3 ms·

Now is the time to watch closely. When Pelosi got on board healthcare reform, we lost the public option. The chances that her support is a mask for a campaign t

by bsanr2 7y ago

Now is the time to watch closely. When Pelosi got on board healthcare reform, we lost the public option. The chances that her support is a mask for a campaign to water down any potential legislation are high.

nobodyandproud 7y ago
Can you explain? My recollection is that there was too much squabbling within the Democrat party to achieve it, with moderates wavering. And with the Senate putting in a watered down public option, it killed any chance for the House to submit tgeir own.
- mkr-hn 7y ago
  Not the person you replied to, but there are different narratives for it: "Democrats didn't want it because their insurance company sponsors didn't want it." "Democrats didn't fight for it because they needed votes from a few people who wouldn't support it." I'm partial to the view that they could have motivated those few senators to vote for a public option if they tried. Democrats wave their hands too much on the viability of progressive policy for my taste. Whether the belief in that unviability is genuine or a smokescreen is uncertain.
- Ididntdothis 7y ago
  I remember Lieberman and Baucus derailing the effort. And Obama didn’t have the courage to pound the table back then.
- bsanr2 7y ago
  It could have been passed through reconciliation IIRC. They didn't, in a bid to insulate the final bill against GOP objections to the legislation as a whole. We all know how that turned out.
Donald 7y ago
The senate dropped the public option under threat of a Joe Lieberman (independent former democrat who caucused with the democrats) filibuster: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/10/why-lieberman-hates-the-public-option/347740/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/10/why-lie... I don’t recall if the public option was ever included in the house bill. Do you?
- bsanr2 7y ago
  https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0363 https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2010.... >On 12 March 2010, as she prepared for her final push to pass reform legislation, House Speaker Pbbnelosi shut the door on using reconciliation to preserve the public option. While citing the lack of support in the Senate, Pelosi was also aware of the deep concerns that moderates in her caucus had regarding the public option. The narrow vote (219–212) in the House on 21 March 2010 suggests that every possible vote was needed. The House passed the Senate bill (HR 3590) and the reconciliation bill without a public option. It was included in several House versions of the bill coming out of committee. She didn't fight for it. In fact, she heralded its loss as a win for bipartisanship and her own negotiation campaign.
standardUser 7y ago
There was never any chance the Senate was going to support a public option when Obamacare was being developed. It was a non-starter.

by bsanr2 7y ago

nobodyandproud 7y ago

Can you explain? My recollection is that there was too much squabbling within the Democrat party to achieve it, with moderates wavering. And with the Senate putting in a watered down public option, it killed any chance for the House to submit tgeir own.

mkr-hn 7y ago
Not the person you replied to, but there are different narratives for it: "Democrats didn't want it because their insurance company sponsors didn't want it." "Democrats didn't fight for it because they needed votes from a few people who wouldn't support it." I'm partial to the view that they could have motivated those few senators to vote for a public option if they tried. Democrats wave their hands too much on the viability of progressive policy for my taste. Whether the belief in that unviability is genuine or a smokescreen is uncertain.
Ididntdothis 7y ago
I remember Lieberman and Baucus derailing the effort. And Obama didn’t have the courage to pound the table back then.
bsanr2 7y ago
It could have been passed through reconciliation IIRC. They didn't, in a bid to insulate the final bill against GOP objections to the legislation as a whole. We all know how that turned out.

Donald 7y ago

The senate dropped the public option under threat of a Joe Lieberman (independent former democrat who caucused with the democrats) filibuster: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/10/why-lieberman-hates-the-public-option/347740/ https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/10/why-lie... I don’t recall if the public option was ever included in the house bill. Do you?

bsanr2 7y ago
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0363 https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2010.... >On 12 March 2010, as she prepared for her final push to pass reform legislation, House Speaker Pbbnelosi shut the door on using reconciliation to preserve the public option. While citing the lack of support in the Senate, Pelosi was also aware of the deep concerns that moderates in her caucus had regarding the public option. The narrow vote (219–212) in the House on 21 March 2010 suggests that every possible vote was needed. The House passed the Senate bill (HR 3590) and the reconciliation bill without a public option. It was included in several House versions of the bill coming out of committee. She didn't fight for it. In fact, she heralded its loss as a win for bipartisanship and her own negotiation campaign.

standardUser 7y ago

There was never any chance the Senate was going to support a public option when Obamacare was being developed. It was a non-starter.