While the SEIU is taking the optimistic approach to the Senate bill (we hate it but pass it so you can make it better in conference), the AFL-CIO is hitting the Senate bill, hard and leaving plenty of room for the federation to oppose the bill.
The AFL-CIO, going further than the SEIU, is out with a new statement that stops just a hair short of withholding full support for the Senate health care bill, leaving little room for the labor federation to support it without big changes:
[F]or this health care bill to be worthy of the support of working men and women, substantial changes must be made. The AFL-CIO intends to fight on behalf of all working families to make those changes and win health care reform that is deserving of the name.
The absolute refusal of Republicans in the Senate to support health care reform and the hijacking of the bill by defenders of the insurance industry have brought us a Senate bill that is inadequate: It is too kind to the insurance industry.
Genuine health care reform must bring down health costs, hold insurance companies accountable, assure that Americans can get the health care they need and be financed fairly...
The House bill is the model for genuine health care reform. Working people cannot accept anything less than real reform.
Will labor say it's the House bill or nothing? Stern implied as much in his conference call earlier, contrasting the House and Senate bills and pinning his hopes on conference. It seems to be a good rallying cry for progressives. Yes the mandate is in the House bill--it's a lot easier to swallow when it's accompanied by a public option. It's not "kill the bill," but then what Howard Dean and the rest of us who reject the bill as is are saying isn't "kill the bill" either. We're saying make this bill better, and on affordability and fairness, the House provides a pretty good model (with the exception of Stupak, but that's another post).