Submitted by Lisa Graves on
Heads are spinning after the discredited Senate Finance Committee blocked the public option from being part of the health care bill proposed by Senator Max Baucus of Montana and then voted for spending $50 million on the (also discredited) abstinence-only education program that President Obama had pressed to eliminate from the federal budget.
According to the Associated Press, "Two Democrats, Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, joined all 10 committee Republicans in voting 'yes' on the measure by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah."
This is the same group who voted with Chairman Baucus against a public option "level playing field" amendment offered by Senator Charles Schumer of New York in the Committee this week. These three Democrats, who voted with all the Republicans against that amendment, also voted together with the Republican block against a broader public option amendment offered by Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. That measure was endorsed by the Center for Media and Democracy's Wendell Potter.
But, the fight for health care reform and against insurance industry-written proposals continues.
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eddie in oglesb... replied on Permalink
MONEY TALKS ! ! !
It's the same old thing out of Washington, the usual...LET'S DO FOR BIG BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MONEY AND THE CLOUT AND SCREW (FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD) THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR THAT MATTER ! The American People need to see this for what it really is. Wall street and big business are giving all kinds of money to OUR politicians and these politicians are rolling over and giving them what they want. The insurance companies welcome this reform, because we are going to be forced into THEIR SYSTEM and the public option will never happen ! That's what these senators are saying. Sure, they'll change some laws, we'll pay a little less for awhile, everyone will HAVE to pay into this system. That's it right there...this will get EVERYONE into the current system BY LAW. Then as time goes on rates will go back up and the insurance companies will find another way to scam us some more and deny coverage. The American People would be wise to choose a public option in this legislation and have a way out if they don't like what the insurance companies are about to do...THINK PEOPLE THINK ! ! !