The president is talking a lot these days about "security and stability", for whom? The American people or the insurance industry?
The contours of the Baucus bill which we'll finally see in all its glory today will not be pleasing or good. You'll undoubtedly feel very betrayed. One thing is a guarantee, Max Baucus won't disappoint his benefactors, it will be a full sell out to the insurance industry.
We're whipping hard our progressives in the House, because they can short circuit this catastrophe. So, of course, can President Obama.
I'm optimistic that when the Progressives see the Baucus screed, the outrage will spike, they'll get serious and will step forward and take theWhip Count Pledge. We need you to help this process move into high gear.
STOPPING THE CATASTROPHIC BAUCUS BILL RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THE HOUSE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS.
We're asking you to continue calling Congress. Click here to record your call.
UPDATE:
The Finance Committee bill has been released, here it is.
The chickens are coming home to roost big time in Massachusetts.
Read the front page of the Boston Globe this morning. The Massachusetts catastrophe situation is what happens when you mandate people purchase for-profit junk insurance. Costs are spiraling upward, and employers are shifting more and more of the financial burden onto the shoulder of employees. People in Massachusetts are paying much more for much less--they're buying bare bones junk insurance.
The higher insurance costs undermine a key tenet of the state’s landmark health care law passed two years ago, as well as President Obama’s effort to overhaul health care. In addition to mandating insurance for most residents, the Massachusetts bill sought to rein in health care costs. With Washington looking to the Massachusetts experience, fears about higher costs have become a stumbling block to passing a national health care bill.
. . .Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the state’s largest health plan with 2.5 million members, predicted that its average premium rates will rise 10 to 11 percent before any employer "buydowns’’ - changes in coverage that push some of the added costs to employees. But for self-employed individuals and small businesses, which are pooled in the same market segment, premium rates could rise even more.
A STRONG PUBLIC OPTION--NO CO-OPS AND NO TRIGGERS, IS NON-NEGOTIABLE, MR. OBAMA.
Take a look at this chart from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Kind of makes you gasp. Has the president seen this?
The Progressive Caucus is whipping its members.
We'll have a good sense of where we stand on Thursday. The Progressive Caucus in Congress has been doing its own whip count this weekand we should get a pretty good sense of where we stand when this information becomes public.
This is from Ryan Grim at the Huffington Post.
The leadership of the Congressional Progressive Caucus plans a "whip count" for early in the week to gauge the strength of their coalition, caucus members tell the Huffington Post. The whip team will also approach members of the Congressional Black, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific American Caucuses.
Democrats hold 256 seats in Congress and need 218 to pass a bill, meaning 39 progressives, voting together, could tank the legislation, assuming all Republicans vote nay.
The whip count will send a message to the administration, said CPC co-chair Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.): "Don't cut deals with some elements of our party or with some elements of the Republican Party without including the progressives in that discussion," he suggested. "So we're going to count our votes, see how many we have and that's the number we're going to indicate to both the leadership and the administration."
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a member of CPC leadership, estimates that eighty to 100 members will make the pledge. The progressive caucus met on Thursday, following the president's speech, and members repeated their commitment to seeing the public option included in the bill, said Ellison.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
And just to add insult to injury, remember Henry Waxman was going to hold a lousy hearing on egregious insurance industry abuses, well, now that's even up in the air.
WHAT DOES SECURITY AND STABILITY MEAN TO YOU?
Finally, I'm asking for your help again.
Jane Hamsher and I have been invited by John Conyers to participate in the annual legislative conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
We'll be on a panel at 2PM on September 24th, and if you live in or near Washington, please try and come, it's open to the public.
2:00 PM 3:50 PM Making the Dream of Guaranteed Health Care for All a Reality Rep. John Conyers, Jr.
I've been asked to prepare a brief opening statement and address the following points. I want to do exactly what I've done in the past and respond with what you say. Could you help me out again? Would you answer a couple of these questions, and give me personal reflections and anecdotes about what it would mean for you and your loved ones to be presented with reform without a public option.
- What must reform look like?
- What constitutes sufficient reform and what would be insufficient?
- Is the Senate Finance bill totally insufficient?
- What happens to you and your family if there is no public option?
- If you are mandated to purchase private junk insurance (without being offered a public option), what will you do?
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT THE WORK SECURE A PUBLIC OPTION.
THERE ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKING LITERALLY DAY AND NIGHT TRYING TO SECURE A PUBLIC OPTION. WE RECEIVE VERY SMALL STIPENDS (FOR LIVING EXPENSES), BASED ENTIRELY ON YOUR GENEROSITY.
PLEASE DONATE WHATEVER YOU CAN. WE RELY ON YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT, AND YOU HAVE BEEN AMAZING.
HEALTHCARE REFORM WILL REVEAL THE CHARACTER OF OUR NATION, WE CANNOT FAIL.
PLEASE HELP US WIN THIS FIGHT FOR REAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL AMERICANS.
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