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October 29, 2009 09:59 PM UTC

Public Option, Er, "Exchange," Goes Public

  • 73 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

From MSNBC:

After months of struggle, House Democrats rolled out sweeping legislation Thursday to extend health care coverage to millions who lack it and create a new option of government-run insurance. A vote is likely next week on the plan largely tailored to President Barack Obama’s liking.

Speaking on the steps of the Capitol, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress was at a “historic moment” with lawmakers “on the cusp of delivering on the promise of making affordable, quality health insurance available to every American.”

Officials said the measure, once fully phased-in over several years, would extend coverage to 96 percent of Americans. Its principal mechanism for universal coverage is creation of a new government-regulated insurance “exchange” where private companies would sell policies in competition with the government. Federal subsidies would be available to millions of lower-income individuals and families to help them afford the policies, and to small businesses as an incentive to offer coverage to their workers.

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73 thoughts on “Public Option, Er, “Exchange,” Goes Public”

  1. …all we’ve gotten out of the Majority Party is the most nebulous of descriptions. That’s made it easy for the Minority Party to pick at it – fairly so.

    Based on the language of this bill, HHS gets to draw up this Public Option in the dirt. Howzabout coming out and saying WTF that is?

    1. But the way I look at it, no matter what they call it – even if it happens (public option won’t), it won’t be before Christmas recess.

      I’m waffling on the asparagus versus the creamed corn side.

      Ah, hell.  There should be three or four of you there – I’ll have both.

      🙂

    2. regardless of whatever stupid shit the majority party has said about it.

      If I remember correctly, it polls at about 70% if you just ask whether people support a public option.

      If you ask, “Do you support the public option if it would bankrupt the government and kill your grandmom?” support goes down to about 55%.

      1. A press conference in a public area of the house should be closed, right?

        Hey, I don’t blame her.  The less exposure to the public this bill and the process to make it have the better for Pelosi.

        I’d be embarrassed about it too.  

            1. It’s just sometimes you have to do it outside.

              Actually, good for them for showing up, and putting the rest of the billions of teabaggers to shame.

              And who said they were racist? What’s up with this racism thing? You don’t like the fact that I pointed out a few teabaggers were racist when they said and did racist things?

              Oy, but people hold a grudge on this site…

            2. It’s a press conference, not a town hall meeting. It was not a two-way discussion with constituents. Or do you think the Oval Office should be open for teabaggers to do a sit-in? How about the president’s White House bathroom while he’s taking a dump? It’s a taxpayer-owned building, after all.

              If you had been following the actual news, you would have known that Randall Terry and his band of abortion clinic terrorists were running around accosting members of Congress all day with gory photos and Nancy Pelosi hung in effigy. There was no way Pelosi (or any Republican for that matter) was going to let any asshat protester into a televised press conference for fear that some bloody fetus picture would make its way onto daytime television.

              2. Written behind closed doors, released at an “invite-only” press conference (?!?!).

                Didn’t Obama say something about writing the bill live on CSpan?

                2. I thought it was generally for, oh I don’t know, could it be, THE PRESS?

                  (To be read in Church Lady voice, of course.)

                  Usually people have to have press credentials to get into a press conference. So what exactly are you complaining about? This seems like a reach.

                3. Oh yeah, pretty much NEVER.  How often did Bush or Mitch McConnell invite the ‘public’ to their press conferences????

                  Yes, provide me the data. Otherwise I think you are merely whiny and a bit bitter.

                    1. I forgot.  How dare they!  Hold a press conference for the press!  It’s like Maoist or something.  Didn’t Pol Pot also write his bills ‘behind closed doors’?

                    2. Speaker Pelosi may think she’s won a political victory by shutting Republicans out of this process

                      NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

                      I’m pretty sure the GOP has made their mantra position well kNOwn.

                      I love how they keep bringing up the tea parties as ‘Americans oppose this’ when all polling shows strong support for a public option, ignoring–also–how many people they currently represent, about 20% who identify as Republicans, and even that small, dwindling minority is fractured–as we see in NY with Newty and Mr. Steele facing off against Sarah and Perry…should be a fun, and bloody, GOP primary for 2012.

                      I’m not too happy with the Dems, but thankfully (for them) they get to run against Republicans.  

                4. Yes, that would be the big tough House GOP members!

                  Dems: Interns barred from GOP presser

                  Lots of people getting turned away from events today — and lots of people complaining about it.

                  Turns out that Dems sent their people — interns, actually — to crash the House GOP’s health care reform presser in the basement of the Capitol and they got turned away, according to a Democratic aide.

                  Republicans filmed their own rejections at the gates of the Pelosi event earlier today.

                  “Our event had more than 250 people present, primarily supporters, but also some protesters,” said a House Democratic spokesman. ” Our blended bill was posted online this morning. In contrast, the Republican event today was open only to credentialed media and GOP staffers. More importantly, it’s been 134 days and they still haven’t shown the American people their bill or pledged to post it online for 72 hours like we have.”

                  Gosh, you mean the Republicans are nothing but “gotcha” hypocrits? Who would have guessed!

                  LB, do you ever get tired of being such an idiot?

                  1. To always go to the R events first because of the superior free drinks and food spread, then to go over to the Dem parties to meet chicks.

                    Maybe the interns were just using that model?

                    Honestly, none of this is a big deal.  Just poking the big blue eye.

                    LB, do you ever get tired of being such an idiot?

                    Hey, now.  Don’t go all JeffcoBlue on me…

                    1. I’ve spent years trying to convince my Libertarian (capital L) to hang out with Democrats, if only so he could meet women.

        2. Are you retarded? Seriously, this bill has been online since July. The public stands firmly behind health care reform WITH a public option. Even the “liberal” Wall Street Journal poll shows the American people want health care reform over the status quo.

          Who are you kidding other than your dellusional self. This has been the most debated upon legislation in decades and you conjur up conspiracy theories.

          I almost feel sorry for you… oh wait in fact I dont since whatever it is you’re doing with the rest of your right-wing-nuttery friends, it seems to be doing wonders for the GOP image.

          Okay, this is striking. Earlier this week a Washington Post poll made a big splash because it  found that only 21 percent self-identify as Republicans. The abysmally low number  got pundits and reporters talking about whether the GOP is shrinking to the point of irrelevance.

          Now we have another poll that finds that the number of self-identified Republicans has dropped even lower: 20 percent.

          Thirteen percent identify themselves as a “strong Republican”; seven percent as a “not very strong Republican.” Total: Twenty percent.

          So two polls this week have now found this, suggesting it’s probably not an outlier. Does anyone know if any other poll has found the number of self-identified GOPers hitting 20 percent?

          Keep it up.

          Some people just never change. I guess that’s just the way it is.  

                1. That’s a part of the process. Hypotheticals are what’s scored. You really don’t know the process do you? I’m not trying to be mean here, I’m serious.  

                  1. I understand that part, but you have Senators that have flat-out stated that they’l support a filibuster if certain parts of the bill are included, what’s the point until you see the final product?

                    Especially on something that’s SO URGENT that it takes effect in 2013.

                    I don’t think you’re being mean, you’re just taking this all too seriously.  I’m not scowling and spitting on my keyboard.  I’m relaxed and conversing and joking with some of my Pols homies.

                    1. and Joe Lieberman is no political barometer by any means. Look at the sides he’s taken the last few years. If I was a betting man, which I’m not, I would bet the farm on the opposite of what Joe LIEberman says.  

                    2. You need those votes for cloture.  With a public option, it ain’t happening, right?

                    3. No. The Dems do not need Snowe, Collins and Lieberman. They need 60 votes, not 62, and they will a vote with the public option in the bill.  

                    4. I don’t think the Dems can keep the coalition together.  You obviously do.

                      Time to pop the popcorn.

                    5. It’s easier to be against something than it is to lead, but leading is what keeps your troops close by. I get that and so do a lot of the Senators – especially Harry Reid who is showing a bit of leadership this week.

                      As for what we’re seeing here in the infotainment media is nothing out of the ordinary, especially for Lieberman. He’s about as bad a Chuck Schumer when it comes to attention. The guy’s ego is bigger than his head most days.  

            2. Which went through this process

              It has most certainly has been online since July. In fact before it was even a bill the house committees posted a “rough draft” for the American people to review. It’s a part of the process, which I guess you’re not familiar with.

              And since I’m such a nice guy, here’s a link to the marked up bill in it’s current form as reintroduced today: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/…

              You’ll notice the committee even provided information on the topline changes to the bill.

              Now, please throw away your FoxNews, RedState, Drudge, Malkin (or where ever you get them) talking points. They make you sound dumb.

              1. But your own link said what was released today (unless I’m reading it wrong – certainly possible) is 67% different than the bill initially introduced.

                2. That’s what happens in committees; they “amend” the bill. Hmm… not to quick are you? All of those “amendments” to the bill were debated live on CSPAN, archived on CSPAN, and posted online by each committee.

                  I need to start charging tuition to teach this class.  

                  1. Quit with the insults.  I won’t return them.

                    Until this afternoon, the bill coming from committee was unknown.  Now it goes to debate on the floor.

                    Pelosi et al could have made drastic changes depending on support, and still can.

                    Right?

                    1. but what you’re conjuring up is that even though this bill has been debated upon in three committees, in public and online since July, that some how Nancy Pelosi threw those bills out and wrote her own. That’s just fantasy. That’s not reality.

                      No chairman, or committee member for that matter, would ever allow that to happen. They’ve put months if not years into this single piece of legislation. What the Speaker has done is meshed the work of the three committees to reintroduce the bill as amended with all the input and compromises from all the members (and here’s the shocked) including Republicans! Yes, Republican amendments are included in this bill!  

                      Now can the current bill amend again? Yes of course, that’s what happens on the floor and in conference committee.

                      I’ll be civil if you stop with the ridiculousness.  

                    2. DO you see this bill getting done before the Christmas recess, given the opposition to the public option?

                      I’ll be as ridiculous as I Goddamn well please.  Sharon Hanson posts here, for crying out loud.

                    3. and vice versa on the insults command!

                      Yes, the bill will be signed, sealed and delivered with a public option before Christmas.  

                    4. You’ll be as Goddamn well insulting as you please because Sharon Hanson posts on this blog?

                      Wanna get in on buying me dinner when the bill doesn’t pass with a public option by Christmas recess?

                    5. No, you told me stop the insults (vice versa), and I don’t know who Sharon Hanson is.

                      I would, it sounds nice since I’m a big asparagus fan, but I must pass.  

                    6. There’s no such thing as an asparagus fan.

                      It makes [looks around, in a hushed voice] your pee smell weird.

                    7. it was ‘written behind closed doors.’  Which is where most bills are ‘written.’  I think that Go Blue just demonstrated it has been posted in its component forms in various stages of development for a while now.

                    9. generally, then go to one for ‘mark up’ which is to say they get amended, debated, amended, discussed, and voted out (or not) of that committee where they then go to the floor (or another committee) and get amended, debated, amended, discussed, then passed (or not).

                      When there are different bills on the same matter, or similar bills of different matters, they often get combined…to say it was ‘written behind closed doors’ just betrays a fundamental ignorance of how the sausage factory works.  But to the ignorant I agree it makes for a good (if inaccurate and stupid) talking point to help rally the dwindling 20% of the electorate that is the GOP.  

                    10. I’m guessing here of course, but I’d say for the most part this has been melded together through a process by the informed members of the committees; Waxman advocating for his committees version of the public option (which prevailed obviously); Miller pushing for workforce training programs; Rangel for low-income subsidies, etc. They took their bills as amended and made them one.

                      The biggest change from the committees bill was keeping it’s net costs under $900B which they successfully did by trimming subsidies.

                      They still accomplished their goals by keeping a system in place to insure 96% of Americans while reducing the deficit over 10 and even 20 years; pretty good work if you ask me.

                      Unlike the Bush/Republican prescription drug bill that wasn’t paid for and increased the deficit.

                    13. Has he been proven guilty of anything wrong/illegal?

                      This would beg the question for many other politicians too of course. Should Vitter, Ensign, Sanford keep their seats?

                      Do you think an accusation is enough to punish anyone? Of course not. Let the process work.

                      However, I fear this will end his career one way or another. From what I hear this has really effected him. He’s moving slower, not as quick to the punch with a joke or even a smile. I’m not sure if that’s a sign of guilt or not, but it’s a sign that he’s been worn down and that is just sad.

                      And on that dose of reality, I say good bye for now.

                      Until health care passes good sir,

                    15. Kick his ass off. Duke Cunningham showed us that even war heroes aren’t immune to corrupt influences. He should resign, and if he doesn’t, he should get kicked off.

                    16. Shockingly looks almost identical to the Senate bill including the public option:

                      The Exchange would also include a new public plan option, similar to Medicare. This option would abide by the same rules as private insurance plans participating in the Exchange (e.g., offer the same levels of benefits and set the premiums the same way). Rates paid to health care providers by this option would be determined by balancing the goals of increasing competition and ensuring access for patients to high-quality health care. A number of options could be considered to determine who runs the plan, who is eligible for it, and how to ensure that the public-private insurance competition lowers costs and improves quality. The Independent Health Coverage Council, described below, would inform these decisions.

                      Chuck Grassley and the Republican staff co-wrote that document with Baucus and the Democratic staff. All of this opposition is completely political, and the claim that all of these ideas are new and un-debated is pure horse puckey.

                    19. TW:All of this opposition is completely political

                      LB: Not everyone feels that way.

                      Like some other Senators.

                      LB-wtf are you trying to say here?  Can I get you another shovel?

                    21. The GOP mantra.  If Obama says ‘yes’ McConnell says ‘No.’  Its that simple.  

                    22. Do people still listen to him?

                      I mean seriously, not to disparage all Republicans, but really, Mitch McConnell? The guy who’s more Steve Forbes than Steve Forbes?

  5. While we’re still not home, this week and especially today were victories for health care reform and the American people.

    Take it all in for a moment. This really is history in the making.

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