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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums... House Progressives Will Seek Single-Payer Plan If Mandate Goes Down.
WASHINGTON -- The last thing House progressives want is for the Supreme Court to strike down President Barack Obama's health care law. But if the high court rules Thursday that some or all of the law is unconstitutional, progressives are ready to renew their push for the model of health care they wanted all along: the single-payer option.
"It's easy to see it's a good idea," Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told The Huffington Post. "It's the cheapest way to cover everybody."
Ellison said all 75 members of the caucus have already signed onto a bill by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) to create a single-payer, publicly financed, privately delivered universal health care program. The proposal would essentially build on and expand Medicare, under which all Americans would be guaranteed access to health care regardless of an ability to pay or pre-existing health conditions.
House progressives pushed hard for a single-payer option, such as the "Medicare for all" approach, during the health care reform debate in 2009. But House Democratic leaders couldn't come up with the votes to pass the proposal, and progressives ultimately caved on the idea in order to pass the president's plan, on the reasoning that some reform was better than none at all.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/27/house-progressives-single-payer-health-care_n_1630777.html
longship
(40,416 posts)I am a very proud native Detroiter, Cooley High class of 1966 -- yes, in the actual city limits.
Ellison is a Moslem. Conyers, one of the longest serving Democrats. Both make me proud to be a Democrat.
BumRushDaShow
(127,271 posts)to torpedo it again like he did the last time.
karynnj
(59,474 posts)the problem is NOT that "Baucus torpedoed it. Baucus was a key person charged with getting a bill that could pass the Senate. That meant ultimately getting a bill that EVERY Democrat would vote for. He needed 60 votes - and there were JUST 4 months when there were 60 Democrats in the Senate. (Due to it taking a long time to get Franken in and then getting a replacement for Kennedy. )
There is no reason to think that single payer has any chance of passing.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)If it fails, we don't actually lose anything; though we do get to use that loss to tar every single bastard and motherfucker who shot it down.
If it passes, well... as Andrés Cantor would say, "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!"
RBInMaine
(13,570 posts)Leopolds Ghost
(12,875 posts)Also, I've heard enough about this nonsense about how every progressive in America is praying for the mandate,
aka the Gingrich health plan circa 2000.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)chowder66
(9,010 posts)LeftofObama
(4,243 posts)chowder66
(9,010 posts)I remember a senator saying she was going to continue to fight for single payer...now who was that??
I can't even remember now. I'm happy that we have the AFA but yes, it can be better. They just need to keep revising it.
AFA 1.0
AFA 2.0
AFA 2.5
until we have the latest and greatest. National Healthcare for all!!!
KansDem
(28,498 posts)And remember America: it's an option!
Plucketeer
(12,882 posts)An OPTION, America. And if you should opt NOT to use it, please - consult with Mr. Rmoney as to what insurance provider he uses!
robinlynne
(15,481 posts)DCBob
(24,689 posts)Sorry buts its a total waste of time and effort.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)The utter fear of any set back seems is the end all for some. I wonder what they'd do in a war, refuse to fight to win if any single battle might be lost?
Resistance is futile! You will be assimilated, moderately, near the center.....
I wonder if there is a single historical example of any great accomplishment of any kind that was not met with huge resistance that simply had to be faced? Are there any societal or even individual examples of actual greatness that came to be without any objection from rivals, without opponents flinging rhetorical absolutes, without the status quo claiming to be not just the way things are, but they way things must be? Are there any heroes in history who looked at a diffiuclut goal and said 'we must wait to try until victory is both effortless and assured'? Or did they just go forward as if all good things are worth some work, perhaps even worth a failure before the success. Did Gandhi drop his work when the British showed some will to resist? 'Oh, this is futile' he said, which is why he is called The Mahatma, he knew when to pack it in and accept preordained defeat....
DCBob
(24,689 posts)There are many other legislative approaches to making our healthcare system better. Going for single-payer now is absurd given the makeup of congress. Spending time and effort on that will take away from time and effort on something that is more realistic.
MrSlayer
(22,143 posts)Obviously single payer is the best thing to do, which it why it stands zero chance of going anywhere. The whores will never pass it. Not in a million years.
polichick
(37,152 posts)RBInMaine
(13,570 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,107 posts)Thanks for the thread, kpete.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)People are more ready for Single Payer than they were a few years ago. If ACA is tossed and millions get screwed, they will be SCREAMING for Single Payer.
karynnj
(59,474 posts)At the moment, no health care bill could pass the House - they passed the Ryan budget that would have cut both Medicare and Medicaid - that's the opposite direction.
In the Senate, name the 7 Republicans who would vote with all the Democrats (including Nelson!).
If you mean next year, it is unlikely that we will even have 53 Democrats - and we could have Majority leader McConnell. It may be that the people you know are more ready for single payer, but what about all the conservative true believers?
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Can you show me any polling in which these 'true believers' of yours show numbers of any meaningful kind? Because simply stating that you think they are out there thinking what you say they think does not cut it.
And frankly, I am as skeptical of those who predict the future with certainty as I am with those who demand that others engage in prognostication to make their points. Let's take this absurd contempt vote against Holder. Yesterday, news reported that as many as 30 Democrats would vote for it. Later in the day it looked like maybe 5 Conservative Democrats. When the vote actually happens, what do you think? Tell me who will vote how. 30? 5? None? Do you think it is possible that yesterday morning that 30 count was possible and the reaction from the nation during the day may have cut down on that number? I do.
http://www.medicareforall.org/pages/Chart_of_Americans_Support
karynnj
(59,474 posts)Look at the Senate. There are not enough Republican seats up to get to 60 Democrats and there is absolutely no chance that even one Republican will vote for that. (In fact, we can not count on every Democrat - as you know.)
I agree that LONG TERM the public could make it a voting issue - but that will not happen this year. Also remember only a third of the Senate is up every year. It takes a long time to change the positions by changing the people.
Here is how I think we get to single payer. The states can get waivers to do what they want and Vermont already wants single payer. Assume that they get this -- and as predicted, their healthcare coverage stays the same or improves and the costs are reduced (or even increased far less than others.) This will lead other states to follow - starting with progressive neighboring states. It is hard to argue against success.
midnight
(26,624 posts)P.S. Much support and thanks for Mr. Conyers I just wish he could get more support...
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)criticism of him for doing something principled.
TransitJohn
(6,932 posts)And he had been trying to get a Medicare for All bill to the floor forever.
demwing
(16,916 posts)it's all too easy to promise "If X then Y" when you know X ain't gonna fly
sakabatou
(42,082 posts)SunSeeker
(51,367 posts)Let's continue what Vermont started, regardless of what happens tomorrow.
scheming daemons
(25,487 posts).
Puregonzo1188
(1,948 posts)public option?
If so, I'll hold my breath.
MustBeTheBooz
(264 posts)TomCADem
(17,378 posts)Heck, look at how some of the Republican appointees flipped out in the Arizona case on State soverignty grounds. I can only imagine how this Court would react to single payer.
KharmaTrain
(31,706 posts)First...elect about 50 more Democrats to the House and retake the majority. Second...elect 10 more Progressive/Liberal Democratic Senators. A TALL order even in the best of times...but doable if Americans and Democrats truly want a reformed system. Unfortunately this means going up against every powerful lobby group around (just like last time...and loaded with Citizens United money).
The real problem is if Democrats lose seats in November...that will seal any healthcare reform for another generation or longer. It'll once again become a third rail that mostly Democrats will not want to touch.
RBInMaine
(13,570 posts)I wish it could pass. But it won't. Too bad.
louis c
(8,652 posts)We should have pushed the single payer option all along.
Without that provision, we don't have the law we need.
Remember, the individual mandate was originally a Republican idea, produced by the ultra-Conservative Heritage Foundation, founded by Speaker Gingrich. The individual mandate is the centerpiece of the Romney care law here in Massachusetts and was insisted on by Gov. Romney during discussions with the State Legislature.
Laelth
(32,017 posts)The Progressive Caucus promised that they would not vote for the Health Insurance Company Enrichment Act unless it contained a "robust" public option. I made several calls and sent several letters urging them to keep that promise. They caved to pressure from the White House and from Speaker Pelosi and voted for the ACA despite the fact that there was no public option, much less a robust one.
Now, I don't believe a word they say, and even I can see that there's no way to pass single-payer in the current political climate. This kind of posturing sickens me. If the Democratic Party wants me to believe it actually intends to advance liberal interests, then it is going to have to do better than this (and much better than the Health Insurance Company Enrichment Act).
-Laelth
Leopolds Ghost
(12,875 posts)Hubert Flottz
(37,726 posts)They were is search of bipartisanship with the political terrorists across the isle. They might as well have gone unicorn wrangling.