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On the public option... the yeas have it.
Fifty-two votes, that's what Senator Tom Harkin said yesterday is the
number of "solid" votes in the Senate for a public option. That should
be two more than needed. With a 50-50 tie I kind of have a hunch VP
Biden would vote yea.
Surely, surely there is not one Democratic Senator in America that would vote to filibuster a vote on the upcoming health care bill. If there is even one Democratic Senator in America who will lock arms with Mitch McConnell and vote to block, to deny, to filibuster the representatives of the American citizens, our U.S. Senators, a floor vote on a health care bill that will save half a million American lives over the next ten years then let them stand up NOW and say who they are.
What Democratic Senator in America wants to look themselves in the mirror in ten years and know that Kevorkian may have assisted in the deaths of a hundred or so people who wanted to die but they themselves will have assisted in the deaths of half a million of Americans who wanted to live?
Who are you I ask? Stand up and tell us now or either commit to yourself that when the health care bill comes to the Senate floor that you may or may not vote for it but that you will not prevent your colleagues from doing what they were elected to do... voting on legislation. The filibuster has been abused by both sides of the isle many times in the recent decades. With half a million American lives in the balance, now is not the time to abuse it again.
-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com and Daily Kos
Surely, surely there is not one Democratic Senator in America that would vote to filibuster a vote on the upcoming health care bill. If there is even one Democratic Senator in America who will lock arms with Mitch McConnell and vote to block, to deny, to filibuster the representatives of the American citizens, our U.S. Senators, a floor vote on a health care bill that will save half a million American lives over the next ten years then let them stand up NOW and say who they are.
What Democratic Senator in America wants to look themselves in the mirror in ten years and know that Kevorkian may have assisted in the deaths of a hundred or so people who wanted to die but they themselves will have assisted in the deaths of half a million of Americans who wanted to live?
Who are you I ask? Stand up and tell us now or either commit to yourself that when the health care bill comes to the Senate floor that you may or may not vote for it but that you will not prevent your colleagues from doing what they were elected to do... voting on legislation. The filibuster has been abused by both sides of the isle many times in the recent decades. With half a million American lives in the balance, now is not the time to abuse it again.
-- cross posted to Steve Everett Blog .com and Daily Kos
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I'm pleased that the leadership is no longer looking at a very challenging reconciliation strategy to get a vote on reform, and is instead pushing the idea of getting 60 votes to end a filibuster, and then to pass reform with a simple majority. I don't know whether that will work, but there's a reasonable chance. As to whether the package will include a public option in its original form, that's doubtful, but not impossible. I expect something more in the nature of a compromise via some hard bargaining - perhaps an opt-out provision as Schumer and others have proposed.
As to saving half a million lives, that would be a goal of universal coverage, not a public option. The Baucus bill is weakest here, because it includes only a weak mandate, whereas the House bills and the Senate HELP Committee bills contain much stronger mandates.
October 20, 2009 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
If they can't get this done now... well it's just pathetic, period.
No true public option that brings down costs and is available to everyone... No Mandate!
No gimmicks, opt-outs, tricks, state vs. state, triggers, or other games.
October 20, 2009 1:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Half a million American lives saved? How can we really know how many? It sounds to me like saying that Stimulus is "saving" jobs. It sounds like a pretty big pie-in-the-sky estimate.
As I understand how the study worked, if you get shot in the head by a random burglar, you are part of the 45,000 people per year if you didn't have health insurance.
I just don't see how it will save a half a million lives over 10 years. The number could be a lot less.
October 20, 2009 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bill - It's probably somewhere between 300,000 and half a million - the figures can't be estimated precisely, but we have a good idea of the general range:
http://pnhp.org/excessdeaths/health-insurance-and-mortality-in-US-adults.pdf
October 20, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pretty simple actually: Make it known that any Dem voting against cloture immediately loses any and all committee seats, loses all DCC funding, and will face a strong primary opponent backed by DCC funding and the full faith and credit of the White House.
Or, to avoid Rahm having to translate that: "Get in line or get fucked."
October 20, 2009 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink