Harkin says Senate has the votes to pass a health care bill with a public option.
Harkin says Senate has the votes to pass a health care bill with a public option.
As it reconvenes its health care mark up today, the Senate Finance Committee is set to debate three versions of a public option that could be inserted into the committee’s bill. At the same time, a top Senate Democrat said today that he has the votes to pass a bill that includes a government plan through the entire Senate. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), who recently took over as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, told Bill Press that Democrats “comfortably” have the votes for a public option:
“I have polled senators, and the vast majority of Democrats — maybe approaching 50 — support a public option,” Harkin said told the liberal Bill Press Radio Show. “So why shouldn’t we have a public option? We have the votes.”
“I believe we’ll have the 60 votes, now that we have the new senator from Massachusetts, to at least get it on the Senate floor,” Harkin later added. “But once we cross that hurdle, we only need 51 votes for the public option. And I believe there are, comfortably, 51 votes for a public option.”
Though a version of the public option isn’t expected to make it out of the Finance Committee, supporters such as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) say that “the Senate floor is more favorable to the public option than the Finance Committee, and [negotiations with the House are] more favorable than the Senate floor.” ”
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it’s easier to bribe a committee than the whole Senate…
September 29th, 2009 at 11:25 amWe need the public option.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:27 amI respectfully disagree, it just costs the Health Insurance industry a hell of a lot more to buy 41 the votes in the senate needed to kill the public option.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:31 amThe Republicans are just sheep and will vote whatever way they are paid to vote by the insurance lobby.
Now, let’s wait for the Trolls to start steaming. Pretty soon they will be typing away about the injustice of it all.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:31 amThis sounds great…I hope! But on a show last weekend name and person now forgotten (sorry)this person said that the public option model being tossed around is one which will fail, it will exclude many Americans and also lock each person in with much government red tape.
I wish I could remember all this person said but…My fear is that through all of this delay, the health insurance companies along with their political puppets have come up with their brand of a public option behind closed door that will become a nightmare to those who sign up for it. Meaning it will be another poorly planned government clusterphuck, with the goal to destroy the public option in the future as opponents will come back and say “see a public option won’t work” I hope I’m wrong!!!!
September 29th, 2009 at 11:34 amI predict the troll attack would be “you always had enough votes, why not just do it?” Of course, if taken seriously, this would amount to an offer to drop all resistance to it.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:34 am‘Money for Illness’ corporations aren’t going to like this talk.
It’s really quite amazing when one realizes big insurers have convinced many, many Americans that a public option is not in their best interest. $100+ million has been spent in just 120 days to scare, implant doubt, threaten and cajole the PUBLIC that a PUBLIC Option is bad government.
Wake up, Sheeple! When did large corporations EVER concern themselves with your welfare?
September 29th, 2009 at 11:36 amHarkin knows. He’s been around the block a few times, and knows ALL the players. He’s been pointing to the bleachers for a week or two now, ’cause he knows what’s up.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:36 amArt says:
We need the public option.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:36 am————————————————————
Yes we do, but we need a well thought out public option. One that will work from the get go, with no red tape. I’m cautiously anticipating the outcome of this one.
Watch for the right wing screech machine to increase it’s volume even more.
The troll reaction to the poll thread that shows increased support for the public option tells me that they know they are losing.
The thing that I see happening is that it is becoming clear that Americans want this public option and anyone who opposes it will pay come election time.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:37 amI would like to hear the Senate Finance Committee try to justify killing the Public Option considering that the latest CBO estimate shows that a public option would be considerably more cost efficient(by about 85 billion dollars) than the Committee’s version. If their main concern is the bottom line, how can they justify NOT supporting it? Or maybe I should ask that in light of the recent CBO estimate, the public’s overwhelming support of a public option along with common knowlege of the HC Industry’s financial support of the Committee, how do members of the Finance Committee think they will be re-elected if they do not support it?
September 29th, 2009 at 11:37 amYes bring on the low informed trolls let the parade begin. Send in the Trolls (clowns)they need the talking points, so hopefully for them there white wing wrong side handles will be up to this task.
But Sen. Harkin its good to hear that there really is a push for a public option. keep up the good fight, the american fight for health care to all of us We The People.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:37 ameven@10, Don’t worry. I’m sure ‘Teflon’ will grace us with his presence shortly, clicking thumbs down upon us all!
September 29th, 2009 at 11:38 amKEEP
September 29th, 2009 at 11:38 amCALLING
YOUR
REPS
!!!!
Fred says:
The thing that I see happening is that it is becoming clear that Americans want this public option and anyone who opposes it will pay come election time.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:41 am———————————————————–
God Fred, I hope you are right! I shudder to think what will happen to our country if the republicons take back control of our government. More cuts to social programs, more deregulation, war with Iran, more tax cuts for the wealthy, more corporate welfare, more deteriorating roads, bridges and infrastructure. More borrowing from Communist China…
Zimzone says:
‘Money for Illness’ corporations aren’t going to like this talk.
It’s really quite amazing when one realizes big insurers have convinced many, many Americans that a public option is not in their best interest. $100+ million has been spent in just 120 days to scare, implant doubt, threaten and cajole the PUBLIC that a PUBLIC Option is bad government.
Wake up, Sheeple! When did large corporations EVER concern themselves with your welfare?
September 29th, 2009 at 11:43 am———————————————————–
It is stunning isn’t it? Just another example that our country is going down, too many idiots. The idiocy of the last regime strongly lingers.
As long as they vote for cloture, we can afford to give a few blue dogs coverage and let them vote against the bill when it comes to a floor vote.
The American people aren’t going to care how many votes this package passes by, only that it works…
September 29th, 2009 at 11:44 amZimzone says:
It’s really quite amazing when one realizes big insurers have convinced many, many Americans that a public option is not in their best interest. $100+ million has been spent in just 120 days to scare, implant doubt, threaten and cajole the PUBLIC that a PUBLIC Option is bad government
And all that money has been spent while they continue to deny people treatment they need and cancel people who have become too expensive. For the life of me I don’t understand why ANYONE favors the for-profit health care industry.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:48 amFred says:
The thing that I see happening is that it is becoming clear that Americans want this public option and anyone who opposes it will pay come election time.
But that is only going to happen if the Democrats start recruiting people to run against the representatives who are standing in the way of health care reform. Organizations like moveon or Act Blue or even the DNC need to start recruiting people to run against the blue dogs NOW. If they wait too much longer, it will be too late. Many people may be faced with the problem of either voting for the blue dog, voting for a Republican or not voting at all if we don’t find primary challengers now.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:50 amI can just imagine what the Righties are doing right now. Throwing their hands up in despair, crying about how the Country is going down the drain. Now they know how I felt in 2004 after Bush won (The jury is still out on that one, Thank’s Ohio!)
September 29th, 2009 at 11:50 amFour of the five plans in congress have a public plan option.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:51 amHarry Reid will have a lot of latitude in merging the differing bills in the Senate.
I have hope that the blue dogs will get sufficient bones tossed their way to vote cloture.
Then it’s a majority vote and a done deal.
Fred says:
Watch for the right wing screech machine to increase it’s volume even more.
The troll reaction to the poll thread that shows increased support for the public option tells me that they know they are losing.
They will come here with the recent Rasmussen poll that shows that only 45% of Americans support health care reform. Of course Rasmussen is owned by conservatives and they word their questions in a way to get the answer they are looking for. I also suspect that they poll way more Republicans than are representative in our country. Since they don’t release their demographics, it’s hard to tell.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:52 amWe need a sensible public option.
That’s all I will say to my Senator and to anyone that tells me we don’t.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:54 amI hope there is a strong public option, and real reform. We’ll see who comes out on top, the American people or the greedy insurance companies.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:55 amBilbo Hussein Baggins, I get emails from moveon, etc. every day. The blue dogs are being targeted. We have momentum now and the gop is blowing wind into our sails.
September 29th, 2009 at 11:56 amAh, I see the anonymous “vote-down” troll has arrived. What’s the matter trollie, got nothing to say?
September 29th, 2009 at 12:01 pmIf it wasn’t for the ‘Town Halls’ This wouldn’t have happened. Polls show support for Health Care reform GREW over the Summer. When ‘Protesters’ started screaming at people instead of the Representatives it started a back-lash. The woman in the wheel chair, the woman crying about her husbands brain injury were jeered at and ridiculed. It was a disgusting display. MSM mysteriously dropped the ‘Town Hall’ debates. When you have a group of mostly white, old bitter screaming ‘Get your hands of my Medicare!’ It turned off a lot of younger voters and minorities.
September 29th, 2009 at 12:02 pmstill can’t summon 9 friends, either.
pitiable, yet undeserving of pity or mercy.
September 29th, 2009 at 12:03 pmMaybe we should let tenthers, individually, opt out of the entire program. By that I mean no public option EVER. No changing their mind and not Medicare benefits later. In fact we should even give them some money back when they’re 65 so they can shop for their own insurance and not be burdened with government bureaucrats. And Dick Armey should be the first guy to lose his Medicare since he’s been trying to get out anyway.
September 29th, 2009 at 12:08 pmAnd then hopefully those of us on sites like this can keep track of all those who vote against improved health care for all even blue dogs. Republicans fought Social Security and now they want to act like its saviors. They should not be allowed to rewrite history any more.
September 29th, 2009 at 12:11 pmThink the trolls are licking there wounds as they have been busted and smacked down on the other threads here.
so good work
call the troll busters
September 29th, 2009 at 12:15 pmNow just hold on one minute there, the Public Option is what a Majority of the American People want and they should really reconsider doing anything that they want and need…
….you have to consider the needs of the Corporations that bought you guys, their the ones that really matter…
….so get back to work and do the right thing.
September 29th, 2009 at 12:39 pmHarkin’s definitely on to something. The chances of a public option coming out of the finance committe just got slimmer: Conrad outright refuses to support one. No surpirse there, but that leaves it hanging on Lincoln. If she refuses to support any public option, it dies in committee.
It’s an inconvenience, but not the death of reform.
September 29th, 2009 at 1:12 pmThe public option would be administered by illegals to deny health care to republicans and refuse claims to white people beat up by Obamis.
September 29th, 2009 at 1:23 pmI will believe it and cheer when I see it on Obama’s desk for signing.
For now, all the talk is just that – talk.
September 29th, 2009 at 1:24 pmOf course, you libs will get your public option through maneuvering through the established framework of the congress. We’ll be waiting for you on the other side screaming. We will not let down our investors. We will not.
September 29th, 2009 at 1:27 pmbelaccifer lacca: “The American people aren’t going to care how many votes this package passes by, only that it works…”
Exactly. This entire bipartisan thing has been a product of media lackies jumping to the tune of republican spin masters.
Remember what the same people said after the 2004 election?
They said “elections have consequences.”
Think we don’t remember, righties? Does the media think we don’t remember the smirking little boast of “I’ve got political capital and I’m gonna spend it”?
September 29th, 2009 at 1:38 pmAt last a ray of hope.
September 29th, 2009 at 2:35 pmGo ahead and pass it. If you thought the 9/12 march was big wait to you see how many people march on the streets if you pass it.
September 29th, 2009 at 2:42 pmPoliticallySuperior: “If you thought the 9/12 march was big wait to you see how many people march on the streets if you pass it.”
Let’s keep things in perspective here. Your 9-12 event was pushed by multiple radio personalities, a major cable network and many of its most popular personalities for a good two months. There were television ads, radio ads, print ads and preliminary events at multiple locations around the country…
And the best you could muster up was about 60K.
September 29th, 2009 at 2:53 pmPublic option and cash for clunkers. Open the flood gates.
September 29th, 2009 at 3:56 pmThe flood gates are open. Our party made sure tons of people showed up at those health care free-a-thons. We in the GOP love carnage.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:21 pmWell I guess that will be more money down the drain
September 29th, 2009 at 5:18 pmPolitically Superior says:
Go ahead and pass it. If you thought the 9/12 march was big wait to you see how many people march on the streets if you pass it.
… to thank us!
.
kwsventures says:
Public option and cash for clunkers. Open the flood gates.
Oh yeah, Cash for Clunkers was so unpopular… probably why it sold out twice.
.
SoldierGurl says:
Well I guess that will be more money down the drain
Actually no, the average health care expenditure in the U.S. is 40% higher than in countries with a public option. It’s going to get a lot cheaper for everybody if we can do this.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:46 pmPolitically Superior says:
Go ahead and pass it. If you thought the 9/12 march was big wait to you see how many people march on the streets if you pass it.
Teabaggers unite! Losers need a voice too, even if they’re only a small percent of the population in a Democracy! Just do what the Teabaggers say, and no one gets hurt! LOL! ;)
September 29th, 2009 at 9:12 pmkwsventures says:
Public option and cash for clunkers. Open the flood gates.
You mean for meaningful help to the American public? I can understand how a selfish fascist like yourself is clueless that you live in a civilized society. May I suggest somewhere like Somalia for you to go live? No pesky government, plenty of highly religious folks. Much more suited to your values… ;)
September 29th, 2009 at 9:13 pmSoldierGurl says:
Well I guess that will be more money down the drain
LOL! For someone that knows nothing, you sure are eager to share your knowledge! LOL!
You do realize we have the most expensive health care in the world, and aren’t even in the top 30 in terms of quality of care as a nation. Right?
Private companies gouge, because they can. Our entire country is flushing money down the drain so “health care industries” can live fat and happy. Foolish people like yourselves are just too ignorant and petty to learn and understand how the world works.
September 29th, 2009 at 9:15 pmThank you for your sharing.!
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:41 am