisco has a public health system which covers more than 75% of the city's uninsured. Although Newsom would like to see a public option implemented right away in order to hold down costs, he is prepared to accept a public option with a trigger if it is structured the right way. "If there is going to be a trigger, it better be a very strong and precise trigger that's real and not just window dressing," said Newsom. The San Francisco mayor thinks it is necessary for Pelosi to get behind a public option with a trigger because not doing so could be a disaster for her party and the country. "The speaker is very pragmatic," said Newsom. "I don’t think she wants this to disappear and be an asterisk in history."
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I support single-payer if only for American citizens. Illegals should receive emergency care and then be deported, get in line and enter our country legally. The cost of care currently given to illegals runs into several billion dollars per year. If this were denied, the cost for care to all Americans would be greatly reduced and probably sustainable.
Posted by: betts w | September 9, 2009, 7:29 pm 7:29 pm
My employer changes private insurer frequently so that makes it difficult for those of us unfortunate enough to have been diagnosed with a cancer gene.
I would be thrilled with a standardized process that works the same way every time – that would save a mint. I know first hand how easy it is for a problem with private insurance to hang on delaying your care and adding to your frustration and stress when dealing with a terrifying diagnosis.
republicans have nothing to offer except battling for tort reform to benefit the doctors and against a public option to benefit the private insurers. nothing for you and me.
Posted by: trueblue | September 9, 2009, 7:43 pm 7:43 pm
How about no option. I don’t want public or private option. Its none of the Governments business if I have health insurance. I know many people who wont go to a doctor for any reason even if they think they are dieing. They don’t trust doctors or Government. In fact there are tens of thousands of people in this country that believe that way. So what do you do with them, round them up and put them in detention camps? These people who are pushing this crap can go to hell.
Posted by: Dennis | September 9, 2009, 10:11 pm 10:11 pm
That’s just a cheap sneaky way to shove this thing onto the American people. Congress and Obama are liars.
Posted by: midwestlady | September 9, 2009, 10:51 pm 10:51 pm
Would one of you for this plan please enlighten all of us where specifically in the United States Constitution either the Executive branch or the Legislative branch is given the power to get involved in providing a government run healthcare system for all of the citizens of this great country? The Constitution lists 17 enumerated powers of the Legislative branch and I cannot find providing healthcare listed as one of them nor can I find it listed as a power granted to the Executive branch. Please read the 10th amendment and enlighten us why the providing of healthcare would be a federal government responsibility and not the responsibility of individual states in accordance with the 10th amendment.
Where in this document does it state that we all have the right to healthcare (it may be a moral right but I mean a granted right by the Constitution) even if we cannot afford to pay for it out of our own pocket? If I can afford my own healthcare insurance and then am forced through increased taxation to pay for your health insurance am I not now a slave to you as I provide the fruits of my labor to you and you provide nothing to me in return?
Posted by: sandcrab1612 | September 9, 2009, 11:49 pm 11:49 pm
If you want to see your doctors office of the future, w/ the public option, just peek inside your local D.M.V.
Posted by: Intherough | September 10, 2009, 8:38 am 8:38 am
So Obama’s position did not change…..he still wants the public option, and he is adamant that this program will not add to the deficit.
Yeah, right……..
He is going to “find” 900 Billion in “savings” from other programs.
Not believeable…..
Posted by: thecentrist | September 10, 2009, 9:03 am 9:03 am
The whole country knows Obama is a liar. Joe Wilson just had the guts to call him on it.
You go Joe
Posted by: No Common Sense in DC | September 10, 2009, 9:33 am 9:33 am
Pelosi has not been a positive force for the people of this country, and I hope her time in the congress ends.
We need representation for the people, and not the political power machine.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | September 10, 2009, 10:57 am 10:57 am
You Go Joe!! We need more white men that are not afraid to go against these black loving, white hating bigots. Thats right I said it! Blacks are so racist, all stupid lying obama is for is blacks.
Posted by: Dan | September 10, 2009, 12:35 pm 12:35 pm
Nothing has changed, and won’t until Nov, 2010. When hopefully the people of Californis will make Pelosi an asterisk in history. I know it’s a dream but it is a nice dream.
Posted by: LEE | September 10, 2009, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
Newsom: Love walking down your city streets and being barraged by your insured homeless people.
Posted by: jonec1200 | September 10, 2009, 2:09 pm 2:09 pm
This country was great for a long time. I was born in 1946 and I have seen the best of America. Too bad we have no leaders any more. Hopefully there will be a “clean house’ campaign started next year and we can get rid of all the congress. It’s the only way we will ever get our country back. Rebs, Dems, no difference, they’re all corrupt.
Posted by: Dude | September 10, 2009, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
Glad that San Francisco can afford to have a public health care plan for the uninsured. Isn’t the state of California in a budget crises? How many billions of dollars is this state in a hole? and the Governor stated that the health care is one of the problems……ummmm….
Posted by: rukidding 55 | September 10, 2009, 2:55 pm 2:55 pm
Why isn’t ABC reporting on the Acorn scandal? Oh you don’t want to report on Acorn who is contracted by the Commerce Dept. to conduct the 2010 Census. The video & transcript is unbelievable to watch an Acorn worker tell an employee how to get around paying taxes & to live in gov’t housing.
Posted by: rukidding 55 | September 10, 2009, 2:58 pm 2:58 pm