Mad rantings about politics, evolution, and microbiology. Comment policy: say what you want, but back it up with an email address. I don't like anonymous trolls.
At least someone knows how to play hardball. From Politico:
Under a Republican amendment approved Tuesday in the HELP bill, every member of Congress and their staffs would be required to enroll in the public insurance option. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) authored the measure, which has become a rallying point for conservatives opposed to the public option. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), who voted by proxy, and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) called their bluff and voted with Republicans to pass the amendment -- effectively neutralizing the issue for now. It seems unlikely that it would survive the many stages of the legislative process. Then again, Kennedy apparently likes it, according to his spokesman: "Sen. Kennedy believes strongly in the public option and its ability to provide quality and affordable healthcare while keeping the insurance companies honest. This was a no-brainer."
Nicely done.
Politics
Comments
I love this precedent. Next time those old men vote young men off to die in some forsaken war, can we make them go too?
Posted by: george.w | July 15, 2009 8:23 PM
If they put forth a plan WITHOUT a public option, someone needs to amend the bill to call for closing off legislators' access to any government run healthcare -- including Walter Reed and the clinic that I've heard is in the Capitol.
Sen. Grassley, who is declaring any bill with a public option DOA had this to say at a recent town hall in Iowa:
In a recent town hall meeting, Grassley was asked "how can Average Joe get the same quality of health care coverage that people in federal government receive?" Grassley's response was, "go work for the federal government."
http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10734060&nav=1kgl
Posted by: Gerry L | July 15, 2009 10:49 PM
I'd rather just see a bill passed with the following basic rules:
* Members of Congress must purchase private insurance.
* They must do so through a clearinghouse that uses pseudonyms for them so the insurance company doesn't know it's dealing with members of Congress.
We'll see how long the "best health care in the world" bullshit goes on when somebody is in a car accident and has to pay out pocket because they didn't mention their peanut allergy on their application.
Posted by: Troublesome Frog | July 16, 2009 11:10 AM
Frog,
You don't need to HAVE a peanut allergy that you didn't mention to be declined -- or kicked out. All you need is to have been tested for allergies and gotten a negative result. Inquiring about a condition is enough to lose coverage.
Happened to me. I went to a doc after a minor car accident. Checked out fine. Mentioned it a couple of years later on an insurance app and was told that they would not cover anything having to do with my back for 3 years. But, oh, premium would not be lowered.
Posted by: Gerry L | July 16, 2009 10:35 PM