Pelosi: Single-Payer Amendment Breaks Obama's Health Care Promise

An amendment to allow states to pursue single-payer health care without incurring insurance-industry lawsuits was stripped from the House bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday, adding that it would break President Obama's commitment to people keeping their current insurance plan if they like it.

She also said that she had yet to decide whether to allow a vote on a separate amendment from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) that would replace the entire health care bill with a single-payer system. "We are probably going to be addressing some of those issues in the next 24 hours," she told HuffPost.

Weiner is outwardly optimistic he'll get a vote. "She made a commitment back when the consideration of this bill was first contemplated. She agreed to have a vote on single payer then because we didn't have it in committee. I'm looking forward to it," he said. "She's an honorable person and she's a good Speaker and she supports single payer. She says it over and over again."

The amendment to allow states to individually implement single-payer was sponsored by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and passed the Education and Labor Committee's version of the health care bill. There were shenanigans involved, with Republicans joining Kucinich not because they supported the bill but because they wanted to create mischief. (Asked about the GOP position, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said that the party's opposition to single-payer health care trumps its support of states' rights.)

"The three chairmen blended the bills; that was in one of the bills. And in the harmonizing of the legislation, the decision was made not to go forward with that," Pelosi said of the Kucinich amendment. The Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees also passed versions of the health care bill.

Kucinich tells HuffPost that his amendment was scored by the Congressional Budget Office and that it is deficit neutral. The amendment would prevent insurers from suing states after they enact single-payer.

Pelosi said, however, that it was unclear what the overall effect of it would be. It's hard to know, of course, whether and when states would enact single-payer systems.

"All of our decisions are based on what we have to be answerable for in terms of the Congressional Budget Office, about what the cost will be," she said.

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"And what does that mean? What does it mean to Medicare? What does it mean to others: If you like what you have now, you can keep it. The President made that commitment and our legislation honors that commitment."

Kucinich, told about the Speaker's comment, said he hasn't given up. "The Speaker's a friend of mine. The president's a friend of mine. I talked to the president about this on several occasions, including last week. This is a decision that has to be made by Congress. And I'm hopefull we'll be able to get the Kucinich amendment reinstated," he said.

The president, Kucinich said, didn't commit one way or the other to his amendment, but understands how important it is to progressives.

"There's a national movement behind us. There's tens of thousands of calls that have been directed into this Capitol in the last few days in support of protecting the right of states to pursue their own single payer plan," Kucinich said, pledging to continue the pressure. He had a meeting scheduled with the Speaker for one p.m. Thursday, along with other progressives, he said.

House leadership may not have realized, Kucinich ventured, how important the amendment was to securing the support of a number of progressive members. If those votes are needed to move the bill to the president's desk, he said, the amendment could come back in play.

"There's still a chance that it could get back in the bill," he said.

Comments

[pest07]

American need to understand what all the fuss about ‘Single-Payer’ system is about! One of the best ways to lower the skyrocketing costs for health care would be to have a Single-Payer system for all Americans.

But we don’t understand the concept of a Single Payer system, because we have for more than 50 years been utilizing an employer-based system that isn’t working well for Americans any longer.

The cost of a health care plan has risen to such a degree over the last ten years that employers today are increasingly providing health care for only the staff member, and not the whole family. It’s the profit motive, of course.

Employers are able to negotiate the cost of health care plans based upon the number of employees involved. This economy of scale gives a definite benefit to large employers, but small and medium sized businesses don’t have as much negotiating power.

Take a look at who is making the biggest noise with our Congressional Representatives to strip a single-payer provision from legislation on health care reform in America. It’s no surprise folks that it is the insurance-industry that are threatening law-suits. I don’t have much sympathy for the insurance industry that has been ripping off the American public, raising our monthly health premises, and even declining to provide coverage for us.

Write and call Speaker Pelosi, Mr. Kucinich or other leaders promoting a single-payer amendment be put back in the bill:

[spytheweb]

bmull:
Federal law (ERISA) exempts self-insured companies--most big companies--from complying with state insurance laws. A state single payer plan would be thrown out in federal court without the Kucinich amendment.

Spytheweb
Why not have a bill called medicare for all. Medicare is already legal in all states, have the bill expanded to include everyone in the state paid for by payroll taxes.

[bmull]

How does letting voters choose state single payer break Obama's health care promise? And since when did Obama start worrying about broken promises? Grrrrrrr....

[hrholmes]

Single Payer is the only way our country can recover fiscally and physically. On the other hand for $5,000,000.00 I will throw America under the bus ‘for America’ like a good repug. For tens of millions more I will spew hateful garbage just as well as Coulter, Beck, Limbag, Palin or Bachmann for book deals and a faux TV show in a pear tree. It's the American way right? See Orly Taitz, she’s doing it!

[Saloontendwsd]

you'll end up with NOTHING. Pelosi is Worthless

[ConjureMan]

Say it ain't so Nancy. Here we go again, another full of crap Dem, same as the President...I feel like hurling.

[111]

Kucinich defeated by his own party again. I dislike Pelosi intensely. This amendment would not have taken anything away from anyone. It was the opportunity for each state to decide whether or not to adopt Single Payer. This is how Canada made their change, locally then nationally.

As far as money - end the wars whose only purpose is to make people like Pelosi richer. We never hear Congress saying we can't afford that war. Stop the wars and pay for health care.

I'm so twisted hearing about what she did. Time for Kucinich to leave the Democratic Party and become an Independent.

[brt929]

I really don't understand the need for the amendment.

The states are the ones that grant insurance companies the right to do business in their state. The states pass the legislation that construct the regulations that the insurers must adhere to before they are granted the right to do business in a state. They can take that right away at any time, so I fail to understand what that amendment accomplishes.

If anything, I could picture individual citizens suing the state for denying an insurance company the right to do business in their state. Not the companies.

[bmull]

Federal law (ERISA) exempts self-insured companies--most big companies--from complying with state insurance laws. A state single payer plan would be thrown out in federal court without the Kucinich amendment.

[liberalOrgonian]

Surely it is worth running the numbers to see how much is saved with a single payer Insurance system.
I think many will be amazed at the savings.
I do not want to support the Insurance rip off industry.

Prez Obama did say single payer would be his preference, if we did not already have a system in place.
And OH what a system we have.

We set up single payer in Iraq. Do we not deserve to have a better system than to just let the sick die?
Shameful state of health affairs for our fellow Americans.

[jwredd]

The numbers have already been run and fiscally it's a no-brainer. The conservatives in this country choose dogmatic ideology over common sense and practicality (not to mention compassion and humanity).

[ScarlettGA]

Pres. Obama also said that he would not consider a single-payer system because it would be too radical a change from the system we have in place. I'm growing more and more disillusioned by the whole thing.

Everything about both the House and Senate plans is so different than what was discussed when this debate first started that I don't know what to make of them or anyone supporting them anymore. I feel like most of Congress - who are enjoying a slice of the health care sector profits in their campaign coffers - will pass anything that will defend the corporations who are keeping people uninsured. Obama, I think, will sign anything that will keep him from upsetting too many people on either side of the issue. It's good that there are people like Kucinich who haven't lost the plot or sold the rest of us out.

All I know is that I believed having a public option would be about choice - my choice, not the state's choice or the federal government's choice. The more changes are made to these bills, the more I see my choice going away. Having the states choose to opt out of the public option (if that's still the case) would mean that millions of people who need it won't be able to have it. Having the federal government only offer the public option to people who are uninsured locks those that are insured into their unreliable, expensive plans and does nothing for

[Harrier]

Not a big deal to me. I have corporate insurance and want to go to a public option even if it cost more. Even if doubles, in the long run I will be better off.

[jaslyn]

It doesn't cost more; in the long run it saves money! Doesn't anyone listen anymore?

[stunsitfel]

10.2% unemployment.

Like we can pay for new taxes.

[stunsitfel]

News Flash....new unemplyment numbers....10.2%

Go ahead and pass this monster and saddle business with new taxes. Heck, throw in Cap and Tax too.

[Papa Swamp]

Not just business but individuals. Buy a wheel chair...new tax. Need an artificial hip..new tax. This lowers cost?

But let's look at the real issue you pointed out. No money for food and shelter, but you can get your flu shots.

At some point the strain on those left working paying for those that can't will either collapse, the government will have to print more money, default on it's debt (very possible), or we will see riots when the benefit run out.

The US is broke, and instead of fixing it, we add more programs to saddle states with more unfunded mandates.

Congress and the President need to stop pursuing this and other useless bills (do it later when the economy can support it) and fix the disastrous economy.

[TParrish]

I agree, we're in a bad way.
Here is some interesting info as to why:
http://www.hillbillyreport.org/diary/505/republican-hypocrisy-on-the-deficit-and-healthcare

[jwredd]

Try connecting some dots. For many, the high cost of healthcare is financially crippling. In my area a private plan for my family is $1200 a month. That's where my money goes after I've paid my mortgage and utilities. If some of that money turned into consumer spending, something that is nonexistent at the moment, the economy would be looking better.

[scooperss]

I do believe that's an UNTRUTH! Candidate obama-------------

The YouTube video, which isn't the greatest quality, shows Obama speaking in a meeting room to an audience that interrupts him from time to time with applause. A sign on the podium says "AFL-CIO Civil, Human and Women's Rights Conference," and Obama sounds like he's giving a campaign speech:

"I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care program. I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, spending 14 percent of its gross national product on health care, cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that's what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A single-payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. That's what I’d like to see. But as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we've got to take back the White House, we've got to take back the Senate, and we've got to take back the House."

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jul/16/barack-obama/obama-statements-single-payer-have-changed-bit/

[iamwatching]

Having lived in a dysfunctional culture of 'fear' programming for all of my life. Historically, I must point out 'The people have never controlled the legislative branches of this country. It is a fantasy. It has always been controlled by lobbyists and wealthy Corporations since they manipulated the laws to give themselves 'personhood' and equal rights with individuals at the turn of the 20th century.. The exact thing the founding fathers warned against.

Obama had a 'gift of the ages' to really turn this around. But what did he do? He listened to the fear mongers and presented a 'top-down' model (just the opposite of what he said he would do). He gave Bankers even more power over people's lives bu placing Geitner and Summers ( who have been paid millions of dollars by the banking industry) to craft a solution that made the banks even more powerful while average Americans slipped into poverty and homelessness. We haven't held power in this country in close to two hundred years. But I agree with you it is time to change. Most people are 'economic slaves' in this country. I dream of the day we can be free men and women again. . . .it could be us, but we will have to want it more than the slave owners at the corporations do.

[ScarlettGA]

I totally agree with you. Especially about Obama's "gift of the ages" - he was elected out of a belief that the government could really care about the people again and not about corporations, and he's squandering it. He's really messing it up.

And as frustrated as I feel about it all, I have to remember that the US isn't an autocracy. He can't make decisions to change the country alone; he has to compromise with crooked Congressional members, many of whom are in their positions by the help they get from corporations and powerful lobbies.

But it's got me wondering now, if he would make those decisions on behalf of the people if he could.

[Chris]

Madame Speaker a vote on Saturday breaks YOUR promise of the final bill being available for 72 hours prior to the vote.

Why should we expect our elected officials to actually follow through on their promises.

[evekendall]

Write and call Speaker Pelosi and demand that Mr. Kucinich's single-payer amendment be put back in the bill:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
235 Cannon House Office Building,
Washington, DC 20515-0508
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Email Speaker Pelosi at:
sf.nancy@m­ail.house.­gov

Look up your representatives and senators and write/call them, too:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

[gregczar]

Ms. Pelosi,

So what?????

Things change. It seems clear that the American people now want a single payor system!!!

Try to keep up!!