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Casey And Wyden Support Public Option Through Reconciliation
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA)
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Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) both announced their support today for a public option to be passed via reconciliation.
Wyden, in a statement, said, "I've long believed we need a more competitive insurance market. If the House version of the public option came up for a vote in reconciliation I would vote yes."
His office did not immediately say whether he plans to sign the public option letter written by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) to send to Senate leadership. That letter now has 24 signatories.
Last week, Wyden sent out a press release saying he was holding off on signing the letter until after the White House summit.
"He intends to first join the President in a good faith effort to see if a bipartisan solution is possible," the release said.
Casey also said he supports passing the measure with a simple majority, but has not signed the letter.
"Senator Casey has not signed the letter, but supports what the letter calls for," said his spokesman, Larry Smar. "He has been a longtime advocate for a public option. ... He has made this known to Senate leadership as next steps are considered."
"Whether he expressed his support by signing on to the letter or in his own way, the result is the same," Smar added.
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Indie Pro
March 2, 2010 1:55 PM
"Senator Casey is one of many moderate senators standing strong for the public option, and he deserves great credit for his leadership," he said in a statement. "Day after day, we're naming names and proving the votes exist for the public option in reconciliation. If President Obama and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs don't think the votes exist, it's time for them to name names and be transparent about which Democrats would oppose the public option. If they can't do that, they have a responsibility to stop undermining the will of the American public -- who overwhelmingly support the public option over the Senate bill that lacks one."
-Charles Chamberlain, political director for Democracy for America
32 senators have spoken out so far — including Harry Reid
according to:
http://whipcongress.com/
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FreeRider
March 2, 2010 2:08 PM in reply to Indie Pro
And the minute Casey votes for a bill without the public option, he will be dubbed a scum-sucking corporate whore by IndiePro.
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Progressive Party
March 2, 2010 2:14 PM in reply to FreeRider
The public option has 80% support of democrats and 59% overall. Why not support the push for it and reduce costs and the deficit?
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FreeRider
March 2, 2010 2:37 PM in reply to Progressive Party
There isn't a chance in hell of getting a public option. This is a useless distraction that will get progressives all riled up again just to be hugely disappointed and angry when it fails again.
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Progressive Party
March 2, 2010 2:41 PM in reply to FreeRider
so what happens in the fall? is this a strong position for the dems to take?
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FreeRider
March 2, 2010 2:49 PM in reply to Progressive Party
I want the best healthcare bill possible to pass NOW! We're not getting a public option and I don't want to squander another six months fucking around with it.
The sooner we all accept that reality and move on to championing the many good things that are in this bill, the better off the Democrats will be in the fall.
Making progressives think there's a chance for a public option is damaging to the party because they will spend the next 3-4 months fuming when it doesn't happen!
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mans_best_friend
March 2, 2010 3:06 PM in reply to FreeRider
The PO is Progressives' white whale. Don't expect rationality.
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docbets
March 3, 2010 4:47 AM in reply to Indie Pro
Obama is not invested in a public option. Last August he made a deal with lobbyists for hospitals not to have a public option; so they agreed to support insurance reform. With their campaign dollars. It's in the NYTimes, Aug. 12, 2009 but I haven't read about it elsewhere.
MSM doesn't want to report it, and everybody else? It puts the lie to everything the WH is saying about not having enough votes. Unless the Congress is in cahoots for the campaign donations.
So much for "transparency" and "I will always tell you the truth" Obama.
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Powkat
March 2, 2010 2:04 PM
I'm guessing Wyden was overwhelmed by calls. Oregon's two most populated areas, Portland and Eugene, is deep blue and we've been calling for a week.
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Powkat
March 2, 2010 2:06 PM
Oops - Oregon's two most populated areas, Portland and Eugene, ARE deep blue - apologies to my senior English teacher.
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mcc
March 2, 2010 2:24 PM
30 is a pretty good number.
Even if the public option doesn't make it into the reconciliation "sidecar" they should keep adding to this list-- and start asking candidates for the Senate if they'd sign the letter too.
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joeinmaryland
March 2, 2010 2:29 PM
This movement is starting to get critical mass. At about 40 to 45 announcements, watch the Republican filibuster strategy start to fold, per instructions from their insurance company masters.
I may be giving the Democrats more credit than they deserve, but I am starting to wonder if the timing of this---the letter supporting the public option, the daily trickle of Senators announcing they support the public option and the 1 month deadline Obama has announced to finalize healthcare is part of a strategy to box the Republicans into a corner.
Just sayin'.
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Nutter
March 2, 2010 5:55 PM in reply to joeinmaryland
I am pretty sure it was all planned. Fr what, I don't know. I remember a lot of people screaming for Obama to tear them a new one on the campaign. Guess what? The ones that incited their crowds into a few shades from a KKK mob kind of...lost...by...A LOT against a former monkey as a pet afro professor with a funny name.
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JohnW1141
March 2, 2010 2:40 PM
I don't know why Casey, who supports the public option, won't sign the letter.
What am I missing here?
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docbets
March 3, 2010 4:40 AM
Is it a mark of how they can not cooperate, even in their own party, that they will not sign the letter? Is it because someone else thought of it? Thought up the words? Or is there something in the letter with which they differ?
And, note the conditional language. Not only is it IF this comes to reconciliation, but IF it does, they WOULD vote for it. WOULD?
How about WILL?
Sleazy, almost the whole lot of them.
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