Ben Nelson All Alone In Quest To Block Health Care Reform

Sen. Ben Nelson announced at the beginning of this month that he opposed the creation of a public health care plan that people would have the option to buy into. He'd be gathering together a coalition of like-minded senators to oppose the plan, the conservative Democrat from Nebraska promised.

More than two weeks later, it's still a coalition of one.

Since Nelson's announcement, eight moderate Democrats and one Republican have told the Huffington Post that they are open to a public health care option. Two others, Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Jim Webb (D-Va.), have signed on to the idea.

Last week, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) said they were open to a public plan but undecided. Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Penn.) said much the same in a letter to the advocacy group Health Care for America Now,

Add more names to the list of those open to a public option: Jon Tester (Mont.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Kay Hagan (N.C.) and Maria Cantwell (Wash.).

Because Democratic leaders have said they are willing to pass health care reform with a simple majority -- rather than the 60 votes needed for most Senate business -- fewer centrist senators are needed.

Those centrists are not entirely convinced, but they're not closed off to the idea.

"The devil's in the detail on all this stuff. My key is accessibility and affordability. Those are the two things, but I think everything should be on the table," said Tester.

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"I've been on Sen. Wyden's bill because I believe in a bipartisan discussion about how we can make reforms," said Cantwell, referring to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), whose bipartisan bill does not include a public option.

Cantwell hopes for a bipartisan deal, but is open to the kind of public option compromise Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has proposed. "I don't want to sign off on his proposal, but in general I'm not opposed to the concept of having a plan like that," she said.

"It's something that I'm still looking into right now," said Hagan. "I want to be sure we have affordability and accessibility, but I also want to be sure that competition's in play and that our insurers can continue to do business... I need to go back and actually research it."

"We're looking at that option to see if it's going to be competitive and, you know, if it's going to be productive. I'm still open minded," said Lincoln.

A Nelson spokesman said that Nelson is still talking to like-minded colleagues in hopes of building a coalition opposed to the public plan.

The following 21 Democratic senators have signed onto a letter to finance committee chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and health committee chair Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.). Kennedy supports a public option; Baucus is open to one.

Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV)
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Bob Casey (D-PA)
Jim Webb (D-VA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Ted Kaufman (D-DE)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)
Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD)
Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Note to flaks: If your boss supports a public option and isn't on this list, let me know at [e-mail].

Comments

[tommytoons]

Send the Senator an email telling him what you think of him and his inability to see what the American people want and need, flood his office with calls, send him snail-mail...let him know that the People of the United States will not forget his betrayal of us. I encourage every adult in Nebraska to this this and stop giving the Senator money for future campaigns.

[Icantbelieveher]

You don't have to live in Nebraska to email or call him -- I called him and let him know that I would be donating to the democrat that runs against him in a primary if he didn't stop working for the insurance companies and start working for the American people!

[blues101]

Cool! I just emailed........... but i did say plenty in it. I didn't think they'd answer a call.

[RSaunders09]

I think i will write him a check today for his next campaign

[LemonMeringue]

Please - give as much as you can.

He doesn't care what you think - Mutual of Omaha has more money than you.

[patricksmom]

He will need all the checks you can give him. Mine is going to a primary opponent.

[pbziegler]

Ben Nelson is a dog. Blue or Red.

[viflyer]

They are all just saying they are open to a public health care option so the insurance industry will shower them with campaign contributuions. These people don't do anything for the sole interest of the public.

Maybe they could start by moving that rediculous prescription drug plan with 40 plans for 80 year olds, back into MEDICARE as a defined benifit with ONE PLAN?

[Beth Borzone - Huffpost Blogger]

I am very disappointed with the Democrats being so willing to concede on healthcare. When 59% of Americans have stated in various polls that they want a national healthcare plan, the Democrats should fight harder to get it. They should be sponsoring HR 676 or Senator Bernie Sanders bill that offers a realistic single payer plan instead of caving to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. Senator Schumer's "compromise plan" is not a compromise, it's a major concession that is a public plan in name only. A single payer plan would actually cost the tax payers less money by cutting out the wasteful spending of the insurance companies.

[DarkandStormyNight]

thank you.

[dagdavid]

There is simply too much influence in our government. The insurance companies have given so much money to our politicians that they won' t even consider single payer. Is it the best option? Yes. But congress does not care. They know who butters their bread. The only real road to change in America is publicly funded elections.

[VivaZapata]

once again the one and a half party system does it to the public it's supposed to serve. the sanders, and kuciniches are few and far between. schumer is just another party hack, dependent on those vultures you mentioned.

[hrholmes]

Very well stated there Beth and saves millions of the costs of those currently uninsured and clogging up the emergency rooms and services uninsured people have to go to as a last restort. That it would actually make American labor affordable to companies to bring back our jobs is an even bigger reason. King Pharma and the insurance companies paid for politicians sure don't want that!

[Trogenhorse]

To sell most people you have to give a choice. There is nothing wrong with using a single payer and current insurance policies. In fact, Ben is right when he says the insurance companies would have to cut cost a lot more

[gleeold]

Check out the list of Nelson's firends and political donors, you will know why this hypocrite is a loner for healthcare reform.

[flymic]

The whole argument against the public option is nonesence:

It doesn't have to be all Government Healthcare. Its about having a Public Option for those that can't get the private health insurance--- thats why its called a Public OPTION.

And just because there is a public option it doesn't mean that all of the insurance companies are going to go belly up.

Private Enterprise and Public enerprise can Co-exist. Look at the US Postal system: You have USPS, FedEx, UPS all co-exist and we are better of that they we have options.

[escribacat]

I hope the insurance companies do go belly up. They are just as bad as war profiteers -- they are illness profiteers.

[LemonMeringue]

They should not exist. There is no room for them in the medical system.

With single payer health care, all the money that goes to Medicare and all the money that goes to health insurance and all the money that is wasted by duplicating effort and maintaining thousands of risk pools will be combined to KEEP US HEALTHY

[DarkandStormyNight]

Well, in theory yes. The problem is that as long as there is profit in providing health care then the only cost cutting will be cutting benefits and denying claims. They don't know any other way and they are not going to change.

[RSaunders09]

The day there is no profit in health care is the day we start down the road towards third world health care with the best and the brightest moving on, and innovation eliminated.

[ssfahrer]

Neither the UPS nor Fed Ex is allowed to deliver regular mail (which costs us now 44 cents an ounce). If they did, THAT would be giving the American people REAL options.... Otherwise, it still looks like a monopoly to me (at least for First Class Mail)....

[mamiller]

I dont know about you, but it costs me $20 to send a letter fedex.

[JRsNana]

And look how far that letter can go for 44 cents. Really, think about it. The number of miles it travels for 44 cents. Pretty decent deal really.

[viflyer]

And I LIKE it just fine that way.

[viflyer]

The privatising of government services has been a disaster for this country, and it continues to amaze me how well Republican propaganda has convinced two generations that corporations should replace our in house government services.

[Icantbelieveher]

Next time I need to mail a letter, I'll keep that in mind -- but since we're talking about health care, you're kind of off the mark!

[viflyer]

Who cares if they go belly up. I don't give a damn about these parasites that have been cherry picking and KILLING people for years. Inserting themselves in the middle to steal billions for their greedy executives and stockholders. They are disqusting example of free market unfettered greed at the expense of peoples LIVES.

Medicare is in place. We could have a premium system in place in 6 months and have every American covered in a public, private health insurance program before january of next year. Get everyone in who wants to buy in and work out the details as we go.

[RSaunders09]

Your diatribe against insurance companies is pathetic. Its pretty typical and populist to blame greed and the "rich" to make some smallminded superfluous point. I find it funny since your side rails against the very people who are pulling the load in this country, creating jobs, and will only be subject to more abuse, and pay for these programs you advocate. I bet you cant travel a block in your neighborhood and not find a "stockholder" of an insurance company. If your 401K doent have the health insurance industry as a part of the portfolio I bet your neighbors does. Medicare? Youve got to kidding! Bankrupt in seven years! Who's going to pay if they can get a freebie from Uncle Sam?

Work out the details later? DISASTER!

[TomR]

How about Sen. Ben Nelson put his money where his mouth is and give up his government-funded health care?

- Tom

[SecretSister]

I agree. They should give up their benefits until they get health care reform enacted.

Let them experience the fact that insurance companies are controlling the doctor's diagnoses and big pharma is controlling the prescription meds. prescribed by doctors.

[Buffyboy]

Haiku:

Ben is the insurance pimp
From the northern plains
Have no doubt, he’s sold us out

[DarkandStormyNight]

Hey, anyone notice the "Sign the Petition for Affordable Health Care" link on this page?

Don't bother. It takes you to a pledge page where you can sign up to join all the people who would like nothing to change, especially their profit margin.

[sandals]

My Senators are both on the letter, here in Michigan we need all kinds of help jobs are leaving faster than they have been created.
It is time for these Rethugs, in Democratic clothing to be taken out by a strong PROGRESSIVE!

[DarkandStormyNight]

Senator Baucus put his foot in the sand and his head along with it.

NO MORE BAND AIDES.

[Choicelady]

Well Baucus should be as well - he's just a shill for the insurance industry! Mitt Romney dreamed up the giveaway with mandates that less affluent people had to buy insurance or be fined. What's up with THAT? Since when does government use its clout to force us to buy products in the largely unregulated market? Especially ones that carry a $5000 deductible with $10,000 more out of pocket per person per YEAR??? Outrageous. That's not health care reform. That's highway robbery of working people! With the Sheriff holding the gun on you!

[DarkandStormyNight]

Yes Mitt did that in Massachusetts where I live. What a sham!!!!! A rethug plan to avoid having to do any that matters.

[TheHandyman]

Now I hear that that program was a rousing success way beyond what the people who passed the bill said it would be. Let me see if I can remember who said that. Ah, yes, it was representatives and lobbyists for the healthcare insurance companies and their owned lackeys in the Legislature.!

[suzukimom]

Hey that's $5000 dollar deductible per family member!

[BlueZoo]

Any Congressman who is against healthcare reform will hear from his/her constituents in the voting booth. I cannot imagine any of them taking such drastic measures as Nelson! He must be planning to retire or he wouldn't have dared put forth this proposal. Astounding!

[Carolab]

Nebraskans need to send Nelson packing.

[Trogenhorse]

And replace him with who?

[swift goat pet for truth]

Best politician money can buy