Coburn and Vitter prevented Democrats from co-sponsoring public option amendment.

[Modbert]

Think Progress » Coburn and Vitter preventing Democrats from co-sponsoring public option amendment. (Updated)

The Hill reports that Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) and David Vitter (R-LA) are preventing Democrats from co-sponsoring an amendment to the Senate health bill that would “force members of Congress into any public option health plan that becomes law.” The amendment was conceived by Republicans as a political stunt. As Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said, “If [the public option] is good enough for the American people — and they don’t think it is — then it ought to be good enough for Congress.” But Democrat Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has called them on their gimmick:

Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio) said he is trying to co-sponsor the amendment — but that Coburn and Vitter won’t let him. … “They’ve not said yes to allow me to be a co-sponsor,” Brown told The Hill on Thursday. “I’ve called their office four times. I’m proud of the public option, I think it would be great and we ought to join it and show the country how good it is. I think my interest may be more genuine than theirs, but I’d like to work with them if they’ll let me. If they just want to score partisan points, I still want to work with them.”

And since then?

Moments ago, Sen. Brown asked to be added as a co-sponsor to the Coburn/Vitter amendment by unanimous consent. The motion was approved.

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) has asked that he and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) also be added as co-sponsors to the amendment. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has joined too.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_lsFywRfgA&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

Thoughts?

 

[Polk]

Tells me what I already knew.

 

[Political Junky]

Thanks for posting the information. Coburn and Vitter are both crooks.

 

[Modbert]

Thanks for posting the information. Coburn and Vitter are both crooks.

Vitter literally is. But that doesn't stop him from partaking in a political office.

 

[garyd]

Gee so are all the Democrats who are signing on to it. And if you think the amendment won't go dowm on a nearly straight party line vote you are kidding yourself.

 

[Modbert]

Gee so are all the Democrats who are signing on to it. And if you think the amendment won't go dowm on a nearly straight party line vote you are kidding yourself.

If all the Democrats co-sponsor for it and support it, then how is it going down on a nearly straight party line vote?

 

[garyd]

four of them did and their grandstanding. Just because you cosponsor an amendment doesnt mean necessarily that you have to vote for it.

 

[Modbert]

four of them did and their grandstanding. Just because you cosponsor an amendment doesnt mean necessarily that you have to vote for it.

No, but the odds are you will. We'll see how it goes. But let's talk about the facts instead of wishes and ifs.

 

[garyd]

And what facts would that be/ that we now have six people out of 50 political grandstanding?

 

[Modbert]

And what facts would that be/ that we now have six people out of 50 political grandstanding?

The fact that these Republicans wanted to act like Democrats did not want this bill when clearly at least some do to the point they are willing to co-sponsor this bill.

Neither do I see Republicans lining up to Co-Sponsor this either.

 

[garyd]

None of them want this bill. Do you really believe they want their health care to get worse as almost everyone else's almost certainly will.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Silly generalization, garyd on your part.

No one has given any convincing evidence that health care quality will decline with the public option.

On the other hand, the USPS competition made the private parcel companies very good, so I imagine that will happen as well with health care.

 

[garyd]

And you assume that their will still be a private option in five years. Which given how much the cost of private insurance is going to be driven upward almost everybody is going to throw thier employees onto that public option. Simply because it will cost them left.

 

[garyd]

The private companies drive each other It wasn't USPS that drove anyone or anything. It was competition among the private delivery services that drove it.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Australia has a two-tier system, and it works fine. It will here as well. The USPS sent the benchmark, which forced the private parcel post companies to meet. That will work the same with medical care. The customer will benefit from the competition: better care, lower cost. Good all around.

 

[garyd]

They have one in Britain to. It works great if youare welathy and can afford private care if you aren't not so much.

 

[JakeStarkey]

The Brits' system, with all of its faults, does provide for a system that provides better health, longevity, and less cost. But, I agree, that if the Australian system is better, then that is what we should follow.

Glad you are on board.

 

[Polk]

None of them want this bill. Do you really believe they want their health care to get worse as almost everyone else's almost certainly will.

Actually, that's not why it's opposed. It's opposed because the amendment would put a special limitation of the ability of members of Congress when purchasing health insurance that no other group in the nation faces.

 

[Polk]

They have one in Britain to. It works great if youare welathy and can afford private care if you aren't not so much.

If you're poor, live in Britain, and get sick, you can still go and get treatment. It's not as good as what you'd get a posh private resort, but still a high quality of care.
If you're poor, live in the United States, and get sick, you've just got sit and wait for the Grim Reaper to knock on the door. If it's an active emergency, a hospital will treat you. Got cancer though? You're fucked.

 

[JakeStarkey]

The only death panels in America are those held by the bean counters at the insurance companies.