Hill: D.C. Dems Back Off Health Care Promises

In a stunning - if predictable - story, the Hill newspaper reports that congressional Democrats are now saying that they will effectively thwart any effort to create a national health care program. Here is the key excerpt:

"Congressional Democrats are backing away from healthcare reform promises made by their two presidential candidates, saying that even if their party controls the White House and Congress, sweeping change will be difficult...Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), a member of Senate Democratic leadership and a key Hillary Clinton ally who also sits on the Finance Committee, said he is 'not sure we have the big plan on healthcare.'...'Healthcare I feel strongly about, but I am not sure that we're ready for a major national healthcare plan,' Schumer said...Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.), a Clinton supporter who sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, said "the money is not necessarily there right now" to enact the plans."

There's a lot to unpack here.

First and foremost, to those in Washington who say the nation should just wait for Washington to act on health care and wait for Democrats to win control of Congress and the presidency, this story exposes the glaring failure of that strategy - especially as states move forward into the breach. Health care reform has to be a dual effort - at the federal level and at the state level. And most likely, real reform is going to start in the states - in part, because Democrats in Washington are so afraid of their own shadow and bought off by Big Money interests that they are now acknowledging that they are no serious about fulfilling their health care promises.

Second, you'll notice the right-wing arguments being made by Democrats in this piece. Schumer, like a reliable Fox News anchor, tells us that America isn't "ready" for national health care plan, despite polls over the last decade showing strong support for such a concept. Likewise, Meek - playing right into the Grover Norquist "drown it in the bathtub" mantra, claims the federal government doesn't have the cash to pay for a health care overhaul - even as Congress continues writing blank checks to fund the Iraq War.

Finally, this reminds us of the need for progressives to focus on building a social movement, rather than exclusively on winning elections. Democrats are effectively saying that no matter how many elections are won, they will not move forward on the most pressing domestic issue. That's because there isn't yet a powerful social movement putting constant pressure on both parties - and instilling fear in both parties. The infrastructure that has been built in recent years is largely partisan rather than movement-oriented - that is, aimed at buttressing the Democratic Party, regardless of what it does. If we are to get health care reform, it will require a movement - not a party.

Join the book club for David Sirota's upcoming book, The Uprising, due out on 5/27.

Comments

[BillLumbergh]

To play devil's advocate, perhaps Chuck Shumer is right about Americans 'not being ready' for national healthcare. It's the same sense I get, that the big insurance companies and big pharma will trot out the scare tactics on the teevee, and everyone who currently has insurance will go effin' crazy in opposition. Then everyone will start arguing about a few details that will get blown out of proportion, and the whole thing will collapse.
In my experience, Americans never agree to do what's necessary until it's already too late. JMO.

[AmeriGus]

Chuck Shumer and everyone else that HAS healthcare would opt against a nationalized plan, because it would raise their taxes and lower the quality of their care. I'm in the same boat myself, I have a great plan through my spouse's employer and pay nothing. But there's a better way.
America can't easily do what England, France or even Canada do because we have so many entrenched, profit-hungry middlemen in the equation and our populations are bigger and more diverse.
What America could easily do - overnight - is put back the plan that was in place 30 years ago - catastrophic-only health insurance. If we go back to paying doctors and hospitals directly, the costs come down by about a third. We're covered for major emergencies like hospitalizations by low-cost, high deductible plans. Just like we had in the past. My dad paid $25 per year through his union for a hospitaliz­ation-only plan. Worked fine back then. Problem came when health-industry titans put themselves between you and your doc. Get rid of 'em!

[john456]

David,
The progressive movement needs to learn how to strategize to obtain the goal of universal health care (not insurance). I believe that by convincing conservatives that the substantial discounts insurance companies obtain limits the free market by preventing "individuals" from self insuring. Thus, if one is willing to pay immediately 'in cash" they should enjoy the lowest price offered. By demanding that the "cash price" (HMOs are exempt) is the lowest that a medical provider can offer, the cost for medical care will be more evenly distributed and as an aside there will be fewer medical problem bankruptcies. Once equality in pricing occurs, the insurance companies will no longer be as profitable. Their rates should rise and they will need to be competitive with the "self-insured" (self-insured will need catastrophic insurance, but that is relatively inexpensive). After a few years of higher and no cost advantage private health insurance universal coverage (perhaps in stages) will occur. My guess is, first as an extension of medicare to children.

[elbzee]

Post scipt : How nice of the Democrats to continue to reward our votes in 2006. Impeachment, ending the war, health care. HECK OF A JOB DEMS! Gee, I'm sure glad I supported them.!

[elbzee]

Ok, it's a nightmare, but how about the ULTIMATE CONSPIRACY? The dems, through this admission that they won't keep their promises to help solve what is a major concern of the citizenry, are handing the election to the republicans. Period. The bickering and slashing between the two candidates, and turning their back on the people, it's either intentional or they're less intelligent than the chimp. And we all know how bright he is!

[JaneaneTheAcerbicGoblin]

Schumer does what he does best....CAVE to the almighty GOP.

[Eye]

If what you say is true, it offends reality.

In Love All Ways

[randyleepublic]

Of course they did. When are you folks going to wake up and smell the coffee. THERE IS NO EFFING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REPULICANS AND THE DEMOCRATS!!!

I mean, really, Duh!! Don't you get it? They are both bought and paid for, just by different branches of the same power structure. The details are different, but the message is the same: They will both lie to you, steal your money and your future, and kill you if you dare to oppose them.

If we really had free enterprise here, then we would not have the "medical crisis." The crisis is the result of 100 years of monopoly on the practice of medicine, a monopoly that is enforced by government thugs who will put you in prison or kill you if you defy them.

Innovation to lower costs? "We don need no stinkin innovation," says the medical establishment. They say that we need to be proactive in our medical care, but if you try to question Doctor God, he lets you know that he is God and you are a peon, so shut your yap. What's your alternative? There is none. A monopoly, remember.

I've gotten better feelings of true concern and empathy for my cat at the Vets. Those folks know that if they treat you bad, you may just decide that Fuzzy is actually OK and take your money elsewhere, so they act decently.

[Dandrea]

Go to
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/main.html
Frontline PBS 3/15/2008
Washington Post Reporter T.R. Reid goes around the world to show how other free market societies provide heatthcare while Chuck Schumer tells us that we can only afford to be a 4th rate power that is 37th in the world.

[DebbieKat]

Just stumbled across this very relevant link:

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/04/24/2048252&from=rss

[Pseudonym]

For you lucky people who live in California, there is a single payer health insurance bill in the legislature RIGHT NOW! It actually passed the whole legislature last year and was vetoed by the governator. The bill, SB-840, was reintroduced and with Californians' help, it can pass this time. It only needs a couple Senators and a handful of Assemblymembers to be veto proof.

Go to www.OneCareNow.org to learn more.

[helloworld2008]

So much for the Democratic establishment.

No wonder they want to shut out Obama's grassroots people.

[battleborn1]

You make a point that apparently most "Democrats" choose to ignore and that's it's no longer the Democratic Party, it's the "New Democratic Party" as constructed by the Clintons, Liebermans, Gores and the other political so called "elite" that don't give a shit about you, the "Old Democratic" values and seem to be able to continue spitting in peoples faces and still getting support. The "New Democratic Party" is so little different than the Republican party that it's fraud to pretend otherwise. If using Vaseline and telling you they love you after fucking you is a sufficient difference to go on pulling the lever (or button), then keep dreaming. "Democrats" need to decide what they really are; Democrats, or "New Democrats". If you're aware and supportive of the latter then please get the hell out of a party on it's deathbed and see if traditionalists can fix it. I doubt it, but like the PRI in Mexico what we have here is a Pepsi and Coca Cola kind of choice in "parties" making us the one party State we've been headed for years towards. Notice how "bipartisan" everyone in Washington gets when a viable third party tries to establish itself? They can't be having anything like real choices to challenge the giant Ponzi scheme they're running now and they're getting all the cooperation they could dream of from deluded fools that are living in an unreal world that 's so much more comforting than facing the facts.

[Pharos]

As far as I know Clinton is the only one pushing for 100% medical coverage. It will be interesting to see what she says about this.

[Diana]

Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), a member of Senate Democratic leadership and a key Hillary Clinton ally who also sits on the Finance Committee, said he is 'not sure we have the big plan on healthcare­.'...'Heal­thcare I feel strongly about, but I am not sure that we're ready for a major national healthcare plan,' Schumer said...
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Schumer, my senator, is nothing but a big-time shill. Let's not forget he NOMINATED his good friend , mukasy, personally vouching for the man's 'integrity.' Schumer is also behind the move to concentrate all u.s. monetary control to the Federal Reserve--e­ssentially a privatization of the wealth (i.e., tax revenues of U.S. citizens).

I campaigned against clinton in the last election (2004) and, as a new yorker, have come to realize that this very 'liberal' state is represented by 2 corporate shills.

BTW, what poll is schumer reading that states that the American people are not ready for a national health care plan? Another example of his 'shillness.'

[helloworld2008]

Does Hillary reject and denounce Schumer, or is she in on this scam too????

[Diana]

Her pathological fear of taking a stand (except on highly controversial issues like health care for kids) ensures Hillary never rejects or denounces anyone--except Obama.

[Diana]

hmmmm...why was my first comment accepted and my reply to helloworld rejected? Did I reach my quota of negative comments about Hillary?

[rowvee]

Schumer's doesn't think we're ready for a national health care plan? We've been ready for decades but we continue to elect spineless losers like him. He should give up his government plan for a while and see what it's like. Astounding ignorance.

[UnbiasView]

Leeches have been ready for decades, hard working Americans aren't ready to pay your bills, especially since gas, food and just about everything else is going up in price.

[PioneerKing]

Not DC dems just the ones supporting Hillary. Check the record they are all Hillary supporters.

[Gdebs]

Otto von Bismarck gave Germany a national health care plan because he hoped it would take away some of the allure of the Socialist Party.
FDR started Social Security to prevent a revolution during the Depression.
Our oligopoly has us under their boot heel right now so why should they
give the serfs anything.
Build guillotines.