Crunch Time: Pelosi Puts Dem Reps On Record On Public Option

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ramped up the pressure on wavering Democrats Friday morning, calling on them to state in front of their colleagues where they stand on a "robust" public health insurance option.

Robust has become a code word on the Hill that means a public option tied to Medicare rates; it is the preferred policy of progressives.

At a closed door meeting of the Democratic caucus, Pelosi ordered the party roll to be called. Reporters outside the room could hear names being called out loudly.

The question they faced, according to Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.): If the health care bill has a robust public option, will you vote for it on the House floor?

The framing of the question is key. The Speaker is not asking whether the member supports or opposes the public option, but rather whether he or she could support a final bill that included such an option. "The leadership clearly wants to do that if they have the votes," Nadler told reporters.

Some members left the meeting in an apparent attempt to avoid the roll call. Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kansas), a key swing vote, left before the roll was called and told HuffPost he has yet to be surveyed. Asked if he'd back the robust public option, he demurred. "I'm gonna wait and see," he said.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), exiting the meeting, told reporters that the survey would continue throughout the day.

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said he counted eleven no votes and two undecideds. Roughly 60 members were not at the meeting, he said. During floor votes on Friday, Democratic leadership continued to survey its members.

"I think if the roles were reversed and we were an obstinate number of ten or nine on the progressive side, there would be tremendous pressure on us to move it along," Grijalva said.

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Comments

[SteveEbenedicT]

God Bless Crazy Aunt Nancy.

[rgilley]

Isn't it odd that the only Democrat will balls is a woman? Pelosi in 2012!!

[onegandolf1]

I'm afraid that we're just going to have to elect a whole new batch of legislators in the next two elections. They will need to verify their intent to support Single Payer and keep electing people who will promise to support it until we can get it passed. Make them sign legal contracts to that effect if we must.

We need to make these elections "single issue" elections.

[Littlewords]

Good luck with all that.

[lindaj3884]

I agree. Any Democrat that does not vote for the public should be targeted and replaced in the next election. Democrats got elected to make a change not more of the same.

[onegandolf1]

She needs to post someone at the door and not allow those absent and those who left early to enter until they visit her office and record their preference.

[Littlewords]

Agreed.

[BambooHarvester]

In my minds eye ~ I can see Pelosi at the VICE . . .
~

[truebeleaver]

Look, it's simple: Without a "robust" public option we are doomed to be the slaves of the insurance companies--if you think that they have a monoply now they definitely will have one when everyone is REQUIRED to have insurance.

[ChelseaC]

Who is this "public option" for?
Rachel Maddow says 9 out of 10 people WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE.
If it's not robust and open to ALL AMERICANS who want in--take it and shove it.
Medicare clean it up, offer it to ALL Americans.

[Littlewords]

I am hoping that message is clearly understood in both houses. Blue dogs are at major risk of being voted out for not understanding that point.

Pelosi gets is and is putting people's feet to the fire (yeeha). Reid finally gets it because he faces a tough re-election campaign with his top exposure being "weak leadership." So he went to over and grabbed his pair that had been resting on the mantel and put them back on and is now finally leading. The others, if not already supporting, better fall in line or face a rough re-election.

The Repubs are continuing to be the total @sses we know them to be: still shaking down insurance lobbyists and crying about Afghanistan, immigrants, and big government to try to distract the public from their coming "all no" vote which should haunt them mercilessly beginning with the mid terms when a robust public option is passed now that most Americans have sorted through their rhetoric and siding with deep pocketed lobbyists in the matter and realize they are yet again working against the interests of the people as always.

[mrh3]

Public option likely to be managed by private insurance company
Medicare is larger than any private insurance company; the “option” in both bills will be small. The traditional Medicare program is a single program with uniform benefits; the “option” in both bills will be a balkanized program that may not be available in all parts of the country. Medicare is administered by public employees; the “options” in both bills will be administered by private-sector corporations, some or all of which will be insurance companies. The “option” in neither bill resembles Medicare....
http://rawstory.com/2009/10/public-option-managed-private-insurance-company/?dsq=20932015#comment-20932015

[CanadianBeef]

You're right, and it's shows that the two main Republican objections are false: it is not a "government-run" insurance scheme, and it will not compete with private insurance, because it is only an "option" to people not already insured. The whole Republican opposition is based on two lies.

[ChelseaC]

Who cares what the republicans think, this isn't a good bill.
It tinkers at the edges instead of providing REAL reform.
Rachel Maddow said that 9 out of ten people will not be able to have the "public option" so we're fighting over some piece of crap that most will not get anyway.

[blaising]

I think the following helps explain republics and conservadems continued lack of support for a public health insurance component :

“...the creative force not only shapes but takes what it has shaped under its wing and directs it. This is what we generally mean by such phrases as private capital or private property or possessions. Therefore the future will not belong, as the Communist holds, to the communist ideal of equality, but on the contrary, the farther humanity moves along the road of evolution, the more individualized achievements will be, from which it follows that the direction of what has been achieved will best be carried out by those who are themselves responsible for the achievements....The basis for all real higher development, indeed for the further development of all mankind [will therefore be found] in the encouragement of private initiative.”

Adolph Hitler
from speech to German armaments industrialists
June 26, 1944
(from 'Inside the Third Riech' by Albert Speer)

[CanadianBeef]

The scariest part is, that speech would sound about typical coming from just about any Republican senator.

[abdik8]

This urgent meeting was being reported on yesterday. Do we know the results? Were there any?

[oldguydude]

Noticed that Pelosi couldn't answer question regarding the constitutionality of the public option measure. Would think the Speaker of the House might have known the answer, but . . . .

[granny104]

Nancy Pelosi should introduce a bill immediately that says "Any Representative who votes against a robust (no opt-out, no trigger, etc) public option must immediately give up their insurance coverage, provided by the taxpayer, and attempt to purchase insurance in the private market." The older ones covered by Medicare should give that up too. Let's leave 'em high and dry like some of us who have been denied insurance coverage or can't afford it.

[lifeagain]

Your right. How dare they have their own opinions. This is not a democracy. This is a marxist state where you march in line with dear leader.

[oldguydude]

Pelosi is running the country right now. Obama and Reid are just bystanders.

[CanadianBeef]

Are you paying atention? The writer points out the hypocrisy of politicians, and you attack her as a Marxist. Does that mean that all intellectually honest positions are Marxist? Just wondering.

[ilse]

It's not that we mind them having their own opinions, but when it's clear that money bribes from the healthcare insurance industry is involved and stands in the way of their decision making, that is a problem. If you have a legit reason for being against a public option, fine. If you are bought and paid for by the insurance companies then that's a problem. Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the democrats have every right to ask the blue dog democrats to explain why they oppose. We are well aware that those blue dog members have taken huge sums of bribe money ffrom the health insurance industry. It's not so much that they oppose a public option, it's just they love money more.

[calfacon]

What you want congress critters to live their beliefs? You want them to match what they say and what they do? Rather radical don't you think? Good idea, BTW.

[quantumspin]

There is a report that a private insurance company will manage the so-called 'public option.'

From Raw Story:
A little-noticed tidbit in Saturday's Washington Post is sure to raise eyebrows among liberal supporters of a gorvernment-run healthcare plan: the plan is likely to be administered by a private insurance company, the very companies that progressive activists are trying to unseat.

[cripes]

Déjà vu all over again !

[Margo Arrowsmith]

This is a woman who knows how to do her job and knows that it is for the people. She is not backing down to lobbyists and is going to make sure that no one else does either. I just wish she was young enough to be President.

http://www.squidoo.com/alexandra_pelosi

[FreelanceWriter]

In that case, thank goodness for miracles because the thought of Nancy Pelosi being President really would be a true living nightmare. How fitting that Halloween is only around the corner. Thanks for the scary thought!

Of course, even if she were younger, she'd never have a chance of being President -- not with her attitude and partisan leanings. Pelosi is one of those people that is only in office because of her district otherwise she'd be gone.

You DO realize that even in her home state her current approval rating is now at 34% -- which means even 2 out of 3 Californians wish that she'd go away. And nationally her approval rating is even LOWER.

[ilse]

I admire Nancy Pelosi and would consider voting for her as president. Of course, I admire president Obama much more and he won't be going anywhere for a long time. President Obama and Nancy Pelosi are both fighters for the people and are a great asset for the democratic party. Also hats off to Alan Grayson for his comments on Cheney. I love Alan Grayson! Brilliant man and a great sense of humor.

[clearwaterclearmind]

yes, she is so brave to take hundreds of thousands of dollars from the industries she's standing up against.

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/industries.php?cycle=2010&cid=N00007360&type=I

[Margo Arrowsmith]

Yup, and she isn't doing their bidding. Take lots of money from them, just don't do their bidding.

http://www.squidoo.com/alexandra_pelosi

[minnehot]

A real "Profiles in Courage" moment. Massive Democrat majority in House, filibuster proof 60 seats in the Senate and this???

If I was a leftie, I would be pissed.

GOP 10'

[LeftLeanWing]

Since you're not

Just do what you do best...

Just Say ------ 'NO' !

[lifeagain]

And we do so GLADLY.