What Now
It has been both an exhilarating time for progressives and a bumpy one: the House passed a bill (yay) with a public option (yay). These are victories for progressives, inside and outside of Congress: we made this happen.
But House leaders caved at the last minute to an anti-abortion spoiler, the Stupak-Pitts amendment, and dropped a popular provision proposed by Rep. Dennis Kucinich to protect states that opt for single payer systems from lawsuits under ERISA.
Many of us who both support and desperately need health reform are still trying to make sense of the news of the last week. Advocates and the public need to be unified and energized for the final push to get the best possible bill through the Senate and back through the conference committee with the House.
Here’s what we think all Senators need to hear, and why:
1. The House bill is a major achievement. Preserve and expand on its strong points, including the public option.
There is a lot here for access, quality, affordability and cost control, in fact more than there was in any of the bills that passed through the House Committees. The public option is likely to be more robust than the Congressional Budget Office’s preliminary projection.
2. We need to advance reproductive rights, not retreat.
The anti-abortion amendment is a real threat and a wake-up call.
We can beat it. Many members who voted “yes” on Stupak are on record as pro-choice.
Pro-choice energy can propel reform forward.
3. Protect single payer states from ERISA lawsuits.
It is important to continue to point this out and to organize for single payer, and against the for-profit private insurance industry States will be a far cry further in the march toward single payer if we can win waivers from federal obstacles including ERISA.
The House is still in play; they will be involved in the conference with the Senate, and will vote again on final passage. Our messages to House members depends on how they voted. (See Tables on p. 8):
1. Voted Yes on the bill and No on the Stupak Amendment (178 Democrats): Thank you! You’re the progressive Democratic majority. Help us win the ERISA waiver, and keep what we’ve won.
2. Voted Yes on the bill and Yes on Stupak: Stick with the bill and stick up for women. [For those historically pro-choice: Shame on you for voting Yes on Stupak]
3. Voted No on the bill and No on Stupak: Thanks for opposing Stupak. I’m asking you to stand up for health care reform now and support the bill.
4. Voted No on the bill and Yes on Stupak: We need health care reform now, and need our member of Congress to stick up for women. Will you change your vote and stand up for health reform and for women? [For those historically pro-choice: Shame on you for voting Yes on Stupak]
(for full statement and to see how Menbers voted go to: http://www.centerforpolicyanalysis.org/id62.html)
Showing posts with label progressives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label progressives. Show all posts
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
What Do Progressives Want?
What progressives want is the same thing the President wants: to build power for a majority in Congress and the country that will support our issues, and will perceive us as powerful; and to win the best possible health reform.
So far the President has played a pretty smart game. He kept the insurance industry at bay long enough that even the mainstream pundits are willing to say publicly that the industry has no credibility.
But it’s time to cut the cord.
Progressives need to play a smarter hand.
It’s important to sit in at insurance companies. But here’s the thing: 1. Insurance companies have no shame. They really don’t. 2. Even Republicans were willing to throw them under the train back in February. 3. They don’t vote.
Here are some people who vote: Senators Mary Landrieu, Louisiana; Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas; Joe Lieberman, Connecticut; Evan Bayh, Indiana; Ben Nelson. Nebraska
Take Mary Landrieu. She says she won’t support a public option because it would force the country to go bankrupt.
Now Mary Landrieu is not a stupid person. She knows that the CBO says a strong public option saves more money than negotiated rates or no public option.
She’s been elected twice in a Republican state, including in 2008 when Obama got only 40% of the vote.
Is she in the pocket of the insurance industry? The Center for Responsive Politics says she gets virtually no money from health interests, and raises half her money in-state. She’s the 47th least wealthy person in the Senate.
Does Louisiana need health reform? Here’s some information about Louisiana:
Second highest rate of female poverty in the US
Highest rate of black poverty
63% white
4th highest rate of uninsured for ages 0–64 (22%), 3rd highest for ages 19-64
One of the highest recipients in the country of federal Medicaid funds, one of the lowest in per capita Medicaid spending
35% of population live in primary care shortage area, 3rd highest % of population who didn’t see a doctor in the last year because of cost (18%)
In 2008 Obama lost to McCain, but Landrieu won among the same demographics that voted for Obama:
Women
Younger people
African Americans
Among the 9% of voters who said health care was their most important issue, Landrieu got the widest issue-based margin over her opponent: 72% voted for her.
Why can’t a populist organizing campaign rile up some voters in New Orleans and environs to communicate with Senator Landrieu? And in Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana and Nebraska; and the holdouts in the House. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have signalled they're ready to play. Are we paying attention?
So far the President has played a pretty smart game. He kept the insurance industry at bay long enough that even the mainstream pundits are willing to say publicly that the industry has no credibility.
But it’s time to cut the cord.
Progressives need to play a smarter hand.
It’s important to sit in at insurance companies. But here’s the thing: 1. Insurance companies have no shame. They really don’t. 2. Even Republicans were willing to throw them under the train back in February. 3. They don’t vote.
Here are some people who vote: Senators Mary Landrieu, Louisiana; Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas; Joe Lieberman, Connecticut; Evan Bayh, Indiana; Ben Nelson. Nebraska
Take Mary Landrieu. She says she won’t support a public option because it would force the country to go bankrupt.
Now Mary Landrieu is not a stupid person. She knows that the CBO says a strong public option saves more money than negotiated rates or no public option.
She’s been elected twice in a Republican state, including in 2008 when Obama got only 40% of the vote.
Is she in the pocket of the insurance industry? The Center for Responsive Politics says she gets virtually no money from health interests, and raises half her money in-state. She’s the 47th least wealthy person in the Senate.
Does Louisiana need health reform? Here’s some information about Louisiana:
Second highest rate of female poverty in the US
Highest rate of black poverty
63% white
4th highest rate of uninsured for ages 0–64 (22%), 3rd highest for ages 19-64
One of the highest recipients in the country of federal Medicaid funds, one of the lowest in per capita Medicaid spending
35% of population live in primary care shortage area, 3rd highest % of population who didn’t see a doctor in the last year because of cost (18%)
In 2008 Obama lost to McCain, but Landrieu won among the same demographics that voted for Obama:
Women
Younger people
African Americans
Among the 9% of voters who said health care was their most important issue, Landrieu got the widest issue-based margin over her opponent: 72% voted for her.
Why can’t a populist organizing campaign rile up some voters in New Orleans and environs to communicate with Senator Landrieu? And in Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana and Nebraska; and the holdouts in the House. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have signalled they're ready to play. Are we paying attention?
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