Leaders in Congress Join Kucinich Call to Restore State Single Payer Amendment

Seven Members of Congress have now signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting that Democratic Leadership restore the Kucinich Amendment to the health care reform bill before bringing the bill for a vote.

Added to H.R. 3200 in the Education and Labor Committee, the Kucinich Amendment removes an obstacle for states that seek to enact a statewide single payer health care system.

In addition to Congressman Kucinich (D-OH), Representatives John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Eric Massa (D-NY), Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL) Lynn C. Woolsey (D-CA), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) have signed the letter.

The full text of the letter follows:

October 30, 2009


The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
H-232 The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515-0001

Dear Madam Speaker,

We write to request that the Kucinich amendment that would grant a waiver of the application of ERISA to a state single payer plan be included in the Manager’s amendment to H.R. 3962.

Like many other important reforms included in the underlying bill, the Kucinich amendment is the object of attack by the insurance industry. Unlike other reform measures, Leadership has chosen to strip the Kucinich amendment of the protection it deserves. In view of the power of the insurance industry to divide and conquer good ideas for reforming health insurance in this country, we believe that a simple vote on the floor would be a setback for the amendment and for single payer health care, because it would be exposed to the full brunt of the insurance industry’s attacks.

Progressives are firm and emphatic in their support for the single payer health care. A single payer, Medicare for All health system is the best way to control costs, drive up quality and extend care to all. Allowing states to opt for a single payer plan is a compromise. It is an incremental reform. But it allows the country to move incrementally in the direction that is needed.

The Kucinich amendment strikes a balance between where we need to go and where we can go in the next week. We urge you to include it in the Manager’s amendment.

President Obama: It's Time To Fight

Progressive Change Campaign Committee will air a new TV ad, and is gathering signatures on an emergency petition, warning the administration not to support a health care compromise, favored by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), that could kill the public option.

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Keep making those calls! We got a little more time than we thought Thursday night. Don't stop now. While you are talking to them be sure you ask for their support for the Weiner Amendment and to keep the Kucinich Amendment in the final bill.

Updates from the Washington Post and Representative Raul Grijalva below...

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Rep. Raul Grijalva Talks Healthcare and holding the line on the Pbulic Option

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Part II here.

President Obama Talks to House Liberal Leaders About Public Option

Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller report:

President Obama spoke with liberal Democratic leaders of the House this afternoon to discuss their push for a government-run public health care plan.

Yesterday members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus wrote to the president that any health care reform bill that doesn’t include a “robust” public option will be “unacceptable.”

The leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., wrote to the president that members of the CBC “are deeply concerned about the current discussions surrounding health care reform and the possibility that current components of the bill – such as a robust public option and myriad health disparity elimination provisions – may be stricken in order to lower its cost to about $500 billion.”

Obama asked for them to define what they meant by a “robust” public option; he was told to stress similarities between the public option and Medicare. The members of Congress said people aren’t getting the correct information about what health care reform and the public option would be. If they understood the similarities, those with health insurance too, how that would drive down their costs, they might be more in favor it, they said.

The president supports the idea of a public option, but not as a way to get to a single-payer health care, sources say. He sees it as a means to an end -- the president will sign a bill that has a way to lower costs, keep insurance companies honest, and increase competition – it remains to be seen whether that would be a public option, a public option with a trigger mechanism that would kick in if certain benchmarks aren’t met, or non-profit co-ops.

A follow-up meeting between the president and caucus leaders will take place next Tuesday or Wednesday at the White House.”