Jay Rockefeller

Crossing His Fingers: Rockefeller Hopes Summit Renewed Trust Between House And Senate Dems

Brian Beutler | February 26, 2010, 9:00AM

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), a participant in yesterday's health care summit, and a long-time advocate of reform, believes the Republicans' stubborn performance was enough to unite feuding House Democrats and Senate Democrats. The two camps are suffering from a crisis of trust after a contentious year--a schism that will have to be bridged if health care is to pass.

Last night, after a late vote, I caught Rockefeller in the hallway just off the Senate floor and asked him how Democrats plan to come together in the wake of the summit. "Well, to be honest with you, I think today as we all sat and watched what unfolded, I think that there was a feeling that there was more of a bonding between House and Senate Democrats and that the Republicans acted so irresponsibly, it was stunning actually," Rockefeller said.

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Public Option

Rockefeller Reaffirms Opposition To Passing Public Option Through Reconciliation

Brian Beutler | February 24, 2010, 9:51AM

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) says there's no sense in trying at this point. The public option should be put aside for the moment, so that health care reform can pass unperturbed--particularly because the measure on offer has already been watered down to a great degree.

"I fought for a meaningful public option, both in the Senate Finance Committee and on the Senate floor," Rockefeller says in a new statement. "My version didn't pass out of committee and other versions were watered down. Unfortunately, there simply has not been enough support to date to pass a strong public option, despite these efforts."

I will continue to support viable options for enacting a robust public plan. Right now, however, there is no value for the American people in diminishing a meaningful public option so substantially that it exists in name only -- and that is why we must focus our attention on the many great private health insurance reform ideas on the table today.

Rockefeller took a similar position on the issue of drug reimportation--a policy he supports and which may have had enough votes to pass in the Senate, but which was met with resistance by leading Democrats seeking to preserve industry's support for health care reform. You can read the entire statement below the fold.

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Public Option

How Outside Groups And Vulnerable Dems Gave The Public Option A New Pulse

Brian Beutler | February 23, 2010, 10:37AM

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)

The public option has been alive, then dead, then alive, then dead so many times now it's enough to make your head spin. Right now it's somewhere in between--an undead public option, still beloved by a large majority of Democrats, but, for now, lacking the political leadership needed to usher it through the legislative process. Nevertheless, the fact that it has a pulse is remarkable in and of itself...so how did we get here all over again? Though the latest action is all in the Senate, the momentum re-emerged in the House.

"We had heard on the House side that [Colorado Rep. Jared] Polis was talking behind the scenes with folks about why a public option wasn't being pushed," says Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee--one of several progressive pressure groups (including Democracy for America, and Credo) pushing the public option.

That touched off a symbiotic relationship. If Polis, and fellow public option supporter Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) would work the inside game in the House, the groups would build pressure from the outside, and together they could build a formidable list of signatories to a letter.

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Jay Rockefeller

Rockefeller Backs Away From Public Option--Is He Bluffing?

Brian Beutler | February 23, 2010, 9:06AM

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

Last night, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)--a long-time public option advocate--dealt a rough blow to members and progressives who think Democrats should pass the popular measure using the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process.

"I'm probably not going to vote for that," Rockefeller said. "I don't think the timing of it is very good."

Earlier in the evening, in a brief interview with TPMDC, Rockefeller expressed concern that playing hardball with the public option at this time could imperil reform, but he didn't say he'd oppose it.

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