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Behind The Scenes, Pelosi Pushing Strong Public Option With House Democrats
Brian Beutler | October 9, 2009, 12:49PM
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) with Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
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At a caucus meeting last night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sang the praises of a robust public option as both a policy tool and a negotiating tool.
"The savings [in the Baucus bill] come off the backs of the middle class," Pelosi told Democrats, according to The Hill. "This is why we need a strong public option going into conference with the Senate."
The news comes in contrast to a Wednesday report that Pelosi had floated a more modest public option in a separate meeting with rank and file Democrats.
Ultimately, though, the decision about what kind of plan the House settles on will come after the CBO projects the savings potentials of three different species of public option. Experts expect that a public option that pays providers Medicare rates plus 5 percent would generate significantly greater savings than would a public option whose administrator had to negotiate rates with providers.
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Weeferdog
October 9, 2009 2:25 PM
Somebody tell the incredibly annoying Hamsher at FDL.
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tragic
October 9, 2009 9:13 PM in reply to Weeferdog
Jane has fought relentlessly for real health care reform, and she calls it for what it is. She also criticizes other grassroot organizations that compromise and sacrifice ideals to appease the DNC and President Rahm. If you find her so annoying, just go somewhere else.
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JEP07
October 10, 2009 2:07 PM in reply to tragic
As a fan of both Jane and Nancy, it's sometimes tough to reconcile Jane's persistent criticism.
But to be honest, Hamscher's outside the beltway perspective has always made me think deeper about the underpinning of manipulation that really runs the system, a game that Pelosi plays so well from the inside.
You don't get to be Speaker without attracting scrutiny from critics, and you don't make progress without people like Jane to prod it along.
Jane's a constant burr under the saddle of the status quo, and we should appreciate her for it. You don't have to agree with her to respect her activism. Same with Pelosi.
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ericf
October 9, 2009 4:00 PM
This doesn't quite live down taking impeachment off the table, but it sure helps. As long as the right is going to hate her anyway, she might as well earn their hate.
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jimbomoron
October 9, 2009 4:04 PM
I love Speaker Pelosi, and believe she is tremendously effective at converting progressive ideas into practical realities, but I don't see how these two things make sense. The savings come from the lower subsidy levels -- not the lack of a public option.
In truth, President Obama should probably just get Pelosi, Reid, Rangel, Waxman, Miller, Dodd, Harkin, and Baucus in a room to figure out how they can pass a compromise bill that can get through without having to cast a difficult vote twice -- once for final passage and once for the conference report. Pelosi should be working more on getting a bill that can pass the Senate rather than use the House bill as bargaining power. The millionaire tax and the public option at Medicare rates are not going anywhere in the Senate, and vulnerable House Democrats are just going to have to cast a politically damaging vote on something they know cannot pass the Senate. Similarly, the paltry subsidy levels and minimum level of coverage in the Finance Committee bill aren't going anywhere in the House. I think a fair compromise is that the House has to accept the Senate Finance committee's tax on employer-provided health benefits if it wants increased subsidies and a public option at negotiated rates.
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Indie Pro
October 9, 2009 4:24 PM in reply to jimbomoron
You are misunderstanding her.
With the lower subsidy levels she sees a greater need for a strong public option which would need less subsidies.
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jimbomoron
October 10, 2009 12:50 AM in reply to Indie Pro
Still, the subsidy levels are already inadequate. An 11 percent premium cap for a family of four earning $80,000/yr. for a policy having 70 percent actuarial value ($4,000 deductible, 20% co-pay, and $8,000 out-of-pocket cap), which is what the Education & Labor and Ways & Means Committees passed, is not exactly generous by any means. That's an enormous amount of resources for a family of this income level living in New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco MSA to spend on health care. [And with the community rating, the public option will still cost more than $8,800/yr. for this plan generosity level at all but the youngest ages -- well, depending on the community rating.]
The truth is public option marginally decreases the costs. It's no panacea for holding costs of the bill down. We're talking about cutting the costs of the bill by 5-15 percent with a public option at Medicare rates, which has no shot at passing the Senate.
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johnnydoughey
October 9, 2009 4:51 PM
Health care falls on my list of important matters at a level of about 300-400 degrees lower than prosecuting powerful people who promote, allow, and protect those who torture other human beings.
I'm sorry, but this should remain headline news, because this type of abuse of power has trampled over the graves of the most patriotic, heroic heros this nation has sent to war these past two hundred years. To denegrate this to a lower level than health care issues is just a travesty and disregard for our heritage.
Pelosi, Reid, Bush, Chaney, Rumsfield, Clinton... ALL THOSE PROTECTNG the scum who carried out these atrocities...
They do not deserve the time of day of anyone caring for this great nation's heritage... IMHO
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theone718
October 9, 2009 7:12 PM
When the bill comes back it will be around the 840 billion dollar price. I said it here first.
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bill
October 11, 2009 10:24 AM
A substantial part of my income (at least 'substantial' for me) went to support various Democrats (in Senate, House and White House races) in the last election cycle.
I suppose others behaved similarly. While others may not, I count myself a 'liberal' and was happy to have a Democratic field I could support so generously.
If Pelosi can pull off a strong "Public Option", I believe she and other Democrats will find similar support (i.e. contributions) in the next election cycle.
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