Health-care Reform has been long, grueling and strenuous for most Liberals here, if not the country as a whole. We have sat through many "negotiations", fighting for our beliefs in true health care reform but have been forced to swallow many bittersweet--if not completely bitter---pills. Although, it seems it might almost...almost...be over, and it looks like a bill is sure to pass in the next few weeks. As many on the left have grumbled and stomped their feet (Michael Moore, Jane Hampsher etc..) some continued to contact there Representatives and Senators and fought for true Health care Reform, and it is starting to seem that, that might have paid off...please continue below--
Huffington Post is now reporting that Three more Democratic Senators have approved of Public Option through Reconciliation method (or Sen. Bennet's letter). It seems they have to still co-sign the letter, but seem almost 100% Postive to do so.
First, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii):
Three more Democratic senators said on Tuesday that they would either support the public option in a Senate floor vote or were heavily leaning that way.
Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) told HuffPost that if the public insurance option comes up for a vote under reconciliation, he will vote for it it. "I would support it, yes," he said.
That puts the number of publicly committed supporters at 38 and the number of likely supporters well into the forties. With a push from the White House, the public option is now within striking distance.
Second, Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.):
"I have responded, I guess, 20 times that I support the public option. So, you're asking hypotheticals about how it would come up. If somebody did a public option and said we're going to do Medicare rates, I probably wouldn't support that," he told HuffPost.
But if it used negotiated rates, as the House version does? "Generally, I probably would support that. I mean, I support the public option," he said.
Finally, Jon Tester (D-Mont.):
"Wow," Tester said when first asked about the prospect of a floor vote for the public option. He thought for a moment and said: "It depends on how it was designed. I've always said to folks, if a public option is designed right, I'd support it."
Sorry for the quick Diary...just wanted to get the good news out there. Continue to contact your Rep. and Sen. for true Healthcare reform with a Public Option!
Senators of the 111th Congress Contact info: http://www.senate.gov/...
UPDATE #1:
From http://whipcongress.com/...
40 senators have spoken out so far — including Harry Reid
Name Status
Sen. Daniel Akaka HI Statement
Sen. Max Baucus MT Unknown
Sen. Evan Bayh IN Unknown
Sen. Mark Begich AK Unknown
Sen. Michael Bennet CO Letter
Sen. Jeff Bingaman NM Statement
Sen. Barbara Boxer CA Letter
Sen. Sherrod Brown OH Letter
Sen. Roland Burris IL Letter
Sen. Robert Byrd WV Unknown
Sen. Maria Cantwell WA Statement
Sen. Benjamin Cardin MD Statement
Sen. Thomas Carper DE Unknown
Sen. Robert Casey PA Statement
Sen. Kent Conrad ND Unknown
Sen. Christopher Dodd CT Statement
Sen. Byron Dorgan ND Statement
Sen. Richard Durbin IL Statement
Sen. Russell Feingold WI Statement
Sen. Dianne Feinstein CA Letter
Sen. Al Franken MN Letter
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand NY Letter
Sen. Kay Hagan NC Unknown
Sen. Tom Harkin IA Unknown
Sen. Daniel Inouye HI Letter
Sen. Tim Johnson SD Letter
Sen. Ted Kaufman DE Statement
Sen. John Kerry MA Letter
Sen. Amy Klobuchar MN Statement
Sen. Herb Kohl WI Unknown
Sen. Mary Landrieu LA Unknown
Sen. Frank Lautenberg NJ Letter
Sen. Patrick Leahy VT Letter
Sen. Carl Levin MI Letter
Sen. Blanche Lincoln AR Unknown
Sen. Claire McCaskill MO Unknown
Sen. Robert Menendez NJ Letter
Sen. Jeff Merkley OR Letter
Sen. Barbara Mikulski MD Letter
Sen. Patty Murray WA Statement
Sen. Bill Nelson FL Unknown
Sen. Ben Nelson NE Unknown
Sen. Mark Pryor AR Unknown
Sen. Jack Reed RI Letter
Sen. Harry Reid NV Statement
Sen. John Rockefeller WV Unknown
Sen. Bernie Sanders VT Letter
Sen. Charles Schumer NY Letter
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen NH Letter
Sen. Arlen Specter PA Letter
Sen. Debbie Stabenow MI Letter
Sen. Jon Tester MT Statement
Sen. Mark Udall CO Statement
Sen. Tom Udall NM Letter
Sen. Mark Warner VA Unknown
Sen. Jim Webb VA Unknown
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse RI Letter
Sen. Ron Wyden OR Statement
Candidates: Elaine Marshall (NC), Bill Halter (AR)
Statements are only counted if they make clear that the senator will vote yes if the House version of the public option (or stronger) is brought up for a vote in reconciliation.
120 House members signed.
Interesting fact that 120 House members also signed.