Govs Now Major Players In Health Care Debate; Corzine Wouldn't Opt Out

Now that the Senate leadership has settled on a health-care reform proposal that includes a public insurance option with an opt-out clause for states, some attention is shifting to the nation's governors.

There appears to be no clear consensus -- even among Democrats. Several weeks ago, 22 Democratic governors sent a letter to Congress urging them to move forward with health reform. There was no specific reference to a public option nor, for that matter, a public option that would allow states to remove themselves from the system. Even so, six governors, as noted by Talking Points Memo's Christina Bellantoni, were conspicuously absent from the list of signatories.

Among Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Virginia candidate Creigh Deeds has gone so far as to suggest that -- should he be elected -- he would consider removing the state from the public option system.

New Jersey's Democratic Governor Jon Corzine, however, is leaving no such confusion. I asked his spokesperson Elisabeth Smith for a comment on her boss's position on an opt-out provision and she replied: "Governor Corzine has been an outspoken supporter of the public option. He would not opt out of it, as the public option is a critical piece of making health reform sustainable and holding private health insurance companies accountable."

Corzine, of course, is running in a state with far more progressive sensibilities than Virginia. But, among Democratic strategists, there was angst with Deeds after he expressed his skepticism with the public plan.

With the Senate settling on a health care plan that gives significant say to the states, expect Democratic governors to play an increasingly important and leading role in pushing health care reform across the finish line.

Comments

[dbailey]

12:19 PM on 10/28/2009

I live in TX, please tell me that the legislature can override the Govenor.!

[ConjureMan]

12:02 PM on 10/28/2009

opt-out of WHAT? Any one listening to the Lieberman lulaby lately?

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro]

11:17 PM on 10/27/2009

anyone interested in staging sit-ins at waffling congresspeople's offices this friday?

[Rangergirl]

09:38 PM on 10/27/2009

People of Red States...Be sure to remember when you go out to vote for your Next Governor that whether you areallowed to get Insurance MAY rest on the shoulders of that Governor...Don't Vote Republican if you want Healthcare ............They will opt out without consulting their constituents. VOTE DEMOCRATIC..........

[Imzadi]

10:25 AM on 10/28/2009

Not just the red states, up here in true blue Minnesota, we have Pawlenty posturing to opt us out.

Fortunately, he will be out of office by the time that decision is made.

[openhand]

06:15 PM on 10/27/2009

The Pharma Insurance Industrial Complex is going to have a tough time with the Governors. Buying Congress is alot cheaper and alot more simple. The Governors are also closer to the people and not centralized. Remeber the stimulus?

The opt out clause will make it 20 tough fights as opposed to just this one. If this goes thru, the GOP is on the ropes.

[judiNJ]

05:20 PM on 10/27/2009

Corzine will NOT opt-out! Corzine will NOT refuse unemployment extension. Cristie will, folks, Christie WILL opt-out. He WILL refuse extended unemployment benefits. Hey, New Jersey, you complain about governors no matter who they are or what they try to do, so just stay with the guy that will NOT opt-out.

[ECT]

05:05 PM on 10/27/2009

Citizen's of Republican States:

I am so sorry if your Senator does not think you deserve a Public Option Health Reform...VOTE OF YEA.

Your Senator apparently believes you share and enjoy the same Health Care Plan...he has. Yes, that is the Health Care Plan along with the other perks...you bestowed on him / her...when you voted for them.

Is your Pension Plan is as good as theirs too?

[PublicusOrator]

04:29 PM on 10/27/2009

Doesn't matter what Corzine says. After next week he's history.

[expired]

04:03 PM on 10/27/2009

Dear MoveOn member,
Big news: Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that he's including a compromise version of the public option in the Senate's health care bill.1

This is a huge victory over conservatives who spent all summer trying to kill the public option, and proof that health care reform now has enormous momentum.


Yet a few conservative Democrats are still threatening to help Republicans block reform.2

Now we have some important news of our own: In this weekend's member vote, 93% of MoveOn members agreed that any senator who helps block an up-or-down vote on a health care bill with the public option should lose the support of all five million of us—no donations, no volunteering, and no help getting out the vote.

To make sure conservative Democrats hear that message loud and clear, we're launching an emergency campaign to press them to support an up-or-down vote. We've got ad makers working on scripts and volunteers setting up events in key states.


But we need to raise $120,000 today. That means we need 3 donations from people in Naperville. Can you donate $25 so we can hold Democrats accountable if they block an up-or-down vote?


https://pol.moveon.org/donate

[TheBoohoo]

04:00 PM on 10/27/2009

As a Virginian who tends to vote liberal, I can't tell you how frustrating its been watching Creigh Deeds flail about. In VA the only time I hear from him is when he's reacting to something McDonnell said, and this is how he makes news for himself? By threatening to opt out of the public option (which is much more popular than Deeds) and pretty much killing his progressive base? Luckily the one upside to all of this is that I know McDonnell's nephew, so after Deeds gets stomped on election day I'm gonna try to party at the governor's mansion

[billw8017]

04:32 PM on 10/27/2009

Virginia has a reputation for good government, Democratic and Republican. i would prefer to see Democrats in power due to reapportionment and control of the coming elections, but we expect Virginia to display integrity either way. More states should be like this.

[bebecca]

03:56 PM on 10/27/2009

So what reason do these governors give for opting out of a national health care system? I think at the very least, for a state to opt out, it has to provide health care for its citizens. I really doubt that in the end, any state will opt out.

[billw8017]

04:25 PM on 10/27/2009

In Milwaukee, the Republican County Executive puts up his budget cutting taxes, closing libraries and parks. The Board of Supervisors throw out his budget, raise taxes and rescue everything. I would expect Governors opting out will get a similar treatment and go to rural hospitals to formally present the subsidy checks for them, taking credit for the funding.

Then, of course, they will run for re election claiming to fight for lower taxes against the tax and spend legislatures. That's fine. Let it be.

[linzy]

03:56 PM on 10/27/2009

This is one of my fears about the Opt Out provision. It opens the way for political manoeuvring, divisiveness, and craziness at the state level. Dream on if you think some governors won't opt out. That will open a whole new can of worms. Stop appearing so naive (and I do mean "appearing") and call things as they are. I kind of feel our legislators have opted out!

[bluntobject]

03:20 PM on 10/27/2009

This whole health care debate really is getting interesting. If it doesn't exist already, I bet we will soon have a list of all those Governors committed to staying with the publiuc option, and the die hards (mostly republicans, i'm sure) who plan to shaft their constitutients in need of real health care coverage and reform, by opting out. Then there will be an intense lobbying effort on the part of the Insurance Companies to get a higher number of Governors to publically state that they plan to opt out than those who say they will opt in. Changing minds quickly enough to make a difference in the final legislation that gets voted on will require a massive, state by state, grass roots effort in favor of "opting in" to insure that those who opt out get swiftly defeated at the ballot box.

All States should opt in.

[PG13]

03:20 PM on 10/27/2009

Republican Governors should be weary of their actions as they could face the wrath of their electorate if they decide to opt-out

[oceanofconsciousness]

03:12 PM on 10/27/2009

Who gets the final decision with the states? Is it the state legislatures? Do the governors then have veto power?