Max Baucus Regrets Killing Single-Payer, Sanders Says

Sen. Max Baucus met with advocates for single-payer health care in a closed meeting on Wednesday and expressed regret that he had not included them in the earlier negotiations for reform.

Health-care point man Baucus (D-Mont.), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, took a statewide beating last week for dismissing the possibility of a single-payer system early in the debate -- leading to the meeting with health care professionals and Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who is the sponsor of the Senate's only single-payer bill.

"I don't like paraphrasing other people, I don't like being paraphrased, but I think it's fair to say that what he said is that when he said something to the effect that single-payer is off the table, I think he regrets having said that," Sanders said following a morning closed-door meeting with Baucus. "I think in retrospect he thinks there probably should have been hearings, it should have been part of the process, and then it would have been rejected."

Baucus is under pressure from the White House to get a health care bill to the Senate floor quickly. Those in the meeting said he told them it's too late to include them and add further hearings to the debate.

The Montana senator did, however, agree to use the power of his office to fight for leniency on behalf of the dozen or so doctors and nurses who had been arrested for demanding a single-payer program during committee hearings on health care.

Sanders and the assembled single-payer advocates said they remain committed to advancing a universal, government-run program, though without Baucus that task is much tougher.

"I find it somewhat incomprehensible that if we are serious about getting to health care reform, if we are serious about tackling the outrageously high cost of health care, that we are not engaging in serious discussion about a single-payer health care system," Sanders said.

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Comments

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

The Senator may have picked up a lot of money,but he lost a helluva a lotta of voters making a deal with the devil.This is his legacy and he earned it.

[LeftCoastLarry]

The sad thing is if Senator Baucus put the interests of his constituents first instead of the insurance companies, he wouldn't need all that money to get re-elected. He would be untouchable.

[springsm]

No his constituents were livid that he had taken single payer off the table. he puts the interests of the insurance companies that support him first.

[ChelseaC]

Indeed.

Everyone-- get on board with spreading the word about HR-676--Medicare for ALL.

http://www.pnhp.org/change/

http://www.singlepayeraction.org/

[Yermammy]

Suuurre he's sorry. Too late for that noise.

[Vermontah]

Democracy can work, folks! Look at the outrage here about Baucus, and I know I'm not the only one who has called or written to his office. I called yesterday, and look, today it turns out he's chagrined. I told his staffer to tell the Rep that he should grow a pair. Perhaps they've sprouted!

[TruthJusticeForAll]

He is laughing in your face. He is sorry, he regrets it, he erred, it is STILL OFF THE TABLE!!! Lobbyists own ALL politicians. Both parties.

[Tahut]

But he said it's too late to even consider the single payer option. If you catch my drift, he's using the old ploy - it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission, to weasel out of his pushing single payer over the cliff so it wouldn't be in the package. What a scoundrel!

[ChelseaC]

Obama has been silent--or have I missed something?

[EyeballKid]

"It's too late"? Says who, Senator Baucus? And just why is it "too late"? It's YOU who says it's too late, and that's because, as far as YOU'RE concerned, it's ALWAYS TOO LATE to listen to the average citizen when you've got billionaires bending your ear.

How about, "The Dog ate my single-payer notes"? I'd bet you have regrets, you with the government-sponsored health insurance. The only regrets you have is that the average citizens isn't stupid enough to believe every word you say.

[ran6110]

What really bothers me is this guy can affect everyone in the country and we have nothing to say about it. Yes, the people in Montana can vote him out but right now when it counts he doesn't take feed back from the millions of people he can hurt.

I've sent emails and called my own senators but they are too busy protecting the logging interest in Oregon to care about voters...

[ChelseaC]

The hell we don't have anything to say about it--join the protest and whoever votes against
HR-676--Medicare for ALL-- we'll make sure these dudes are voted out.
Let's not allow Max Baucus to derail health care. Get on the phone to his senate office, call your local reps and report your outrage.
Report your outrage to Ed Schultz on MSNBC--Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann too. Ask them to shine the limelight on this issue.
Thus far, Ed is doing a great job reporting on health care--he's a true progressive.
Get your friends to read the Huffington Post as they too are doing their part to help America.

[JohnHKennedy]

"I find it somewhat incomprehensible that if we are serious about getting to health care reform, if we are serious about tackling the outrageously high cost of health care, that we are not engaging in serious discussion about a single-payer health care system," Sanders said.

I'll repeat now, and tomorrow and the next day....

Democrats Who Refuse to Enforce Our Federal Torture Laws
against those in the Republican Torture Program
and Who Refuse To Protect Our Constitution

WILL NEVER GET YOU SINGLE PAYER..
Not now,,, Not Ever!

They haven't the courage!

They care not for our Rule Of Law and Constitution.
They are selling out those that voted for them.

They are the puppets of the rich and powerful
and they don't care even if you know it
because they doubt you will ever
challenge their re-election.

Challenge these corrupt politicians.

SIGN THE PETITION To Prosecute Them For Torture

http://ANGRYVOTERS.ORG

Over 250,000 have signed
Join them and call yourself a Patriot
.

[rad21]

Senator Baucus blocked Senator Schumer (NY) from raising the issue of single payer at the hearings.
Clearly Senator Baucus does want single payor.
He has to give pay-back his big donors from the healthcare industry.

[alwqb]

My husband lost his job after 22 years last year. I am fighting for disability because of 2 neck surgeries. His job offered us Cobra of $1,200 a month and mine $1,300 a month last January.

Mr. Baucus, I want to know how the hell I am going to find insurance when mine is up at the end of the month and I can't afford Cobra? How am I going to pay for 5 medications? Where is that kind of money going to come from? We are UNEMPLOYED! Insurance came with our jobs, what are we supposed to do Mr. Baucus?

I will pay for it out of my retirement savings, whatever is left of it. But come on, there is just the two of us!
Any ideas Mr Baucus!

[NHGranite]

I am right there with you, very similar circumstances. Income too high from unemployment to get help to pay Cobra, but not enough money to pay for food, never mind the mortgage. Buh-bye credit score over 800. All that money we saved not buying cars and taking local vacations - going, going----

My Canadian friends kept dual citizenship so they can go back there for health care. What does that tell you - somebody's fluffing us about how bad all the other countries are!

That bus with Montel Williams really does help people with prescriptions, just in case.

[separatingwheatfromchaff]

I'm sorry for your circumstances and hope a miacle happens,but like you,I see the glass almost empty,nary a soundbite of good news from any politician.This isn't a country of the free or the brave any longer.Unless you call working for minimum wage with no health insurance free and brave.I call it broke and scared.

[LeftCoastLarry]

Too many Americans have become greedy and self-indulgent. They became Republicans.
When Hillary wanted to do something about health care during Bill's administration, the right-wingers attacked her with lies and innuendo that had legs because there was no alternative to the Corporate MainStream Media to challenge the sleazy attacks.
Times are different but we still have to overcome politicians who put corporate welfare ahead of the welfare of the people. It's times like these when we see who is in the pocket of the corporations and who isn't.

[hilary916]

According to Sanders, the meeting didn't change his mind about it either. Sanders also talked about Americans needing to weigh in on this issue if we're going to get single payer. My question to Sanders would be: How can Americans weigh in if they're not included in the discussion and get arrested when they do speak out?

[veracity]

I hate to sound all rabid, frothing-at-the-mouth about all this, but this - Baucus' talking points CARRYING THE DAY in the Senate WITHOUT EVEN A GOOD POLICY FIGHT - is Obama's doing.

Obama PROMISED us "CHANGE", and in Health Care 'reform', there is ONLY ONE CHANGE: following the EUROPEAN/Canadian/Costa Rican/Japan/Korea (et al) SINGLE PAYER, state-run health care model.
ANYTHING SHORT OF THAT, involves NO, NO, NO change - EXCEPT, that is, perhaps to SHOVEL TAXPAYER DOLLARS __TO__ the insurance, Big-Pharma, and 'health care' companies.
THIS IS __NOT__ the "Change" we were led to believe in !

Not only that, but the GENESIS of the HILLARY-CARE DEBACLE in 1993 and 1994 was Hillary's ABJECT REFUSAL to CONFRONT the industry & insurance companies - leading directly to her large (vast), contorted, confused, bureaucratic NIGHTMARE that was (ironically enough) DERIDED by THE VERY Health Care companies who stood to catch all those BILLIONS of MANDATED "Hillary-care" taxpayer-OBLIGATED spending.

Same old, same old - if the wolves scent a drop of blood, they will rush in for the kill.

Could Obama be setting himself up for a MONSTER REVERSAL OF politcal FORTUNE, by WIMPING OUT on his "REAL CHANGE" pledge ??!!

In 1993, did anyone in the Clinton White House (or Dem. Congress for that matter) think that barn-burning bomb-thrower NEWT GINGRICH would soon lead the GOP takeover of the House AND Senate ??!!!

[Cookie100]

OBAMA NEVER SAID A WORD ABOUT SINGLE PAYER, ONLY WE SHOULD HAVE INSURANCE AS GOOD AS HIS

[NHGranite]

No, I don't think you do hate to sound that way. Calm yourself, or you will need health care too soon.

[Icantbelieveher]

President Obama did not run on single payer! Get your facts straight!

[WorkingClass]

Baucus makes me puke. His only "regret" is that he has been exposed as a traitor to his country.

[Bernique]

Senator Baucus -- Excuse me, it's not too late. YOU are in charge, right? Oh, the insurance companies are?? Well do your job, and rein them in!!! WE VOTED FOR CHANGE. Didn't YOU get the message?

[Appleton]

Sen. Bacchus' expression of regret is duplicitous. He knew full well what he was doing and had no intention of permitting debate on a single payer system.

[Ohsherri]

Ha.
They gave up and gave in before the fight EVEN STARTED for gawdssakes.

Now if that doesn't show us how hard the Dems are s0cking the teets of Big Insurance..
nothing will.

[RoadCrossingChicken]

This man has an insurance program that rivals Queen Elizabeth's. And his is paid for by the American taxpayers.

He will have this same coverage for the rest of his life... and so will his spouse.

[CarmanK]

This is such crap!!! Sorry, that's my word for the day. I just can't get over this utter nonsense. Baucus apologizes for not including single payer advocates, and then finds himself powerless. Well, I am not surprised, he would try to sell this malarky, since he is sooooo wrong and so many people really need the single payer, in order to get out from under the outrageous charges of the private sector. My son lost his job, he was paying $ 500.00 a month on his employer plan. His cobra, in order to protectt his family, is $1400.00 per month and his employer says he is not eligible for Obama"s credit.
I worked in the medical field with HMO's. PPOs and private insurance. For awhile it was difficult but pretty good, until United Health Care started gobbling up all the minor successful plans, leaving few competitors. It is easier to apologize after the mistake, but in this case Baucus let the country and the Democrats down. Once again he favors business over the common good. He is a voice for big business and unfortunately for all of us, he is now in power. He would have been equally as happy and compliant under Bush/Cheney. I think this committee is too important to be under this man's gavel.

[SamKnause]

Excellent post!!!

[ThomasPaineWeNeedYou]

Senator Baucus has not killed anything. Let me put it this way if these guys believe the fight is over. I say it has just begun and it up to everyone who can afford to call, or has a computer, or pen & paper and money for stamps to write your congressional people, Baucas, King, the white house and anyone else you can think of and do it once, twice, three, four ........ and on and on. Do not give up do not despair there are more of us We The People than the lobbists and if we are noisy enough and do not quit we will win this fight. Talk to your neighbors, relatives, friends, and others. I am a chiropractor and if you want tell them you want chiropractic fully included. I don't know how I'll fare or even be included but I know this the present system is denycare b/c of profit and until profit system have to compete against the public cheaper system they will alway be denycare. We are the only industrialized nation without the public option what is wrong with us.
This is a barroom brawl and we will have to fight, organzie, march and fight some more. I believe it will be worth it.
Start calling the insurance what it is it's expensive denycare, denycare, denycare.

[SamKnause]

Excellent advice. I have been, but I will try harder and talk to my family and friends and see if I can get more people involved.