Conrad: Public Plan Doesn't Have The Votes In Senate

The Washington Post:

Earlier today, Sen. Kent Conrad, the North Dakota Democrat who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, introduced a "potential compromise" on the public plan: A system of federally-chartered co-ops that could offer a non-profit alternative to the for-profit insurance industry. In this telling, the co-ops preserve the central feature of the public plan -- they're a competitor to the traditional insurance industry -- but are free from the baggage of government control.

I spoke to the Senator this evening about the co-op model, and he said a few things that surprised me. First, his search for an alternative was on behalf of the G-11 -- the key Senate powerbrokers on health care. Second, it proceeded from the premise that the public plan doesn't have the votes. All Republicans are opposed and, according to Conrad, "at least three Democrats." And third, he thinks reconciliation is basically out as a viable option for comprehensive health reform.

Read the whole story: The Washington Post

Comments

[BillMelater]

We need 100 million people to march on Washington. We need to send a very loud and clear message to every Senator and Congressperson that wishes to deny us adequate healthcare.

We need also to send the message to the healthcare mafiosa that the days of their murdering Americans for a buck are over. There is no statute of limitations on murder, we should persue criminal capital crimes investigations into the actions of these healthcare deniers.

[masanf]

Seriously, you people are beyond parody.

[beaupritchard]

This is not the time for prima donna's ... this is get it done time.

[sixx]

Conrad is saying, no you won't get a public health care plan, we won't vote on it, and you can't even talk about it. Where did Conrad learn his civics, Shame on him and the entire Senate.

[Heartlight3]

If the Democrats don't have the votes to pass a public health option it is only because they are listening to the health insurance companies rather than their constituents. Clearly the majority of voters want a public option.

[sej100]

Washington As usual. The politicians BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.

No HONEST representation for the people and the electorate.

Politicians should never use the word morals

[karela]

Conrad puts too little faith in us. I think by the time Obama has finished with his town halls and we've finished working on our Senators and Representatives as well as working to pressure them through their donors as that lovely group did with Ben Nelson-------well then, it just might be that a public health care plan WILL have enough votes to pass. Help or get out of the way Mr. Conrad.

[Muley]

ATTN: Chicago Single Payer Activists and Supporters-
President Barak Obama will be speaking at the AMA annual meeting sometime on Monday.
Single payer activists and supporters plan to use the occasion to demonstrate in favor of single-payer universal health care.
When: Monday June 15, 11:00 am
Where: Tribune Tower, 435 North Michigan Avenue, near the American Gothic sculpture
The location is some distance from the hotel where the AMA meeting is being held to prevent demonstrators from having to deal with security problems.
Hope to see a large crowd!

[miriamfl]

Please let them know we don't want a water down plan. How about if we organize and get these
Repubs out of office in 2010! Where is Franken?

[DrPneumann]

"Despite calls upon the insurance industry to get out of the tobacco business by physicians and others, insurers continue to put their profits above people's health," said Wesley Boyd, the new report's lead author and a faculty member of Harvard Medical School. "It's clear their top priority is making money, not safe-guarding people's well-being.."

The report found that seven health and life-insurance companies in both the United States and overseas have nearly $4.5 billion invested in companies whose affiliates produce cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco.

"Although investing in tobacco while selling life or health insurance may seem self-defeating, insurance firms have figured out ways to profit from both," Boyd said. "Insurers exclude smokers from coverage or, more commonly, charge them higher premiums. Insurers profit -- and smokers lose -- twice over."

http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/06/post-16.html

[AZ AF VET]

There is an obvious answer to Mr. Conrad's statement http://democratichealthcareturncoats.webs.com/kentconraddnd.htm

[rxvette]

Without putting some controls on the private insurance industry then we are wasting our time on healthcare reform here in the US. All the private insurers care about is making as much money as possible. They don't care about human beings. They care about greed! Read this story and see exactly why our system has failed millions of American citizens so far:

http://rxvette.blogspot.com/2009/05/healthcare-reform-touches-home.html

[AZ AF VET]

Same with senators.

http://democratichealthcareturncoats.webs.com/kentconraddnd.htm

[benne]

We all knew this -- they've made no steps to change Plan D, the prescription drug give-away plan that banned any negotiations with the drug-companies. This is supported by big-pharma and for-profit HMOs and insurance companies because it's yet another corporate welfare plan.

[jmpurser]

If the plan that works doesn't have enough votes in the Senate then we have the wrong senators in the senate. Not the wrong plan. Explain that to them will you?

[madprogressive]

Of course they do, or could, they just dosn't have the votes of the people who line Conrad's and Baucus's pockets, along with other conservative Dems and Republicans. We now know, without a shadow of a doubt, just how corrupt our Congress is. What we have is legalized bribery cloaked in the form of "campaign donations". When lobbyists can throw dollars around to our elected representatives to override the will of the American people on a single payer healthcare plan, what else would you call this. The Supreme Court chastised elected judges for acting on behalf of their campaign donors, well the hell are they on Congress. It is insulting to the umpteenth degree to hear these prostitutes on capitol hill lecture us on what is legislatively doable, when what they are really doing is the bidding of their corporate johns. If we fail on getting single payer health care or a strongly enforced public option in this health care reform bill, I think we can clearly state America is now a facist state. There will be no clearer example of this Facist state than to have the people want and demand something, and yet the corporations will block it and demand the congress bend to their will.

[onlinesavant]

This is BS. Trhe reconciliation vote WILL happen by October, and there is a need for only 51 votes. What this punk (Conrad.) is talking about are the votes needed to end filibuster, which if done by reconciliation, is non-consequential anyway.

[nowarpleez]

Who cares if it doesn't have the votes to pass. It should at least be open for discussion in the house and the senate. Democrats can be such wimps.