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America Wants a Public Option—Will Senators Listen Now? |
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This morning, a new Washington Post poll showed what many other polls have been demonstrating: the U.S. public supports a public health insurance option as part of health care reform legislation to compete with private insurance companies.
Some 57 percent of those polled support a public insurance option as part of health care reform, and 52 percent of independent voters said they supported a public option. In fact, when offered the choice between a health care plan that has “bipartisan support” or one that includes a public option, a majority wants a public option. America gets it: A public option is the best way to make health care reform work and ensure it’s affordable for everyone.
So what’s the hold-up? The public option was included in bills passed by three U.S. House committees as well as the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. But the Senate Finance Committee passed a bill without a public option. The wishes of a majority of the Senate and all the relevant committees in the House, as well as a strong majority of the public, are being held up by a minority of senators more interested in whether a public option is “fair” to the insurance companies than good for working families.
That’s why we need to keep fighting to make sure members of the Senate and House understand that one of the messages voters sent last fall was in favor of real health insurance reform, and we won’t accept anything less. Guess what, senators: You don’t work for the insurance companies. You work for us.
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“America Wants a Public Option—Will Senators Listen Now?”
This is simply false!
Single-payer “Medicare for All” was supported by 70 % of the public, the large majority opposed to continuing for-profit gangster corporations from killing tens of thousands for lack of health care.
Over 500 union locals passed resolutions in favor of “single-payer” Medicare for All proposals to completely eliminate corporate greed in order to minimize the out of control costs of health care.
The recent AFL-CIO convention in Pittsburgh passed a UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION IN FAVOR OF SINGLE-PAYER ‘MEDICARE FOR ALL”.
Does newly elected President Trumka and the AFL-CIO “leadership” think it actually can ‘fool all the people all the time”?
Or perhaps just betray the demands of it’s own membership met in convention, the highest decision making body of the AFL-CIO?
It is still not too late to for the AFL-CIO “leadership” to intervene on behalf of it’s membership and of all working people in this country. With the health industry bandits still in control,
and having 50 million working people forced to pay money to these crooks (or pay $1000 fines!), is going to be “the last straw”.
Obama and the Democratic Party (as well as Republicans) is totally owned and bribed by tens of millions of campaign contributions, six lobbyists to each member of Congress, is ramming this corporate state (fascist) “reform” down the throat of the people.
Be prepared for the consequences.
That’s why senators should support extending Unemployment benefits.. The lobbyist won’t be picking up the golf fee when you are out of office
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This post was mentioned on Reddit by thevirtuesofxen: No. Democratic Senators from more conservative districts will lose the next election if they vote for a public option. At least they keep their jobs at the expense of the people, of course….
what can we do to bring pressure to bare on those senators who are resisting the mandate for a public option?
“Obama and the Democratic Party (as well as Republicans) is totally owned and bribed by tens of millions of campaign contributions, six lobbyists to each member of Congress, is ramming this corporate state (fascist) “reform” down the throat of the people.”
Thank you Mr. Wells.
The AFL-CIO should take a serious look at the programs of the various socialist parties around the US and make a complete break from the corrupt pro-corporate Democrat Party.
Yes, a majority of Americans want socialized health insurance, just as we support socialized fire services, education, police and public works.
If we had fair and accurate coverage of what socialism actually is and would do to improve the lives of workers, a majority of Americans would support it as an economic system. What is holding back the AFL-CIO from leading the way for an economy owned and controlled by workers?
I would also support a public health insurance. The bills as they are now in congress, specifically exempt congress members from the national health bill. This gives me the impression that they are trying to pull something on the public. If the Health bill is not good enough for congress, it sure as hell ain’t good enough for the rest of us. Include ALL americans in the health bill and I’ll support it.