[Peace-discuss] Dennis Kucinich's take on health care bill

[Robert Naiman]

It is widely believed that there will not be any significant number of
Republican votes for health care reform in the House. Thus, to get to
218, the House leadership needs progressive Democrats.


On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 9:05 PM, John W.<jbw292002 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 12:30 PM, Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Brother Dennis is a bit more pragmatic than one might think from the
>> rhetorical flourish of this note. He is a signatory to the bloc of 60
>> House Democrats who have pledged to vote no in the House on any health
>> reform bill that does not include a robust public option. If the bloc
>> of 60 hold together, the public option is not dead.
>
> Why is that, Bob?  Aren't there over 400 representatives in the House?
>
>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 1:03 PM, Ricky Baldwin<baldwinricky at yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Of course as usual Dennis is right about what the health care proposal
>> > ought
>> > to be and what it isn't.  What isn't clear to me what he means we should
>> > do
>> > about it, besides contributing to his campaign - which is of course
>> > worthwhile.
>> >
>> > Ricky
>> >
>> > "Speak your mind even if your voice shakes." - Maggie Kuhn
>> >
>> > --- On Tue, 8/18/09, Dennis Kucinich <reply at kucinich.us> wrote:
>> >
>> > From: Dennis Kucinich <reply at kucinich.us>
>> > Subject: Health Care Wanted: Dead or Alive
>> > To: baldwinricky at yahoo.com
>> > Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2009, 5:03 PM
>> >
>>
>> > HEALTH CARE WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE
>> >
>> > The masquerade is over! The "public option" is ... dead.
>> >
>> > Health care reform is now a private option: WHICH FOR PROFIT INSURANCE
>> > COMPANY DO YOU WANT? You have to choose. And you have to pay. If you
>> > have a
>> > low income, under HR3200 government will subsidize the private insurance
>> > companies and you will still have to pay premiums, co-pays and
>> > deductibles.
>> >
>> > The Administration plan requires that everyone must have health
>> > insurance,
>> > so it is delivering tens of millions of new "customers" to the insurance
>> > companies. Health care? Not really. Insurance care! Absolutely. Cost
>> > controls? No chance.
>> >
>> > You will next hear talk about "co-ops." The truth is that insurance
>> > company
>> > campaign contributions have co-opted the public interest.
>> >
>> > I need your help to spread the word and rally the nation around true
>> > health
>> > care reform which covers everyone and maintains fiscal integrity without
>> > breaking our nation's bank! Your contribution will empower our efforts
>> > to
>> > continue to fight for the single-payer, not-for-profit health care bill,
>> > HR676 "Medicare for All," which I co-authored with Rep. John Conyers.
>> > The
>> > bill now has 85 sponsors in the House.
>> >
>> > The hotly-debated HR3200, the so-called "health care reform" bill, is
>> > nothing less than corporate welfare in the guise of social welfare and
>> > reform. It is a convoluted mess. The real debate which we should be
>> > having
>> > is not occurring.
>> >
>> > Removing the "public option" from a public bill paid for by public money
>> > is
>> > not in the public interest. What is left is a "private option" paid for
>> > with
>> > public money. Why should public money be spent on a private option which
>> > does not guarantee 100% coverage nor have any cost controls? A true
>> > public
>> > option would provide 30% savings immediately which would then cover the
>> > 1/3rd of the population who presently have no health care.
>> >
>> > Unfortunately, under HR3200, the Government is choosing winners and
>> > losers
>> > in the private sector; proposing to spend public funds on subsidizing
>> > insurance companies who make money not providing health care. This
>> > process
>> > will insure only the expansion of profits. Gone is the debate over cost.
>> >
>> > As a result of current negotiations, the Medicare Part D rip-off will
>> > continue for another decade, further fleecing senior citizens. Drug
>> > importation has been dropped, so no inexpensive drugs can be accessed
>> > from
>> > other nations.
>> >
>> > Instead we are told the pharmaceutical companies will accept a 2% cut in
>> > the
>> > growth rate of their profits - they call this cost control!
>> >
>> > If the matter were not so serious, it would be farcical: The executive
>> > branch pretends that the proposed health care reforms are something they
>> > are
>> > not. The legislation is being attacked for something it is not.
>> > Congressional leadership and the White House defend the legislation,
>> > pretending it actually is the very proposal that is being attacked. But
>> > it
>> > is not.
>> >
>> > A commonsense government health care reform policy would insure that
>> > every
>> > single American has full access to health care by expanding Medicare to
>> > cover everyone under a Single Payer System. We are already paying for a
>> > universal standard of care, it is just we are not getting it.
>> >
>> > I need your help to spread the word and rally the nation around true
>> > health
>> > care reform which covers everyone and maintains fiscal integrity without
>> > subsidizing insurance and pharmaceutical companies and breaking our
>> > nation's
>> > bank!
>> >
>> > My voice in Congress will continue to challenge the special interests
>> > who do
>> > not want "single-payer" to succeed. I need you to join me in combating
>> > the
>> > special and corporate interests who spend millions to try to win this
>> > Congressional seat. With your help WE will win again. With your help I
>> > will
>> > continue to represent your concerns, be YOUR VOICE in the United States
>> > Congress, and be the voice for health care for all Americans!
>> >
>> > Please contribute $25, $50, $100 in support of my campaign. Please
>> > contribute now.
>> >
>> > With your help, we can accomplish ANYTHING in America. Persistence,
>> > dedication, truth and courage will lead the way and win out in the end.
>> >
>> > Thank you.
>> >
>> > ________________________________
>> >
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>> >
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>> >
>> > Forward email
>> >
>> > This email was sent to baldwinricky at yahoo.com by reply at kucinich.us.
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>> >
>> > Re-Elect Congressman Kucinich Committee | PO Box 110475 | Cleveland | OH
>> > |
>> > 44111
>
>



-- 
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org