MoveOn

Hagan Comes Out In Support Of Public Option

Brian Beutler | July 3, 2009, 9:05AM

As I reported yesterday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee unveiled its plan for a public health insurance option after a weeks-long delay, and leaders announced that it had the support of every Democrat on the panel...including Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC).

Last night, Hagan made it official in a joint statement with committee members. "My colleagues and I on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee have been working on a plan to reform the health care system in this country," Hagan said. "We have crafted a plan that will stabilize health care costs and includes a Community Health Insurance Option, which I support."

This clears the path for the legislation to be moved out of committee. Until now, her objections to the public option were blocking it. That raised the ire of liberal groups like MoveOn, which targeted her directly. Now, everyone's friends again. "MoveOn commends Senator Hagan for deciding to support the health care reform bill that the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee released today, which includes a national public health insurance option," MoveOn Executive Director Justin Ruben said in a statement.

A public health insurance option will lower the cost of insurance and medical care for everyone, and put an end to many of the predatory practices of private insurers. This measure is the heart of health care reform and is supported by MoveOn's five million members as well as the majority of the American people. With the support of legislators like Senator Hagan, we can come closer to our goal of making quality health insurance accessible and affordable for everyone.

Health Care

Pesky Lieberman Of Less Concern To Reform Advocates Than Other Public Option Skeptics

Brian Beutler | July 2, 2009, 2:01PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) drew the ire of liberals and health care reform advocates this week by airing his objections to a public option. In an interview with the New Haven Independent, Lieberman said he's working with an informal group of Senate centrists he meets with regularly to move health care reform efforts without a public option.

As frustrating as that is for reform advocates, though, they're generally more concerned with public option foes and skeptics who serve on the committees with jurisdiction over health care legislation. On that score, progressive groups have launched ads against players such as Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)--who sits on the Senate Finance Committee--and Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC)--who sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Committee--for trying to block the provision (Hagan seems to have dropped much of her opposition). Lieberman isn't as poised as they are to weaken or kill the public option. At least for now.

As such, for the time being, reform advocates seem to be holding their fire. But that doesn't mean Lieberman won't ultimately become one of their targets.

Senate HELP Committee

HELP Committee Circulates Health Care Legislation--Public Option And All

Brian Beutler | July 2, 2009, 11:55AM

Fast on the good news from the Congressional Budget Office, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has circulated its finalized language on the two key issues that had slowed progress on its health care reform bill to a crawl: The public option and the employer mandate. You can see the new language of the bill--if that sort of thing appeals to you--here (PDF).

HELP chairman Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and his chief deputy Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) sent a letter to committee colleague touting the provisions and urging them to support the full bill. You can read that letter here.

One reason for the delay has been the objections of Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC). I have a call out to her office to see if she's now on board with the public option.

Late update: Committee leaders seem confident that every Democrat will vote to move the bill forward. That would include Sen. Hagan.

Health Care

MoveOn Targets Landrieu For Ties To Insurance Industry, Opposition Of Public Option

Brian Beutler | July 1, 2009, 10:49AM

The groups MoveOn, Democracy for America, and Change Congress are out with a new ad in Louisiana targeting Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) for her opposition to a public option.

MoveOn hasn't shied away from criticizing Democrats who are trying to kill the public option. In the last couple weeks, the group has loudly criticized Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Kay Hagan (D-CA) for their positions on the public option, and their lukewarm attitude to health care reform more generally.

Trade

Dem Sen. Hagan 'Disappointed' With Kirk's NAFTA Remarks

Eric Kleefeld | April 21, 2009, 1:05PM

A newly-elected Democratic Senator is now breaking with the Obama administration on trade, after Trade Representative Ron Kirk commented yesterday that issues with NAFTA can be addressed without officially renegotiating it.

Freshman Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC), whose textile state has never been friendly to free trade, put out this press release today:

"While I understand the President's desire to maintain a good relationship with our North American trading partners, I am disappointed US Trade Representative Ron Kirk has said it is not necessary to renegotiate the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)," said Hagan. "This country's current trade policy is not working. The manufacturing economy in North Carolina has suffered and far too many North Carolinians have lost their jobs. It is only right we require our trading partners to enforce the labor and environmental standards that we ask of our manufacturing industry."