You know you not only give your time Sync, you put your time to good use.

Great up to date research again. Amazing, just amazing.

Sink,
Here is the entire response I received from Bart Stupak, (D-MI) when I e-mailed him awhile back asking for his view on health reform....

July 20, 2009

Dear Mrs XXXXXX:

Thank you for contacting me regarding health care reform. I appreciated hearing from you on this important issue.

The experiences of Northern Michigan families and employers parallel the national trend. Almost 50 million Americans, including 10 million children, are living without health care. Approximately 82 percent of these uninsured individuals have a full or part-time job. Unfortunately, it is becoming harder for employers to offer affordable insurance to their employees. Coverage is becoming more expensive and less comprehensive, with high deductibles, co-pays and coverage limits.

From 2000 to 2007, employer sponsored annual health insurance premiums rose from $6,817 to $12,151, an increase of $5,334 or 78.2 percent. Over the same period, the median earnings of Michigan's workers increased from $25,910 to $27,096, an increase of $1,186 or 4.6 percent. Clearly these skyrocketing health care costs are unsustainable for both families and employers.

Health care is a basic right that should be afforded to all Americans, it is not a privilege. It is my belief that in reforming health care in our country, Congress needs to build on the existing framework by making it easier for employers to provide health insurance and by providing access to government programs for individuals not covered by their employer.

President Obama has committed to making health care reform a priority by dedicating $634 billion in his five year budget to finance health reforms aimed at reducing insurance premiums and the number of uninsured Americans. While $634 billion will not be enough to fully fund a comprehensive reform, it is a concrete first step in the direction of health reform.

H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 14, 2009. It is estimated the legislation would ensure health care coverage for 97 percent of Americans by 2016. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated the bill will cost $1 trillion over 10 years, although the bill includes provisions that fully pay for health care reform without increasing the federal budget deficit.

Despite some of the improvements provided in H.R. 3200, I remain concerned with the legislation. During my first campaign for Congress in 1992, I made a promise to my constituents that I would support health care reform and not accept the health insurance that is offered to members of Congress until all Americans had access to quality, affordable health care. I have kept that promise.

I hear every day the heartbreaking stories of my constituents - the insured, the uninsured and the under insured. I hear from those who the current health care system has left helpless, bankrupt and disillusioned.

I want to help all of my constituents by providing quality, affordable health care, but the proposal before us perpetuates a broken system. CBO has said that by 2016 - seven years from now - 97 to 98 percent of Americans will have health care coverage. CBO's independent, non-partisan analysis said the legislation does not address the inequities in the current system. Perhaps most alarming is that CBO said H.R. 3200, in its current form, will cost us hundred of thousands of jobs and weaken our economy. I am really concerned about the costs to small businesses.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee, on which I serve, began considering amendments to H.R. 3200 on Friday, July 17, 2009. This process will continue through Wednesday, July 22, 2009. I will listen carefully to the debate and offer and support amendments that provide for accessible, affordable and efficient health insurance coverage. I hope that when this process is complete H.R. 3200 is a bill that better accomplishes the goal of effectively reforming our health care system.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me again if my staff or I can be of any assistance.

Sincerely,

BART STUPAK
Member of Congress

So, it looks like he is not throwing his vote towards H.R.676....single-payer is not his solution. I'll work on him. ;o)

H.R. 3200 appears to be moving now.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:H.R.3200:
John Dingell (D-MI) is the sponsor of H.R.3200 so I highly doubt he would throw his vote towards H.R.676.

It's early yet, though. These bills gets torn apart and pieced together like a crazy quilt....truly, one never knows what the end product will be.

I am starting to get the hunch, that after Congress resumes in September, single-payer may get a break. Numbers need to be crunched and advertised. It has to be known that single-payer is the taxpayer's friend more so than any other reform. People always, always, always vote their pocketbook. Compassion for your fellow man/woman is commendable, but the public in general is more concerned with how much is it gonna cost me?

Don't lose the vision, my friend.