Will the Gentlemen Yield? Conyers Leans on Rangel and Waxman for a Single Payer Trifecta

[BR_Parkway]

Think John Conyers only does the "sternly worded admonition" thing with Republicans?

As you know, single payer, as best embodied by Conyers's HR 676, has been off the table in the two Senate committees -- Finance, chaired by Max Baucus (D-AHIP) and HELP, chaired by Ted Kennedy -- charged with moving forward on health care reform.

In the House, health care reform is being covered by three committees. Education and Labor, chaired by George Miller, held the first-ever (Hooray! Shame!) hearing on single payer since John Conyers first introduced HR 676 in 2003. Selise live-blogged the hearing yesterday here and here, and you can watch the whole thing here.

The other two committees are Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce, chaired by Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) and Henry Waxman (D-CA), respectively. As reported here, by single payer activist Russ Mokhiber, Conyers minced no words Tuesday night (at an event honoring Joan Claybrook) on his determination to get hearings on HR 676 before both committees.

Give a listen to his jeremiad. It's sweet. Key quotes, from Mokhiber's article:

“Hey look – I’ve worked on this too damn long to let anybody – I’m going to every Committee not just Miller’s. Charlie Rangel – get ready for your pal to come to your Committee.”

“Henry Waxman, my brilliant friend, open up your door. And then if you want to try to pull something that’s okay. But to tell me it’s too late – I’ve got news for you. That means you really didn’t know me all of these years.”

“We’re going to have HR 676 heard in every committee of the House of Representatives or my name ain’t John Conyers.”

“I don’t mind losing a debate or losing the vote, but Jesus Christ don’t tell me that my proposal is off the table before we start, without even a hearing,” Conyers said.

“What kind of a Democratic congress is this?” he asked.

John's feeling his Cheerios. Are you? Then call...
Ways and Means Committee Chair Charlie Rangel: [phone]

Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman: [phone]

http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/5725

[DJ13]

1. “What kind of a Democratic congress is this?”

One that cost the insurance industry a small fortune.

[leftstreet]

2. Yep, the best Medical Industrial Congressional Complex money can buy!

[dmr]

3. "don’t tell me that my proposal is off the table before we start"

How very sad, and bad, that he had to even say that - to Democrats, no less.

I'm truly concerned about this Congress.

[rateyes]

4. It's the same damned thing that Conyers told Kucinich

about the impeachment of Dick Cheney.

If Conyers said it will happen, then I'll wager almost anything that it won't happen.

[omega minimo]

5. kR Great news. Brilliant thread. Thank you.

Well done :toast: