House Dems Rally Behind Public Option In Weekly Caucus Gathering

House Democrats dialed in Tuesday for their weekly caucus meeting and uniformly expressed support for a public health insurance option as part of comprehensive reform. Not a single member spoke up on behalf of co-ops, according to both people on the call and people briefed on it.

The weekly meeting is generally held in the Capitol basement, but during recess a members-only conference call takes place instead.

"There was tons of support for the public option," said one participant. Fifteen members spoke during the meeting, which was opened by Caucus Chair John Larson (D-Conn.), who then gave the telephonic floor to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

In the face of White House backsliding Monday, Pelosi reiterated that a public option is essential to reform. Pelosi gave the caucus a "pep talk," one attendee said, pushing the party to keep pressing the message. She assured an ultimate victory.

"Everyone has said on the record that they would support [the public option]. But there is a concern that the conference report would give them an out," said an aide briefed on the call by his boss. "Some people spoke up and said, 'We can't give in on the conference report.'"

If the House passes reform with a public option and the Senate moves a bill without it, the two chambers will meet in conference to negotiate a final bill. Some Democrats are concerned that conference negotiators will use the opportunity to yank out the public option. At the same time, there is a sense of fear among some members that the public option -- a critical component of health care reform, as far as most Democrats are concerned -- might be slipping away in favor of health insurance co-ops.

Wisconsin Democrats David Obey and Tammy Baldwin told the caucus about the performance of the state's own public health insurance option and co-op. The co-op hasn't saved the state any money whatsoever and shouldn't be a model for a national plan, said Obey, who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Baldwin concurred, adding that the state's public option -- seniors can buy state-sponsored health care for a nominal fee -- cut costs by two-thirds.

"I was surprised there were so many people who were still so firm on [the public option]," said a participant. "A lot of people were saying this is what they're hearing from their constituents."

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A member who was not on the call said that typically leadership and senior members speak for a large part of the call and then open it up toward the end. Fifteen members, including leadership, voiced their opinions, according to notes from one listener.

Rep. Donna Edwards said that she'd been talking with small business leaders in her suburban Maryland district and found them fully behind the public option. She argued that Obama shouldn't be on the defensive.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) spoke up passionately in defense of the public option, as did bill author John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), who said that 80 percent of her district backed it.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Reps. Jared Polis (Colo.), Allyson Schwartz (Pa.), Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas), Jerry Nadler (N.Y.) and Paul Tonko (N.Y.) also spoke up.

Nadler reiterated his pledge to oppose any bill that didn't include a public option.

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Comments

[tribilin219]

What we need now is a list of the DEMS. who don't want to vote for the bill ? and we the people do a vote of our own to vote them out! They have no reason not to pass the bill. This is the Change we voted for in 2008.

[expired]

I don't get it, if 70% of the public wants a public plan option, what is the problem? Ask your constituents, what do they want and give it to them. Good grief.

[jasongrundy]

Pelosi finally growing a set and is flexing her power. I truly believe the majority of the Americans want this, including Repubs. They just don't want OBAMA to be the one receive credit...A Public Option, Single Payer is a no-brainer....next get the heck out of 2 wars.

[daffey]

It could have said Liberals tired of compromising, and that would be much closer to a true statement.

[mdlw]

Reading the article linked below, I learned that the history of health care began for the most part in the 1920s by Baylor Hospital in Dallas. The administrator created a system that eventually evolved into Blue Cross. Blue Cross was essentially a non-profit health insurer with no restrictions that served a community in exchange for a tax break. In the 1940s, commercial insurers entered the field. Private insurers accelerated when businesses wanted to compete for labor by contracting with insurers to get around a wage control.

Truman proposed a national health care plan but was defeated by opponents because the nonprofit sector was doing just fine. Yet, as the private insurers entered the business, they rejiggered premiums by calculating relative risk, and avoided the riskiest potential customers. To survive, the Blues evolved into a for profit corporation as well.

I learned from the article that a socialist system became a capitalist system where CEOs are now making millions while cutting corners for profit. Those corners are lives. I agree with the author, capitalism cannot deliver decent health care. This country needs a single payer insurance program.

The following article by Tim Noah discusses Jonathan Cohn's new book.
http://www.slate.com/id/2161736/

CEO info
http://sickforprofit.com/ceos/
http://sickforprofit.com/

[BillyPilgram57]

I hear there is to be awalk on Washinton in Sept. Might have to be 'limp on',
the years have not been kind.

[BillyPilgram57]

Seeing the dismay on the face of KO last night when he was talking to
Lawrence O'Donnel was hard to take.

[Bude]

I still chuckle over the Fox news manufactured outrage over Pelosi's CIA comments! Those tactics worked like a charm when the GOP was in power, but Fox found out right quick that their smear campaigns will go nowhere fast. These right wingnuts are all about free speech until someone like the Dixie Chicks says something that doesn't suit them. Then it's treason.

Thank God, our national nightmare, is over!

[John Mainstream]

The dirty little secret in Washington is that Democrats never really supported single payer. Just like Democrats didn’t really support for cutting off funding for Bush’s war. Now that Democrats have 60 votes in the Senate they no longer have the political cover of blaming the Republicans. This is the Democrats' way to kill health insurance reform by having it die in committee in Congress. So, Pelosi is out their in public demanding single payer, while in private she is working with contributors to kill health insurance reform.

[Bude]

We will have health care reform, with the public option!

[scottowego]

My understanding is that the "Public Option" will be a windfall for the insurance industry. Mandated enrollment, services supplied by the insurance companies = big bucks and mega profits. Single payer is the only way to go. The Gov. will control the financial end while keeping privately operated hospitals and doctors. Canada recently named the most influential Canadian. It was the guy who created their health care system.

[RedneckDem]

Well, I guess you are entitled to your opinion, but uh...., common sense would dictate that by you yourself stating that since they have the 60 votes it would be political suicide to go behind closed doors and kill health care reform. This dude Baucus is holding up the process due to being in bed with insurance and big pharma companies. How you somehow tied that into Pelosi being agains all reform shows your ignorance and lack of clear thinking since you answered your own question in your own post (and still will never realize what you did).

[Kalamama]

Your implying that John Mainstream has common sense. All he's doing is repeating the talking points from the RW l00ns.

[Kalamama]

Let me guess..You get your info all from faux news or maybe rush. If there is a dirty litle secret going on in Washingon, it's that the republicans are not going to accept anything proposed by the democratic party and our POTUS.

The reality is that for the first time in a long time, the senators and reps are listening to the very people who elect them and can choose another canidate the next time around.
Face the music now....This will pass and it will pass with a public option.
Trying to talk sense to someone like you is to quote Barney Frank " Like trying to talk to my dining room table ".

The republicans need no help from Pelosi or anyone else for blame. They handle looking like a group of childish, fear mongering fools all by themselves.

[UNCLEJOE]

One of the most egregious abuses in the medical field is the complete lack of preventative medicine which can save hundreds of thousands of lives annually in his country. The other criminal practice in the medical field is protecting the cancer industry from new viable methods of curing and treating cancer.

The cancer industry has become a consortium of sorts; any new procedures that would eliminate expensive surgeries' or treatments are ignored and many doctors who successfully cure cancer patents have had their medical license taken away for not following the accepted protocol for treating cancer.

I pulled my 81 year old father out of the hospital one day before he was scheduled to have his
colon removed. He was treated with Estrogen injection instead and lived 12 more years without any colon problems; the was 1n 1976. Too many doctors are motivated by greed rather than cure. Socialized medicine will eliminate that motivation since doctors will not benefit by expensive surgeries.

Socialized medicine benefits all Americans equally and besides eliminating catastrophic medical bills that reduce a middle class family to the poverty level as a burden on the tax payers and focusing on preventative medicine that would save untold numbers of lives.

American industries can become more competitive with foreign since they would not be burdened with health insurance for their employees and the medical profession would be relieved of carrying heavy lability insurance. Socialized medicine only hurts the big pharm. and the privat insurance companies.

[k6007]

Excellent post.

[lindabear]

I agree.

[jaschrod]

It is about time these people got some balls, but I will believe it when I see it. Practicing something for so long makes the something habit, hard to break.

[babaji5150]

PLEASE stake your claims behind the neurotic poodle from Cali,... PLEASE.

[biabouman41]

FINALLY SOME DEMOCRATS WITH FORTITUDE. GOOD TO SEE.

PUBLIC OPTION OR BUST

[noudidnt]

Nancy Pelosi has been the only real leader on this issue. I'm disappointed by the political amateurs in the WH.

[One more Thing]

Especially Rahm.

[PaxEterna]

Especially Obama . . .no leadership from the getgo.

[Mathew1]

I believe the dems should abandon bipartisanship and move the goal posts back to where it started - back to single payer rather than the public option. For profit insurance companies are just too incompatible with patient care since the only way they know how to cut cost is by reducing care. To this end they employ experienced doctors and nurses and pay them very well to do the work of denying care. So it's about time that we put some steel in our spine and press ahead because the other side's Rovian tactics are all too familiar.