Key House Liberal: No Public Option, No Deal
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Amid the praise from Democrats for Sen. Olympia Snowe’s vote to help pass a health care bill from the Finance Committee, liberal members of both the House and the Senate remain concerned about the shape the health care bill is taking. On ABCNews.com’s “Top Line” today, Rep. Raul Grijalva, the co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus, said he will join liberal colleagues in voting against any health care reform bill that doesn’t include a strong “public option” that would compete with private insurers. “I venture to say that without a robust public option, a bill cannot get out of the House of Representatives,” said Grijalva, D-Ariz. “If that’s not in there, I can’t support it.” Grijalva called it a “waste of time” to try to try to address the concerns of Snowe, R-Maine, when Democrats have the votes to pass a bill without any Republican support. “Obviously it worries many of us a great deal that we’re going to basically write the legislation to cater to a vote or maybe two votes in the Senate on the Republican side,” Grijalva said. “The fact of the matter is I think at the end of the day there’s going to be unanimity among the Republicans, both in the House and in the Senate, to vote against any health care reform.” “So I think it is a waste of time for the White House and to some extent for leadership to continue to cater to one vote, when in reality the best opportunity to pass it is [with] a solid, unified caucus of the Democrats pushing for reform with a robust public option.” He rejected Snowe’s proposal that a public option be applied through a “trigger” mechanism, where it would kick into place only if the private sector doesn’t provide the savings Congress expects. “The trigger will never occur. That’s our fear,” Grijalva said. “So the consequence of a trigger is effectively to kill a public option.” Grijalva also said the White House has made a commitment to stakeholders to take up immigration reform next year, even though big legislative items are difficult to tackle in congressional election years. “That is a commitment both in the political sense, and in a moral sense, that was made to many people. And I think the Latino community invested in hope in this election, and in overwhelming numbers to help his fine administration and this new Congress that we have in this country. I think they’re looking for a reciprocal response. And immigration reform is that response we want, that’s the commitment that was made.” Click HERE to see the interview with Rep. Raul Grijalva. We also chatted with Ana Marie Cox of Air America, who said liberals are frustrated after months’ of committee talks that were designed to draw the vote of a single Republican senator. “We’re now crafting legislation to please a single person. One person. And that is tremendously frustrating,” she told us. “And if people can make that case to voters, I think they will be frustrated with that kind of negotiation, and hopefully the moderate Democrats will gain some spine.” Watch the full discussion with Ana Marie Cox, including some our nominees for Least Powerful People in DC (in homage to GQ, which came out with its “most powerful” list this week), HERE.
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“”"”"Grijalva called it a “waste of time” to try to try to address the concerns of Snowe, R-Maine, when Democrats have the votes to pass a bill without any Republican support”"”"”
Sounds like pure bi-partisanship here….NOT. So 1 GOP votes for it and now this idiot wants to dismiss her like “we got what we wanted from you now we don’t need you”. And people wonder why the Dems are not well liked. Pass it without any support then. See your seats dissolve in 2010 and 2012.
Posted by: lfrichar | October 14, 2009, 2:54 pm 2:54 pm
What is interesting is that people have a problem with everyone being mandated to buy health insurance..Everyone is mandated to get car insurance..doesn’t it make sense! I drives cost down..imagine half of America have health insurance and the other half don’t..what would result..high cost! The Republican arguments make little or no sense other than being political and not wanting Obama to do any thing good..Isn’t it interesting that the Republican did nothing about healthcare reform for the eight years when they were in charge! Now they are busy pretending that they care about all American..I call that hypocrisy!
Posted by: Stanley | October 14, 2009, 3:12 pm 3:12 pm
I meant! Imagine half of the country have car insurance and the the other half don’t..that will cause chaos and drive cost high..Why you don’t have a problem with everyone having car insurance but you have a problem with everyone being required to have health insurance! The Repubs have no argument as usual..its all politics! The big insurance companies have always been big supporters of the Republican party while they are ripping Americans off. Its sick and getting sicker!
Posted by: Stanley | October 14, 2009, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm
Stanley — Ok, car insurance is a little different. Imagine if you were forced to buy car insurance and you didn’t own a car? Would that be fair? Some youngsters do not believe they need insurance until they are a little older and see it as a waste of their money. Should they not have the right to choose? If they don’t need/want a doctor, why pay insurance when they won’t use it?
Posted by: lfrichar | October 14, 2009, 3:21 pm 3:21 pm
If you believe everyone has car insurance dont get in a car accident cause you will find out that me and you are the only ones. Watch any of the judge shows on tv Joe, Judy, Marylyn every day they have a case or two [but i didnt know my insurance had expired two years ago]
Posted by: earl | October 14, 2009, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
Stanley — Check out who’s buying who out! Political contributions by insurance companies: 2010* Dems $4,685,347 or 56%. GOP 44% or $3,732,498.
Posted by: lfrichar | October 14, 2009, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm
Stanley — I have been driving for 30 years and NEVER used car insurance. Averaging $100 per month, I could have saved $36,000. It is called insurance for a reason and I very easily could have gotten in an accident. Health care insurance only affects that person and they may think they don’t need it at a young age and use that money for other things. Bottom line, it should be the individual deciding, not the government.
Posted by: lfrichar | October 14, 2009, 3:30 pm 3:30 pm
Going to take up immigration reform next year???? Hey them sucers are here now. I went to the home repair and lumber place this morning almost couldnt drive in the place cause of the 100 or so day laborers that came running because I drive a pickup. I had to think how many legitimate contractors that are licenced dont get work for themselves and their employees because of this.
Posted by: earl | October 14, 2009, 3:34 pm 3:34 pm
While I too wish to have a public option, to throw the baby out with the bath water would be the wrong thing to do. If the votes are not there to pass the bill with a public option then I would agree to Ms. Snowe’s suggestion that the option kick in immediately should reforms not take place by the insurance companies. To kill the entire bill as Mr. Klein suggests would be very harmful and just plain stupid.
Posted by: bckrd1 | October 14, 2009, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
Take a look at your insurance policy do you see how much they are charging you for uninsured driver coverage WONDER WHY same thing with this health insurance thing Nobody will buy it till they get sick the fines [or taxes] are too low Jail time would be the answer then maybe people would buy it. unless they are illegal then they get it free at the ER.
Posted by: earl | October 14, 2009, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
and when that young person who opts out of health insurance shows up at the ER with a burst apendixs, exactly who do you think will pay for their care? We will through our city/county taxes. Medical care is not free for young people or the elderly as much as you might think it is you are paying for it currently. That sounds reasonable don’t you think, or are you naively arguing that young people don’t get cancer, hernias, appendicitis, etc. I have never had a car accident in many years of driving. Does that mean that I should just wait and get coverage after one happens? That would be a pretty great deal, unfortunately that is not how insurance works, of course unless you are a R and believe that bake sales and car washes are the best way to pay for healthcare.
Posted by: Leichtman | October 14, 2009, 3:56 pm 3:56 pm
lfrichar bellowed:Stanley — “Check out who’s buying who out! Political contributions by insurance companies: 2010* Dems $4,685,347 or 56%. GOP 44% or $3,732,498.”
That gives me hope for the Dems. Looks like they can’t be bought. The GOP are like “ladies of the evening” you can buy their allegiance as proof of their backing big Insurance Companies at the detriment of the middle class. You stay classy there Reps.
Posted by: Houston | October 14, 2009, 4:01 pm 4:01 pm
i agree i dont want anyone to be forced `to buy somehing but i am paying for their insurance anyway. eventually they do get sick and tax the system just like illegals do. my whole agrgument all along is at a fine of 700 bucks and you can buy insurance at any time you need it with no concern of preexisting cconditions, anyone with half a financial brain will figure this out and dump their insurance and have huge savings and buy it when they need it. i pay 16,000 a year now…if i could pay 700 a year in a penalty and only buy insurance when i need it..what do think most people will do. walla the end of health insurance companies and a public disaster. in the mean time we will pay higher taxes and the benefit will not even roll out until 2013. where is the beef?
Posted by: catman | October 14, 2009, 4:01 pm 4:01 pm
Houston — Oh they can be bought. Mandating insurance will ensure the insurers get their money. It remains to be seen if government subsidation will ultimately seal their fate. As health care costs continue to rise (remember we have done nothing to curb costs with this legislation) premiums will ris and the government would be pressured not to raise their rates. Government subsidation ensues and then the insurance companies kill their profit margin until they have no more. Then the government takes over as insurers profits disappear and millions join the government insurance company. Oh, health care costs continue to rise because this legislation did nothing to stop it. What a circle huh?
Posted by: lfrichar | October 14, 2009, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
Stanley, the reason you’re mandated to have auto insurance is that if you have an accident and injure someone else and damage their car, who’s going to pay for your errors if you don’t have coverage. Auto insurance is not required by everyone, just those who want to drive. Driving is a privilege. The health insurance requirement being proposed does not share the same qualities as auto insurance does. BTW – if your car gets hurt, it’s your choice where to have it fixed … can you say the same will be true about your health insurance?
Posted by: Phil | October 14, 2009, 4:58 pm 4:58 pm
Grijalva, the biggest disgrace to Arizona ever to serve in congress, is also upset that the Backus bill does not provide free healthcare to his primary constituents: illegal immigrants.
I fully expect the loony-left d-crat socialist to ignore the view of the majority of Americans and put a full government-run public option in their final bill (leading to the complete nationalization of the American healthcare system), provide full support for abortions and totally free taxpayer-funded health benefits to illegals and other criminals that support the d-crats.
Real American citizens must then correct that travesty in the 2010 and 2012 elections before it bankrupts the entire nation.
Posted by: ALEX H. | October 14, 2009, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm
No deal if no public option OR if there’s not heavy regulation on insurance corporations and drug makers. The “pre-existing condition” part of the current proposals is a good start, thougth. I would hope that the “can’t drop customers” provision for paying customers is there. The light fines for not buying insurance might be a compromise and be adjusted at some future date.
Posted by: Wayne | October 14, 2009, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
“I fully expect the loony-left d-crat socialist to ignore the view of the majority of Americans and put a full government-run public option in” – The vast majority of Americans do support a vigorous public option in poll after poll by many different pollsters. Where do you get your data? Americans want a public option because a mandate without an option is just a further strangle hold over people’s lives by the insurance corporations.
Posted by: Mark from atlanta | October 14, 2009, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
Posted by: ALEX H. | Oct 14, 2009 5:02:28 PM
Sorry Alex – you know not what you write… In 1986, Reagan mandated that all PEOPLE who enter the ER get medical care whether they have insurance or not and those unpaid ER costs are past onto taxpayers and always will be. Repubs had 7 years to fix the ‘illegal’ problem and chose not to… Their fault not democrats or independents… or perhaps Bushy couldn’t ‘win’ in 2004 without the hispanic vote since he already stole the election in 2000 with the so-called ‘conservative’ cronies on the Supreme Court.
Posted by: Melanie | October 14, 2009, 6:01 pm 6:01 pm
Most Americans now favor a public option, and that’s why the progressives are gaining traction Obama stepped up and dispelled many of the GOP lies on this issue and the tide has turned in favor of healthcare reform with a public option. Without a public option, it is useless and will do nothing to force health insurance companies to lower their rates.
Posted by: bluedem | October 14, 2009, 6:39 pm 6:39 pm
Still blaming bush whats it been 9 months most of us could have had a baby by now and that is really hard lets give all the moms a pease prize cause they did something but dont let you children grow up to retirement age cause we dont like retired people the cost too much. There I said it and Im glad.
Posted by: earl | October 14, 2009, 6:47 pm 6:47 pm
Public Option…you have got to be kidding…look at Social Security and Medicare..you really want the Gov’t running health insurance ALSO? I don’t want to pay a bunch of gov’t flunkies to mess up health care also.
Posted by: GetReal | October 14, 2009, 7:15 pm 7:15 pm
No matter what they pass, if congress doesn’t get it too, then the Americans will just get Crap!
Posted by: fedup | October 14, 2009, 7:34 pm 7:34 pm
If this generation of Democrat’s could go back in time to the 30′s and 40′s they would be amazed to find out how stupid they are compared to that generation of American citizens.
This generation of Democrat’s don’t get it! The more you tax citizens the less money the government receives. Simply becaues it takes away jobs from the public. Every one is taxed to death and no one has any money to spend. It is the middle income workers that are going to be taxed to death.
The taxes get higher year after year. If you think I am making this up you are not listening to what the Democrat’s are saying in Washington.
Posted by: John Demeter | October 14, 2009, 7:47 pm 7:47 pm
The biggest issue with any of this healthcare issue, is that the health care costs come from doctors and hospitals, not insurance companies. Doctors and hospitals charge so much, in part, because of the rediculous amount of money they have to pay for mal-practice insurance, because there is no limit to the amount they can be sued for. The dems in congress do not truly want to fix anything. The entire reality of this is that they want to control the American people. I thought we got rid of the control back in 1776.
Posted by: Ken | October 15, 2009, 12:08 am 12:08 am
i have been taking care of an individual whom needs a double transplant in order to live. medicaid and medical pay for it all. thats his insurance. all operations, all medication (15 different kinds), a caretaker and transportation all for free to him but cost to you. a person that had liver and a coma for a year whom didnt have insurance at the time can never obtain for this condition. i see weekly procedures and prescriptions being filled that are redundant and not necessary just because medicaid can be billed for it. i experienced the same when i HAD CANCER AT 26 with no insurance and received much better care than having insurance would of provided. the system is broke and thinking that things are efficient and fair for all is a farce and a joke.
Posted by: broken down ambulance | October 15, 2009, 12:11 am 12:11 am
If this generation of Democrat’s could go back in time to the 30′s and 40′s they would be amazed to find out how stupid they are compared to that generation of American citizens.
This generation of Democrat’s don’t get it! The more you tax citizens the less money the government receives. Simply becaues it takes away jobs from the public. Every one is taxed to death and no one has any money to spend. It is the middle income workers that are going to be taxed to death.
The taxes get higher year after year. If you think I am making this up you are not listening to what the Democrat’s are saying in Washington.
Today, October 14, 2009, 4 hours ago | John Demeter
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I’m so glad you brought up this issue, because I have the answer that will avoid taxes on the middle class and which has worked in the past! Please read the following ‘historical tax facts’ about ‘financing wars’ and ‘getting out of Great Depressions’.
Leading up to 1918, the top rate of the income tax was increased to 77% (on income over $1,000,000) to finance World War I?
So, since Bush, Cheney, and the Republicans (the wealthy of the country) started the $1,000,000,000,000 Iraq war on a false premise, I say we are due for a tax on the wealthy to pay for it.
Also, from 1918 until 1929 the top tax rate was steadily reduced from 77% to 24%? Remember what happened in 1929?…The greatest stock market crash of all time! Isn’t it amazing how history repeats itself since taxes on the rich were recently lowest during the Bush administration?…and there were 2 stack market crashes!
Then, from 1929 until 1932 (during the Great Depression) the top tax rate was increased to 63%, and then steadily up to 94% in 1945? The Great Depression ended in 1939…6 full years before the all time top tax rate on the rich!
So, from a historical point of view, there be enough money residing in the rich to do what they have done before…’finance expensive wars’ AND avoid or ‘get out of a Great Depression’.
Posted by: ErnestNM | October 15, 2009, 12:21 am 12:21 am
p.s. history will blame bush and cheney for as long as there are humans that read and can think for themselves. if i came into your house and stole everything and sent your children to die in a war that i profit from based on a big fat lie would you remember it beyond a nine month time frame? would you still feel the pain for perhaps a life time? many of us do feel that pain and will not experience closure concerning bush and cheney till the time when perhaps they stand trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity and crimes against america.
Posted by: pearls b4 swine is a dead end | October 15, 2009, 6:03 am 6:03 am
Bush has an EGO problem and Cheney thinks that he still matters,but he does’t.They both knew Iraq had no WMD’s and Cheney said in an interview the both knew that the economy was getting really bad,but kept quite.
Posted by: butch-40 | October 15, 2009, 9:43 am 9:43 am
I have one simple Question if this is such a good deal then tell me why the Democrats are against posting it online for the public to read at least 72 hours before the vote takes place? I mean we have had this system for how many years? What is another 3-4 days going to hurt? What are they afraid of or better yet what are they hiding? What don’t they want us to know?
Posted by: batesba74 | October 15, 2009, 12:36 pm 12:36 pm