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Public Option Not Dead Yet. Congressional Democrats Send Letter to Reid. CSP a Co-Signer

by: Jennifer Daler

Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 08:50:28 AM EST


Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter has co-signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asking that the public option be put back into the health care reform bill.

The letter was written by Jared Polis of Colorado and Chellie Pingree of Maine.

Howie Klein has more.

The text of the letter is below the fold.
(h/t to Dean)

Jennifer Daler :: Public Option Not Dead Yet. Congressional Democrats Send Letter to Reid. CSP a Co-Signer
Dear Majority Leader Reid:

As the Senate continues to work on health reform legislation, we strongly urge you to consider including a public option.

Here are the reasons for this request:

1) The public option is overwhelmingly popular.

A December New York Times poll shows that, despite the attacks of recent months, the American public supports the public option 59% to 29%. And a recent Research 2000 poll found 82% of people who supported President Obama in 2008 and Scott Brown for Senate last week also support the public option. Only 32% of this key constituency is in favor of the current Senate bill-- with more saying it "doesn't go far enough" rather than it "goes too far."

Support for health care legislation started to fall as popular provisions like the public option were stripped out and affordability standards were watered down. The American people want us to fight for them and against special interests like the insurance industry, and it is our responsibility to show them that their voices are being heard.

2) The public option will save billions for taxpayers, speaking to the fiscally-responsible sensibilities of our constituents.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the public option will save taxpayers anywhere from $25 billion to $110 billion and will save billions more when private insurers compete to bring down premium costs. The stronger the public option, the more money it saves.

By including the public option, we can simultaneously reduce tax increases and the deficit. This is a common-sense way to temper the frustration of Americans who question whether Congress is spending their money wisely and fighting for the middle class.

3) There is strong support in the Senate for a popular public option.

It is very likely that the public option could have passed the Senate, if brought up under majority-vote "budget reconciliation" rules. While there were valid reasons stated for not using reconciliation before, especially given that some important provisions of health care reform wouldn't qualify under the reconciliation rules, those reasons no longer exist. The public option would clearly qualify as budget-related under reconciliation, and with the majority support it has garnered in the Senate, it should be included in any healthcare reform legislation that moves under reconciliation.

As Democrats forge "the path forward" on health care, we believe that passing the public option through reconciliation should be part of that path. We urge you to favorably consider our request to include a public option in the reconciliation process.

Time to call our US Reps and Senators and support this letter.

I totally agree with Rep Hodes when he says health care reform is a jobs bill. Unless this is tackled in a consequential way, our economy will continue to sputter from crisis to crisis. We all have to pull together on this one.

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Snow Squall. No Problem. (4.00 / 1)
Over 60 people made it to Keene to meet with Annie. The public option is on the minds of many.
"My basic values are access, affordability and quality," Kuster said. "I want to get as many people covered as we possibly can. ... The provision that I support is the public insurance option to increase competition and bring down cost, but I'm not sure we have really made the case sufficiently."

A public option, she said, would force insurance companies to compete and bring down their costs.

"I hope that we pass something now," Kuster said. "We need to get the coverage and quality issues addressed and deal with the cost measures as best we can in round one.

"When Medicare was passed, it was not the Medicare we know now. These are massive social changes, and we're not going to get it all in the first round," she said.



Whack-a-mole, anyone?

yes, it is (0.00 / 0)
i don't blame shea-porter for signing this, but it's just theater. the public option is not happening this year.

Kabuki Theater (0.00 / 0)
at its best.

Conrad and Nelson are making reconciliation noise in the Senate while progressives are applying left pressure in the House.  Conrad is chair of the Budget Committee, so he'll have some say if it goes that route.  Nelson is basically saying, "don't make me do it."

My money is on the Senate bill with minor modifications designed to provide cover to one or two Republicans in support to avoid the use of reconciliation. (Maybe Scott Brown cuts a deal and gets Dem commitment to run Coakley again:>)

It's almost impossible for me to believe that they let this die.



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