Dennis Kucinich Wants His Single-Payer Provision Reinstated In Health Bill

The Washington Independent :

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) was none too happy when House leaders stripped his single-payer provision from their $894 billion health reform proposal. Today, he's urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to reinstate it.

"Like many other important reforms included in the underlying bill, the Kucinich amendment is the object of attack by the insurance industry," Kucinich wrote in a letter. "Unlike other reform measures, Leadership has chosen to strip the Kucinich amendment of the protection it deserves."

Read the whole story: The Washington Independent

Comments

[aero56]

06:33 PM on 12/21/2009

I wish that was true.

[Okieborn]

08:27 AM on 11/02/2009

Kucinich Americas HERO !!
Truth always wins !!

[Golden Ticket]

07:59 AM on 11/02/2009

He should want in one hand and s$%^ in the other to see which one fills up first.

[Corral]

02:24 AM on 11/02/2009

Bless Dennis Kucinich. The contrast between him and our corporate-fed representatives who dismiss the American public's call for a real public option (of course single payer is best). When he speaks on our behalf, is like listening to hope where we know there isn't any. Isn't it unbelievable how blatantly all of the Republicans and some of the Democrats can justify not allowing us to have the best medical care we can have in order to satisfy the insurance companies who have bought them off? I don't think we can really say that we have the best democratic government in the world. How can we? Our government is now "officially a corporate government". Do we march in the streets? I think we are too lazy to do so. We elected Obama, based on his promises. But, he, too, has let us down. I had hopes for Pelosi, but, apparently there wasn't going to be anything viable except this watered-down, so-called public option. I am totally disgusted.

[Nick D]

12:52 AM on 11/02/2009

I'd like to see this put to a vote on the House floor. Then we could clearly see who is on the side of the people, and who is in the pockets of corporations.

[waitforme]

11:22 PM on 11/01/2009

The Kucinich single-payer amendment should be made available for a vote. To disappear this amendment is completely untenable. 1) All Congresspersons should, in a democratic country, be free to VOTE. 2) Holding the most important, most fair and just amendment back would be unconscionable, and leave everyone who is responsible open to assunptions of corruption by the insurance/pharmaceutical industry.

It's a simple matter to just put back this amendment and let democracy prevail.

[Mulvaney]

11:20 PM on 11/01/2009

State's rights anyone? Apparently not for health care. Single payer is the only way that we can reduce health care costs and provide care for all. It takes the profit out of health care, which is the reason that even a bill allowing states to take it up is dangerous to the interests that control both parties.

The Demcratic Slogan: A two percent public option. The Republican slogan: No. The end result: the same.

[Rapier]

11:04 PM on 11/01/2009

He's a great guy and I wish him luck. Unfortunately money talks.

[FessorFrink]

10:07 PM on 11/01/2009

Based on how Canada introdcued its single payer plan (I happen to like better than England's) it was province by province. In our case, we may have to get there state by state. At least having the threat of it would be important in future health care legislation. So I would really like to have to Kucinich amendment reinstated. I know Conyers is for it and I can assume the Progressive Caucus, but I do not know if it can be passed. I hope Congress thinks long and hard about it and give it the support it needs to pass.

[worldlyhick]

08:48 PM on 11/01/2009

I would certainly support Dennis Kucinich if he would decide to run for President again. He's one of the few who speaks and acts based on what he believes to be right and has done so for years.

[aero56]

06:35 PM on 12/21/2009

They would runin him, too.

[S E Martin]

05:47 PM on 11/01/2009

“Death panels” already exist. They’re called insurance companies.

Rationing already exists. It’s called the private insurance system.

Inefficiency already exists. Ever call your insurance company with a problem? The private sector is not more efficient. That’s a myth.

Profit has no place when lives are at stake. Profit is a fine motive when it comes to shoes and cell phones, but not who lives and dies.

A single payer system makes more sense because insurance is all about spreading risk. When the entire nation is in the pool of lives covered, the risk is spread as broadly as possible.

Taxes might go up? Sure, as they should to provide a Medicare for all type of system. I’d rather pay another, say, 10% of my income to the government for Medicare coverage than the 20% of my income I currently pay.

To me, and I’d guess for most Americans, a single payer system would be a net gain in disposable income. This could even HELP our economy.

[janiceh]

09:18 PM on 11/01/2009

Agree.

[ilse]

04:33 PM on 11/01/2009

Maybe next election we can make Dennis Kucinich our president, get rid of pesky blue dogs who strongly opposed a public option and especially get rid of independent Joe Lieberman. President Obama made so many speeches about affordable healthcare so what happened? Did he just lose interest and decide he wasn't going to get involved? Any chance of a decent public option seems to be going bye bye and he just doesn't seem to care. The healthcare plan that Pelosi has announced is a joke and doesn't come close to a robust public option. Total letdown and this is not change we can believe in. Don't shove this cwap down our throats.

[Star2000dancer]

04:22 PM on 11/01/2009

Yup, I've followed him for years. I like Ron Paul too.

[janiceh]

09:40 PM on 11/01/2009

I listened to Ron Paul recently on Larry King. He is against any government involvement in health care and does not think health care is a right. He says if you don't have money for insurance, go to the emergency room.

[CoconutLime]

07:48 AM on 11/02/2009

And that is what makes him an idiot IMO. A doctor with a view like that is no doctor I wish to have as my own.

[Tyler-Durden]

04:16 PM on 11/04/2009

unfortunately, Dr. Paul's libertarian stance is too frontier land for me. The USA is a community. Certain things need to be shared for efficiency.

AND HEALTH CARE IS A RIGHT. NOT ONLY IS IT A HUMAN RIGHT, IT'S IN THE CONSTITUTION.

my right to LIFE, as stated in the Constitution, demands it.

Excess ER visits are part of what drives the cost of health care up. Expert ER staff should not be treating people who simply have no insurance. This view is what makes him a dinosaur.

[janeycat]

02:51 PM on 11/01/2009

article says he has 6 signatures on the ( whatever ) to hand back to Pelosi.It would be great if all the good ideas the people here have could be enacted.we would take of our selves and the insurance
companies could retire with all their millions and go somewhere and lay down.

[who38]

03:34 PM on 11/01/2009

Who are the six? Hope Barbara Lee is one of them.

[Star2000dancer]

04:26 PM on 11/01/2009

Pelosi should be handed her walking papers. Come on Calf. why are you letting her destroy beautiful California.?

[jimmygee]

02:00 PM on 11/01/2009

The good about Kucinich is that he's not groveling through the pocket lint looking for his pay off. Most of the legislatures are millionaires which makes one wonder why they keep syphoning money from the lobbyists. This constant begging for money prevents them from doing the peoples business. I would think there would be a point in time where the 99% of the takers would say I have enough money now so I'll start working for the people. Fat chance. Gluttony begets gluttony. Just simple minded thinking on my part!

[Star2000dancer]

02:51 PM on 11/01/2009

I'm ready to throw out Pelosi & put Kucinich in as House Speaker. Pelosi's got $'s in her eyes. She took Impeachment off the table, Kucinich stood for 5 hours in congress reading articles of Impeachment for Cheney & Bush as everyone else walked out while he was talking & ignored him.
Look what Pelosi, Boxer, Arnold & the rest have done to California.
They sold water to Southern California & turned the bread basket of the world that supplied 40% of the world's population with food into a desert. 38,000 farmers jobless, having to wait in lines for food 2 years now.
I bet these same people wouldn't be in if we got carbon copy receipts when we voted. How hard is that? Sometimes the old ways are the best.
And Obama, you promised you'd make lobbying illegal & no one who accepted lobby money would get in your cabinet. It's bribery, it's illegal, been illegal & will always be illegal. I campaigned for you. now keep your promises. Give back your own lobby money & I bet you get a whole new attitude. One that's make us, your kids, & all the innocent college kids whole believe in you proud. We know if Dennis you wrote it, it's the best thing for us
Make Dennis & Ron the head of all these committees. No one on the hill should have a voice if they've been paid off.