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New Polls Show Public Demands a Public Option, and More Health Care News |
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We’re watching closely to see if the U.S. Senate begins its debate on health care this week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will unveil the Senate bill tonight and we could see the first vote to begin debate as early as Saturday.
As we make some progress in the Senate, however, let’s remember we need to make sure the bill that passes isn’t just reform in name only, but really helps people. That means we need a public health insurance option to compete with insurance companies and keep health care affordable for everyone.
Across the country, people understand that a public health insurance option matters:
- In a new AP poll: 52 percent support a public health insurance option compared with only 35 percent opposed.
- In a new Washington Post/ABC poll: 53 percent support a public option compared with 43 percent opposed.
- And in a new CBS poll, 61 percent of people said they wanted the choice of a public health insurance option.
Will the Senate listen? Click here to contact your senators and demand a vote on real reform.
Here’s more of the latest news on health care reform:
- The AP’s poll shows 57 percent of people support funding health care reform through a surtax on the very wealthiest, like the House bill, rather than a new tax on health benefits. Once again, will the Senate listen?
- Think Progress investigates CMPI, one of the many corporate front groups dumping money and misinformation into the campaign against health care reform.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expects the Senate to pass a health care bill by mid-December.
- Keith Olbermann reports on how soaring attendance at free clinics shows the need for comprehensive reform.
- Chris Bowers at Open Left explains the rules of the Senate and what the next steps are for the health care bill.
- If the process takes too long, Senate leaders are prepared to hold sessions on Saturdays and Sundays to work on health care reform.
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kangenwaterhelp: New Polls Show Public Demands a Public Option, and More Health Care News: AFL-CIO by Seth Michaels, Nov 18, 200.. http://bit.ly/3CtwWK...
Let’s be clear here. Last year six very credible polls showed that more than 60% of our nation’s residents support single payer. Support for single payer in the labor movement is even greater. 39 State Federations, and well over 500 national and local union organizations endorsed HR 676, which is a single payer bill in the House. Add to that the unanimous passage of a resolution at the recent convention of the AFL-CIO that calls for the enactment of single payer, and one might [properly] assume that’s what the Federation is pushing.
That assumption and seventy-five cents will get you a cup of coffee. It appears the Federation’s hierarchy is deaf to the voices of rank and file union members. “Leadership” continues to push a so-called public option that is counterfeit at best.
It’s up to US to TELL THEM what WE demand. It starts at union meetings. We must make motions at union meetings that calls for nothing less than single payer, and include in our motions a requirement that local leadership notify the Federation’s leadership of our DEMAND. Furthermore, we must DEMAND that our per capita dollars cease being used to support HCAN, which is the propaganda arm of one of the cabals that is selling us out on health care reform.
Or we can do nothing and watch premiums climb, people die, strikes called, etc., because the suits and ties ignored us and because we sat on our fannies,.
What we need is a nationwide work stoppage until health care justice is won!
We’re used to Congress giving us the finger, but for our own spokespeople to do the same is despicable and unacceptable. Let’s tell them AND Congress to start representing us, or else!
This is important! We’re down to the last stretch. This is when the health insurance lobbyists will pull out all the stops to water down the bill. We have to bear down on the Senate and make our message heard above the well-connected and very effective health insurance lobby.
The bills are watered down and insurance companies are going to benefit. Congressional members are in the pockets of insurance companies already and we won’t get anything that will benefit us. These bills call for mandates, excise taxes on our HC, no lower premium prices, medication prices are skyrocketing now as to comply with the “cuts” in the future, and not everyone of the uninsured will be insured. Why leave 6 million left in the cold? Native Americans are being ignored, cuts in Medicare….this is reform? HCAN courted labor for our money (dues) and the AFL-CIO jumped right in bed with them for garbage. We should refuse to pay dues until the National gets their asses in gear, and listen to the membership! LABOR needs to boycott any further “health care rallies”, especially where there are the HCAN prostitutes to the health care industry! They are not calling for anything, look at the “historical” House bill!
Absolutely! The public is well informed and wants to stay in the loop! Now if only congress would catch up. Most don’t even realize the positive record that the public has within our own borders! http://cli.gs/23yYaM/