LEAKED: More Than Fifty House Progressives Privately Commit To Oppose Weak Health Care Bill

Progressive Democrats are taking a hard stand on health care reform, with a majority committing to oppose any health care reform package that doesn't include a robust public option. On Wednesday, they got an inadvertent assist by an anonymous leak of their "whip list."

A whip list, which is generally tightly guarded, is used by congressional leaders to keep track of the private pledges made by members before a vote. The list is kept private to encourage frank answers from members so that leadership can gather accurate intelligence.

The whip list was obtained by Joan McCarter, a DailyKos contributing editor. It names fifty members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) who have firmly pledged to oppose any bill that doesn't meet the group's standards. Without those fifty votes, Democrats would be unable to pass the reform effort without Republican support. (Once Judy Chu is sworn in, there will be 256 Democrats, and one "closet Democrat"; 218 are needed for passage, leaving Democrats 12 votes short.)

Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) is in charge of keeping the whip count for the CPC. Watson spokeswoman Dorinda White confirmed that the list is accurate but slightly out of date and that more members have since confirmed that they'll oppose the bill if it isn't firm enough.

The CPC laid out its requirements in a June statement, demanding a strong public health care option that is available immediately. See the statement here.

Progressives can now argue that the fate of reform depends upon including a strong public option. Or, alternatively, moving far enough in the GOP's direction to pick up support from the other side.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said previously that a bill without a public option "wouldn't have the votes" in the House -- a diagnosis that appears accurate in light of the CPC whip list.

Earlier Wednesday, Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), a health care leader in the Senate, said he'd rather have a good bill than a bipartisan one. "A good bill that is bipartisan obviously has a chance of not only succeeding but also being sustained, so there's a value in achieving that bipartisanship," he said, adding, "I will not sacrifice a good bill for that. That's not the goal here."

Story continues below

advertisement

The House bill, which is being negotiated by three separate committees, is likely to be more progressive than whatever emerges from the Senate. The toughest negotiations, then, will be between the House and the Senate. With progressives swearing not to vote for a weak compromise between the two chambers, the House has a strengthened hand.

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of Ways and Means, one of the three relevant committees, said on Wednesday that the major fight will not be compromise among the House panels. "Submerging [the three committee bills] into one is not nearly going to be as difficult as bringing the House and Senate together," he said. "That's going to be a major problem because we are attacking the problem from such a different angle."

The blog FireDogLake has been publicly developing its own whip list, attempting to get members of the CPC on the record opposing any bill without a robust public option. Activist Mike Stark has been filming the responses of members. They're currently at nine"yes" and 25 "leaning yes."

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a key progressive Democrat, has also been quizzing fellow members on tape as to their position on the public plan.

FireDogLake's Jane Hamsher speculates that the list was leaked in response to pressure from the blogosphere.

"They didn't like Mike Stark nailing them on video so they wanted strength in numbers," she said.

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[onekoleso]

This article appeared on Ovi Magazine online. Isn't this the next step? Here are a few excerpts:

The Real Solution to Healthcare Reform
by Bohdan Yuri
2009-06-26

http://ovimagazine.com/art/4566


"... if you want true change and see results, and at the same time expose the true imposters entrusted with your well being, then begin by petitioning to have all of Congress"s health care benefits cut off. In fact let"s include all federal government elected and appointed politicians, even judges.

... if the President can force GM to eliminate waste, and trim their budgets, then allow him to do the same with Congress --- they who rant about the wicked evils of single-payer programs, they who "appropriate" the coffers of our Treasury to pay for their own healthcare, they who are covered by a "single payer program", funded by our taxes --- the United States Government.

...this action may be the only way to force Congress into changing the moral character of this pseudo "debate" and erase their vile brand of opposition to the true greatness of this country. That is the REAL SOLUTION to this problem. Throw Congress into the world of the uninsured --- perhaps that sting will make them act.

Why does it seem so hard to admit that we, this country, have been transformed into a petty soap-opera of dangerous proportions? ..."

[reshas1]

Have any of you asked your reps if THEY are going to be on the Obamacare plan??? NOOOOOOOO
They will have ALOT nicer care than us avg shmooes..
www.fleming.house.gov

Obama has said, it's not good enough for him.

[reshas1]

It's all Bush's fault.. No, now it's all Sarah's fault.. No, no, wait, it's Rush Limbaugh's fault.

Let's sic Geo Soros on em... The 50 turncoats.

[SammyGone]

Where is the brilliance of our super intelligent VP? Where is his daily gem of wisdom? He is the only one who makes sense. Come on Rahm, Soros, Moore-give him his due.

[SammyGone]

Let's get back to Sarah Palin bashing.

[reshas1]

Yes and Pres. Bush, VP Cheney AND Rush Limbaugh.. Much more productive, isn't it?

[Jack78]

How old are you two, 12? Grow up.

[Tulka2]

Tax the rich who were lucky enough to be born in the United States of America where it is possible to get rich. Under President Eisenhower, millionaires were taxed at a rate of 10%. Under Obama they are going to be taxed at 3%.

Eisenhower built infrastructure... roads and bridges, at a time when medical care was cheap and accessible. Now we ask the rich to invest in the health of their fellow citizens. This is surely as crucial as road systems? As a matter of fact, let's tax the rich at higher rates and repair the roads too?

[Dvldog]

Awesome idea! Then the poor will be able to grow their companies and provide good paying jobs! Wait a minute.....isn't it the rich that have the companies that employ more people when their business is able to expand? Nah, tax them anyway, there is absolutely no way they would pass the increased burden on to the consumer or cut jobs to save money. That wouldn't be fair.

[Tulka2]

The top 2% will see their taxes raised.

The amazing thing to me is that i know you are probably not rich. You are probably a minion. History, btw, shows that what the rich do with their money is buy luxury goods, yachts, jewelry, art, antiques. There is no such thing as trickle down when the rich get to keep everything. Wish you would read something besides Ayn Rand. Even Allan Greenspan gave up on that.

You just ignored the tidbit that President Eisenhower taxed millionaires to the tune of 10%.

[MadDemocrat]

May 23rd, 2009: "We are out of money" - Barack Hussein Obama

So where then do we get another $1.5 trillion for bills like health care? Tax the rich?

Here is a simple but important lesson on business, so listen up: Even though taxing the rich won't cover but a portion of this health care fiasco, the effects of taxing the rich is very misunderstood. Rich people are typically business owners that employ people like you. If a new tax is implemented and it threatens the amount of money the business owner is making, the owner simply makes a couple of changes to their business on both the expense side and the income side to compensate. First, reduce the number of hours and benefits paid to employees to save on the expense side. Second, raise prices to account for increased income on the income side. In the end, the "rich" person makes the same amount, but workers are left with smaller paychecks and consumers are left with higher prices. So when you tax the rich, you are simply doing damage to your fellow Americans. Fact.

Businesses here are faced with more and more operating restrictions. The icing on the cake is that when you move to China or Mexico you move away from unions and unreasonably high wages and things like the proposed mandatory health insurance coverage and future cap and tax schemes. So quit crying when jobs flee the U.S.

[jmpurser]

Still drinking the GOP Kool-aid huh?

[raker]

I found an interesting irony in this morning's New York Times. The Times ran an editorial in praise of the Democrats' lame health care bill, with its "public option" and mandatory health insurance provision.

The Times also ran an interesting story in the Dining section about the history of the Gyro sandwich. It told the story of young entrepreneurs who had an idea, had great success with it, sold the company, then lost their fortune when the husband got sick and the family had to pay for treatments not covered by insurance. This is the story of our lousy health care system, and it will be the story of a lame, anemic, half-baked public option plan.

Vote no on anything less than universal, first-dollar coverage. We'll wait for the real thing. We'll vote in more courageous Democrats and we'll get the health care system we need.

[jmpurser]

Well said. Single Payer is REAL health care reform. Everything else is marketing wrapped around a fundamental betrayal by the Democrats.

[Chaimirija]

Agreed. We have to come back with single payer. Everyone should be frightened of an industry that has enough money to spend 1.4 million a day to lobby.

[feliznavidad]

Hear! Hear!

[GardenerNorCal]

These bills don't address real healthcare concerns. What they address is that 40 million americans don't have insurance and the insurance companies want that market and they will not stop until americans are forced to buy their faulty products.

It's more about gaining market share through mandates than fixing anything for the consumer. But along with the Energy bill and it's new derivative market it should put Wall St. back on the map. Then American consumers will begin to find credit card offers in their mailboxes again. And that should make us all happy.

[Tazru]

Health Care should be a Maintenance Plan, not an Insurance Scheme.

[Coinyer101]

Good. i hope they do not vote for the current house bill. Anything that doesn't get insurance out of the mix, will fail to save enough to actually work.

[einstein10]

Who is speaking up for the self-employed on healthcare reform?

A recent Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Rountable on “Healthcare Reform: The Concerns and Priorities from the Perspective of Small Business, was held on July 9th, 2009.

One of the panelists (see link) testified that “the self-employed overwhelmingly support a reform approach that is focused on private market reforms, increased regulation and tax proposals to help individuals and businesses afford quality coverage.

see:
http://sbc.senate.gov/hearings/testimony/09_07_09_healthcare_roundtable/Arslan.Testimony.pdf

Last time I checked, the Washington office of this organization was staffed with only one lobbyist for the self-employed. At the same time there are millions of self-employed workers.

I don’t believe the testimony accurately represents the opinion of the majority of the self-employed Americans.

I believe the majority of the self-employed want to see a public option and do not support mandates.

There has to be a better way to survey this huge, important segment of the population.

[blacknblue2]

You haven't caught on yet? Government and large corporations are working hand in hand now. Quiz...what is it called when govenrment controls, finances and works hand in hand with large corps?

Anyhow, small business and self employed will be the losers. You don't matter. In the manifesto you are to fall at the feet of the oligarchy.

Many self employed have HSA plans. One poster on this list said we can keep our HSA's but has yet to give the link or support their position. I heard and read the opposite that an HSA arrangement will not fall within the guidelines of a qualified health plan. Therefore you will need to buy into the more expensive plans.

[macweenie]

'Last time I checked, the Washington office of this organization was staffed with only one lobbyist for the self-employed. At the same time there are millions of self-employed workers.'

I'm betting that is one more lobbyist than is employed to represent the uninsured.

[heyletsevolve]

I don't support mandates, period, and I have no intention of complying with this new invasion into my life.

[einstein10]

Please read this article posted on Huffington Post:

GOP Pushing Hidden Health Care Tax on All Americans, Not Reform

BY:
Rep. George Miller
Democratic Congressman from California’s 7th District
Posted: July 15, 2009 05:42 PM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-george-miller/gop-pushing-hidden-health_b_234259.html

[reshas1]

If you say it enough, it becomes TRUE.. It's the Dem's who are going to tax you to death... DUH

[jacobnyc]

I'm all for Health Care Reform, but I am staunchly opposed to any reform bill that even remotely covers Illegal Aliens. I hope the Democrats aren't planning on including the illegals immigrants under their uninsured numbers. This would spell total disaster electorally and I hope they don't make this mistake.

To further my point, a recent Rasmussen poll found 80 percent of American voters oppose covering illegal immigrants in any health-reform bill, while just 11 percent support it. And 70 percent oppose universal health care if illegal aliens are included.

No health legislation on the table requires federal, state, or local agencies — or private institutions receiving federal funds — to check the immigration status of health-program applicants, so some of the money distributed via Medicaid and tax credits inevitably would go to illegal aliens.

I hope the Democrats are listening.

[Genep34]

If that is the most important fact to you in this debate you miss the point.

[Tazru]

I heard that a Rasmussen poll said the aliens should return to their home planet for treatment. Until we understand more about alien physiology we risk doing more harm by treating them.

Whatever planet you are from, "I feel your pain".

[heyletsevolve]

Illegal aliens already get coverage -- look at Cheney. He's from planet Zlogmonster and how many heart surgeries has he had here? WHO IS ADDRESSING THIS???

[Samalabear]

Well, here is what I would say about illegal aliens, because many of them, due to conditions here and in their home countries, are stuck here. They only reason they come here is because U.S. Corporations hire them. These are businesses that should be taxed for the health care of their illegal employees. Watch Food, Inc. , or even Fast Food Nation. Huge conglomerates that almost exclusively hire illegal aliens, so they can get away with all sorts of crap.

You know the companies that hire illegals -- some of the people posting here may be owners of such companies -- small construction companies, large construction companies, landscaping companies and the list goes on and on.

Before you say let's never treat illegals, let's look at the source of why they're here. Besides, there it is a severe public health risk to everyone to not treat sick people.

[GardenerNorCal]

Wjon't they be fined like poor working Americans for not purchasing insurance under the current bill?

[Chaimirija]

only if they file a tax return

[blacknblue2]

Sorry to inform you but as it stands now....the will get free care.

[mathme]

I'm super proud of these hold outs-- but my fear is that the "path of least resistance" will be to come up with a worse plan that will appease insurance companies and republicans instead of doing the right thing.

[XCITIZEN]

WASHINGTON STATE RESIDENTS - CALL MARIA CANTWELL'S OFFICE NOW.

Toll Free: 1-888-648-7328

Maria Cantwell does not support a single payer health care system, and she has remained UNACCEPTABLY VAGUE on supporting a public option. She is in the pockets of Big Insurance while Americans suffer and die for lack of healthcare.

She calls herself a Democrat! Let her know you will not support her in the next election - if she does not support you now. She must show a spine and support Single Payer or a Public Option NOW. 


SENATOR MARIA CANTWELL'S Office Toll Free: 1-888-648-7328