Schumer amendment on public option fails by 13-10 vote.
By on Sep 29th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Schumer amendment on public option fails by 13-10 vote.
A public option amendment offered by Sen. Chuck Schumer, which would have allowed for negotiated reimbursement rates, failed by a 13-10 vote in the Senate Finance Committee moments ago. Sens. Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, and Blanche Lincoln voted with the Republicans to defeat the amendment. Today’s votes on the Schumer and Rockefeller amendments mean it is unlikely the Senate Finance version of the health care bill will contain a public option. The Senate HELP Committee and the House versions all include a public option, however.
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This comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Senator Baucus has served his health insurance masters well.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:00 pmThis is not surprising seeing as how much money from the HMO’s Baucus has gotten.
I hope that when this bill does get out of committee someone else tries to introduce the Public Option. At least then Baucus carries less weight. Plus, the house has the Public Option in their bill so there is still hope.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:02 pmi’m sure everyone is just shell shocked.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:03 pmI think it’s obvious now that Baucus has more respect for his money than he does the American People. A majority (60%+) of Montanans support the public option. Max’s days in office are numbered. His poll numbers are already in the tank.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:03 pmNo real surprises here.
I’d imagine this is the version of the public option that finds its way into the final bill, and it’ll pass. One way or another.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:04 pmYep, they’ve served the insurance companies beautifully – I do hope they’re happy when they lose their jobs over it.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:04 pmFrom above:
Sell outs and suck ups to the illness industry.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:05 pmbrothejr says,
I think his Bill is DOA the moment it gets to the floor of the Senate for debate.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:05 pmNot really. They will go to work as lobbyists for the illness industry and triple their salaries.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:07 pmSens. Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, and Blanche Lincoln…
…bought and paid for by their corporate masters…
fcking scum bag sellouts.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:08 pmIt’s important to note that the 3 Democrats represent 1.47% of the population of the US, yet the wield 6% of the total Senate influence and almost 15% of the total influence on the Finance Committee.
Just a thought…
Oh, and they’re bought by the insurance industry.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:10 pmSchumer told Maddow the other day that he reckoned his amendment would pass, especially and specifically because it was “weaker” than his colleague’s (forget which Dem he was referring to now).
Okay Schumer, now what are you going to do, you pansy!
September 29th, 2009 at 4:11 pmDemocrats – They never cease to disappoint.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:12 pmThat’s ok. A public option that requires rates to be negotiated with the health insurance plutocrats is a piece of shiite anyway.
The public wants a strong public option. Let these corrupt republicons and blue skunk dems vote to prevent it and kiss their asses goodbye at the next election. It’s time for hardball, no compromises.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:12 pmSad, but not surprising.
Baucus received $1.2 million from the health care industry in 2008, more than any other member on the committee, according to a health care report issued by Common Cause.
From the report:
September 29th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I only have two questions:
1. How many more procedural chances do we have to fix the bill before it goes to a final Senate vote?
2. Who’s likely to be running against these people in their next primaries?
September 29th, 2009 at 4:20 pmWell, it looks like we need to add eight more real Democrats to the Senate Finance Committee to look out for our interests.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:20 pmBabble on and on and on Sister says:
Keep dreaming, wingnut.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:20 pmMay these three traitors to the American workers rot!
September 29th, 2009 at 4:21 pmI have to say, I think Obama empowered these Democraps with his noble but horribly naive ‘bipartisan’ schtick which just served as a dog whistle for the lobbyists to to throw money at the Dems with confidence.
Where’s the leadership (Pelosi and Reid?)been? Nowhere. Whereas Obama twisting arms? Where’s the democracy?
September 29th, 2009 at 4:24 pmBaucus is a tool.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:26 pmBabble on and on and on Sister says:
Moonbat dreams….pfffft.
Wingnuts terrorist anti-americanism. pfftttt.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:27 pmOk, I’m with Elbruce on this one.
What happens next (at least, what is the best scenario for the public option)?
I’m not up-to-date on all the minutae of Congressional rules.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:27 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
ATTENTION DEMOCRATS!!!!!!!
September 29th, 2009 at 4:31 pmPlease join me in calling Sen. Max Baucus, Sen. Kent Conrad, and Sen. Blanche Lincoln office for the next week to express our opinion about their vote on the public option. I don’t have their office phone numbers, but they aren’t hard to find. Also we must contact the Democratic party in those states and let them know we know appreciate them selling us out. The only way these traitors are going to get the message is for us, our friends and family to call them and pressure them to stop helping Republicans and the insurance industry. All three of these low life money hungry sell outs have taken millions in campaign contributions and are bought and paid for.
The bigest threat to the Democratic majority……….Blue Dogs!!!! These jackasses must GO!!!! They will help the rpeublicans gain power no matter what.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:33 pmconservative guy says:
Libs in disarray, sweet.
Blue dogs aren’t liberals. Unlike the “Cons”, the Democrats aren’t a party of exclusively radicals and lunatics like the one you belong to. ;)
As for obstructionism by industry overriding the democracy and will of the people – it’s ashame you and your fellow fascists have so little respect for our country and our values. You are traitors, terrorist and extremists who undermine the fabric of our country. The taliban of texas.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:33 pm#28 The Shadow says:
I just did and I encourage everyone else to do the same.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:34 pmI don’t understand why everyone is only concerned with the crappy Finance Committee bill. Tom Harkin’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions came out with a bill which contains a public option weeks ago, and no one even noticed.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:34 pmI believe there is a Third Amendment addressing a public option.
Sen. Wyden from Oregon plans to introduce a “Free Choice” Amendment that….unlike the others…Lets ALL Americans sign up for a Medicare style Public Option.
I don’t know when it will be voted on…or what it’s chances are.
A Huge Groundswell of Public Outrage would help.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:38 pmLet’s not panic. Remember, this is the bill that no one has liked since it was first leaked. Baucaus gave the GOoPers enough to lose Dems and the GOoPers decided to vote no regardless of how much of it they wrote. The conventional wisdom has been that this bill is so bad it’s not worth amending.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:40 pmshoeless nails it @ #31… nothing to worry about.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:45 pmnothing to worry about, yet.
I should say…
September 29th, 2009 at 4:53 pmBaucus has taken $3,970,000 from the health insurance industry. I believe in all other countries, bribery is illegal.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:53 pmI cannot tell you how disappointed I am. And certainly those lawmakers that show down te amendments of Rockafeller and Schumer will pay a big price when they are for re-election they sold out the American people for the healthcare industry and big business lining their pockets with dough.
On a side note: Michael Moore is going after the Dems who are anti-healthcare reform. From Politico:
Controversial liberal filmmaker Michael Moore on Tuesday issued a warning to Democrats who have been cool to President Barack Obama’s call for meaningful health care reform: Get on board or prepare to lose your seat.
“To the Democrats in Congress who don’t quite get it: I want to offer a personal pledge. I – and a lot of other people – have every intention of removing you from Congress in the next election if you stand in the way of health care legislation that the people want,” Moore told supporters of women’s groups and unions gathered at the headquarters of the government watchdog group Public Citizen. “That is not a hollow or idle threat. We will come to your district and we will work against you, first in the primary and, if we have to, in the general election.”
Democrats have started to take for granted the support of women, unions and low-income workers, according to Moore, who is promoting “Capitalism: A Love Story,” a documentary about the financial collapse due for wide release Friday.
“You think that we’re just going to go along with you because you’re Democrats? You should think again,” he told the Tuesday crowd in a speech that was carried to members of the media dialed into a conference call. “Because we’ll find Republicans who are smart enough to realize that the majority of Americans want universal healthcare. That’s right. That’s absolutely right. Don’t take this for granted.”
Moore issued a not-so-veiled warning to Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and an opponent of the so-called public option, though not by name, asserting that his movie could be a rallying point for people across the country – including in Montana – to work to defeat Democrats who opposed the public option.
“You’ve made a serious mistake,” he warned Baucus.
Moore also called out Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who supports the public option, but whose role in financial regulation as chairman of the Senate banking committee comes in for criticism in “Capitalism.” Speaking to Public Citizen, Moore said, “we’re going to lose this seat unless we run another Democrat” and said he’d “already received a phone call from a well known Democrat to tell me to back off Sen. Dodd.”
September 29th, 2009 at 4:59 pmReply to #30: Thank you very much Texasrick. The only way we can get these traitors to do whats right is put pressure on them. They aren’t really democrats, they are Republicans who rain in our districts. What the idiots don’t understand is, the Republican party is going to run a candidate against them anyway. So why vote with the party that’s trying to unseat you?
September 29th, 2009 at 4:59 pm#33, Pete: There’s only one problem with waiting. I’ve been watching them debate this crap since day one. The bill doesn’t really reform anything. Without a real public option it’s basically a 532 billion dollar give away to the insurance industry. It doesn’t break up the monopolies in most State where one or two companies provide 80-90 percent of the policies. It also does nothing to limit profit in the Baucus version, only the House version does and it limits them to 15 percent profit of all the dollars taken in. In other words under the House version they have to send 85 cents of every dollar taken in. That’s why the insurance industry bought Baucus, Lincoln, and Conrad, because it doesn’t mandate how much they have to spend on actual health care cost.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:04 pmI meant to say: They have to spend 85 cents of every dollar they take in under the House version, in my comment at #39.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:09 pm#31
That’s why. Those other bills will be ignored by Senate leadership.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:12 pmSeriously guys, I’ve watched them debate on C Span and Baucus, Lincoln, and Conrad and total traitors. They took the 20 pieces of silver and walked away from the Party. The only way we are every going to get real health reform is to pressure them by calling their offices, the DNC and their State Parties. Otherwise they will just take the money are run.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:12 pmPoor Sen. Rockefellow, he fought his heart out for the Public Option, but the three Judas’ (Baucus, Lincoln, and Conrad)sold him out for money. They don’t give a tinkers damn about the people they serve, it’s about the Benjamins (dollars), and that’s the bottom line.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:15 pmYou may have misunderstood me, The Shadow. I’m not in favor of waiting and I think we need to pressure the Dems who are selling out. My point is that most people have thought this bill was a non-starter in the long run. It was fundamentally flawed.
Fortunately, the Finance Committee isn’t our only egg basket. As you pointed out, HR 3200 is much closer to a good bill and, again with the prevailing wisdom, it stands to be at the heart of a final product to vote on and reconcile.
I certainly don’t like the Finance Committee any more Today than I did Yesterday. But I never put much faith in their bill anyway.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:15 pmHere is what I fear about the “Reform Plans” submitted so far, that will absolutely SINK the Democratic Party in 2010.
From Michael Moore…
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/9/29/787696/-Why-the-Current-Bills-Dont-Solve-Our-Health-Care-Crisis
A massive government bailout for the insurance industry through the combination of the individual mandate requiring everyone not covered to buy insurance, public subsidies which go for buying insurance, no regulation on what insurers can charge, and no restrictions on their ability to decide what claims to pay.
A bill that doesn’t address THAT is Worse than NO Bill At all.
This is Poison for Progressives. IMHO.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:20 pmSmart Republicans? It’s hard when they exile the Lincoln Chaffees for Jim Inhofes.
Most people don’t know who Max Baucus is so they rarely would get into a primary to vote out an incumbent. Or ask them about 2008 FISA legislation and they’ll have no clue.
In fact a lot of “centrists” will like the sell-outs, maybe just for foreign wars or tax cut rhetoric. They can join the Dem party and vote in primaries.
Assuming no Diebold.
Name recognition matters. Ted Stevens almost won and he’s ancient.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:22 pmA state medical assoc. lobbyist said in a presentation today that he doesn’t believe the public option will not become part of the final bill. If it lost 10-13 in the Finance Committee, doesn’t it stand a good chance as a floor amendment in the full Senate? 10-13 is not a big difference; that’s more than I expected. I think Schumer and Rockefeller might be correct.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:23 pmDon’t you get it yet? Jeeezzzz! The money’s been paid, the decisions have been made. This is just smokin and jokin motions. Bounce, bounce….. swish..3 pointer AND hes fowled…..time out and Max gets a “T” for poor preformance………
September 29th, 2009 at 5:29 pmBaucus, Lincoln, Conrad we’re targeting your primary opponents to send money to. You’re legacy will be losing your jobs because you didn’t listen to the will of the people. Hope you like the way that looks in Wikipedia.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:36 pmSchumer said today he expected his not to pass and that it came closer than he thought it would.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:38 pmShoeless: “Tom Harkin’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions came out with a bill which contains a public option weeks ago, and no one even noticed.”
Exactly. For some reason the “liberal media” has been focusing on the work of six Senators representing 3% of the American population while the serious work was being done in the correct committee. Hopefully, it will be the conservatives and their lackies in the media who have been punked.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:45 pmI am sure the insurance industry is proud of Baucus.
With Democrats like him, repugniscum are superfluous.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:48 pmBaucus may see a little “extra special something” in his christmas stocking from the insurance industry.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:49 pmirv: “If it lost 10-13 in the Finance Committee, doesn’t it stand a good chance as a floor amendment in the full Senate?”
Yes. That’s why Schumer is happy. They got at least two of those very conservative Dems to agree to a public option. They also could get a couple repubs to at least vote for cloture on filibusters.
September 29th, 2009 at 5:50 pmThe appropriate name for those voting against this is “Republican.” Not conservative Dems. They enjoy being able to pick and choose their positions based on which way the lobby money winds are blowing. For too long the corporations have been running this country for their benefit regardless of the impact on “voters.” The current financial problems of this country were not caused by average voters….but elected representatives doing the bidding of their corporate bosses. Greed above all. What a wonderful result.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:01 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Politically Superior says:
This made my day. You libs sure are losers.
So you believe subverting Democracy and obstructing the will of the people makes you a “winner”? Yeah, just like Adolph, you’re a real “winner”! LOL!
September 29th, 2009 at 6:35 pmJeffboste says:
Are Democrats the biggest crooks?
http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=6218
Are republican the biggest terrorists?
September 29th, 2009 at 6:35 pmPolitically Superior: “This made my day. You libs sure are losers.”
The game’s not over, brain trust.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:45 pmIs this an arranged vote for the special interest?
Wyden is up for re election ‘10 and did vote for public option…. to save his arse?
Conrad is up for re election in ‘12 and Baucus in ‘14… both voted against. Lincoln is up in ‘10 but probably thinks her state is too stupid to give a damn.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:47 pmSlappy, you haven’t been right about anything yet.
Since you’re predicting loss for us just as you did in the presidential election, I think we have it in the bag.
We will get a strong bill. It may not be all we want but it will be way more than you want which is nothing.
PS. hop skip and jump and pretend that just this one time you won something. Then we will gladly burst your bubble.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:56 pmSweet Pete, were on the same sheet of music. I tend to get a little overly excited sometimes when I get to talking about these issues. I usually contact my members of congress at least daily about what ever they are voting on. I believe in democracy so much that I feel obligated to stay in their faces until either they do what is right or I get tire of shouting in the wind. But all too often they win and it breaks my heart because it means the years in spent in the Army fighting for their rights means nothing to them.
Unfortunately for people like Baucus, Conrad, and Lincoln the Constituion is a peace of paper. For me it’s like a limb, finger or part of my body and when they walk all over it, it makes me question what my countrymen really stand for. I have no problem with those who honestly disagree with my conclusions. But when they take money over principal, they spit in my face and on the graves of all of those brave men/women who “gave their last full measure” to this country and whose final resting place is (Arlingon National Cemetery) which over looks the city they work in. Apparently the words that are written on the walls of Mr. Lincolns tomb, and on all of those monuments mean nothing to these ignorant people.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:57 pmAnybody that would ask that question knows that republicans own and have patented the word crook as their own.
September 29th, 2009 at 7:00 pmWho’s your daddy ?
September 29th, 2009 at 7:05 pmRemember, the Democrats are in charge. They can only blame themselves.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:30 pmblclem says:
Remember, the Democrats are in charge. They can only blame themselves.
If the GOP would stop obstructing and just agree not to filibuster, you’d be right! Unfortunately this is a lie, and the GOP and Blue Dogs are entirely to blame! ;)
September 29th, 2009 at 8:50 pmEveryone who rooted for a public option instead of single payer is responsible for this mess.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:32 pmHow easily Democrats unquestioningly accept whatever they’re told: that GOP is simply being obstructionist (false); the GOP is historically more crooked than Dems (false – see Congressional Reocrd list of convicted reps dating back to 1800’s); Baucus, Lincoln, and Conrad are traitors (because they gave Dems a chance to persuade them before they listened to their constituents! Okay, no one claimed gratitude was a liberal trait – I’ll concede that); and when someone disagrees with you, they become lowlifes (false – you have that reversed).
September 29th, 2009 at 10:54 pmAs long as Harry Reid, President Obama, and the Blue Dog senators support the insurance companies over the wishes of the people, the HELP bill, from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and the House bills will fail. I just returned an appeal from the DNC for more of my hard earned money. I told them I will not donate unless the leadership supports the will of the people and a strong public option. How many of these insurance slaves are up for reelection in 2010?
September 29th, 2009 at 11:43 pm.
S I N G L E
P A Y E R…
… Does more for less
… Covers more for less
… Costs less than the rest.
Yet, conservatives choose to waste more dollars, time and American lives. How is that even “CONSERVATIVE” by definition?
.
September 30th, 2009 at 12:37 amWhaaa!! Whaaaaa! Whaaaa!!!!!!!
September 30th, 2009 at 12:40 amGhost of Senator Ted says:
Whaaa!! Whaaaaa! Whaaaa!!!!!!!
And what is your political opinion on the subject at hand, GoST?
September 30th, 2009 at 10:27 pmThank you for your sharing.!
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:28 am