Grassley Feeling Pressure?

Seem to be unifying? (0.00 / 0)

Since when have the republicans been anything but unified in saying "no" to anything progressive? And as health care reform moves to the right, and becomes more regressive, they're still saying NO. The goal of republicans right now is to prevent an Obama win. Health care reform has nothing to do with it any more. Baucus' strategy will inevitably fail to achieve the votes he wants.

The more I look at this whole thing, the more I think that Bernie Sanders is right, and the best Congress can do this go around is to initiate a pilot program where 5 states can experiment with new structures--like single payer, and that they can take federal monies that would have gone to Medicare, CHIP and Medicaid and use them to lay the foundation for a true universal, single payer system.

As Canada experimented with single payer, and it eventually took hold province by province, I think the only way we are going to gain a respectable system in America is by going the same route.

I draw my line in the sand at a strong pubic option. Anything less than that, and no bill will have my support, and I will work to defeat it. Useless, and expensive, incrementalism--of the sort proposed by republicans and Baucus--is not health care reform. And all of the monies being bandied about to pay for reform would be wasted if the goal isn't true universality. And universality must not be achieved through IRS enforced mandates, and subsidized by tax credits to the poor who will never see them. Baucus' plan will only further punish the working poor, the homeless, and the disabled in this country.

So, let's hear it for Sen. Bernie Sander's ideas for state pilot projects and hope that they can get included in any of the Baucass/Grassus mishmash that is fermenting in the Senate.

"The quickest route toward a national health care program will be when individual states go forward and demonstrate that universal and non-profit health care works, and that it is the cost-effective and moral thing to do," said Senator Bernie Sanders...

The legislation proposed by Sanders and Tierney would authorize grants to states to develop plans for universal, comprehensive, cost-effective health care. Five states selected for the pilot program would win additional grants to carry out 5-year demonstration projects.  The states would have to provide comprehensive health care benefits, including coverage for long-term care, diagnostic services, preventive care, prescription drugs, dental and vision services, and mental health and substance abuse treatment services.

Patients who otherwise would have received health care through a federal program would be guaranteed benefits at least as generous in terms of coverage, access and availability.  They also would be protected from additional out-of-pocket expenses.

There are links on his site to previous legislation and background on it.

Here's a recent interview he had with Katrina vanden Heuval:

Q: What can progressives do to make sure there is truly a robust public plan option?

Senator Sanders: As a matter of fact, I've just come from--and will be going to in a few minutes--back to the HELP Committee where we are just discussing this issue. There are five different options--from strong to weak. This is not a mark-up, this is just an informal discussion among the members. But that is just what we are discussing right now. The American people have got to weigh in on this debate--get involved in this struggle --to say at the very least we want a strong public plan option. We can [also] make good progress on primary healthcare, expanding community health centers , training more healthcare professionals and implementing stronger quality control.

Q: Your bill that would allow five states to administer a single-payer system (S.898) --is that an incubator to move towards a national single-payer system?

Senator Sanders: That's right. And we're gonna push for that. We are absolutely gonna push for that. That came up at the meeting with Senator Baucus and it's something that I want in the bill.

So you want a progressive alternative to the Baucus bill? Here it is:

S.898:

"To amend the Social Security Act to provide grants and flexibility through demonstration projects for States to provide universal, comprehensive, cost-effective systems of health care coverage, with simplified administration."

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by: JC @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:43:09 PM UTC

Content to see the system fall apart? (0.00 / 0)

For many of us the system has already fallen apart, and what we see happening isn't going to put it back together for us.

"Frankly, there's little grassroots support on either side for even a bit of compromise."

I dare say that when a single payer advocate says that they are willing to support a strong public option, then they have compromised a huge amount.

Show me a repubican who will support a strong public option (not the trigger variety), and you'll see a person who has compromised almost as much as a single payer advocate. I'm reminded of the discussions we had here months ago about our starting points for compromise. It seems that the current compromise is between no public plan, and a weak public plan--one that is triggered by some nebulous alignment of the stars (read: never).

Next thing you know, republicans will convinced the incrementalists that compromise revolves around McCain's liberal plan.

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by: JC @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 18:54:03 PM UTC

You're right, JC (0.00 / 0)

There are a number of people making compromises. And I'm hopeful we get a bill that my friends to the left of me can live with -- one with a good public alternative to private insurance.

Just get frustrated at times -- that sentence was poorly thought out. My apologies.

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by: Matt Singer @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 19:14:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

lowered expectations (0.00 / 0)

are easy to meet...especially when they adjust lower as the right wing and the parasites prepare us for slaughter...but i am not a sheep and my expectations remain high in the face of opposition.

United we stand, divided we fall.

power to the polite people!

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by: wolverine6 @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 00:38:42 AM UTC