Action for August, Single Payer

[maryf]

(edited for copyright purposes-proud patriot Moderator Democratic Underground)

Published on Tuesday, August 4, 2009 by The Nation
Why Single Payer Advocacy Matters Now More Than Ever

by John Nichols
How should serious supporters of health-care reform spend the month of August?

Not by getting trapped in the narrow "debate" between "party of no" Republicans who favor no reform at all, and Blue Dog Democrats, whose "reform" is to make a bad system worse.

And not by campaigning for "buzz words – "public option," "employer mandates" – or whatever President Obama or Speaker Pelosi happen to favor this week. There will be plenty of advertising and organizing to that end, including a $15 million expenditure by the AFL-CIO.

Americans who want to tip the debate in the most progressive direction should take advantage an opening provided at the last minute during negotiations to get a bill approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

And they should do so by advocating even more aggressively for single-payer health care. <1>

One of the many side deals that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Energy and Commerce chair Henry Waxman, D-California, had to cut to get the votes they needed for the compromise reform measure that was approved before the House broke for its August recess will allow a floor vote on real reform. <2>

Waxman sidetracked a move by New York Congressman Anthony Weiner to replace his proposal with a single-payer plan by agreeing – with Pelosi's approval – to schedule a vote by the full House on the plan to replace the current for-profit system with a Medicare-style plan that covers all Americans and controls costs.

Article printed from www.CommonDreams.org
URL to article: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/04-0

[nightrain]

1. K&R. Great article. Thanks. I believe single payer advocates have an opening

now, particularly as Congress is struggling to find funds to support other options. Single payer has so many advantages! Sad that so many Congresspeople have been bought. Yes, let's support the actions of pnhp, calif nurses, and Progressive Democrats of America!!

[maryf]

5. It would cost less than what the government is paying now!

and cover everybody!! It would save on municipal and property taxes besides saving individuals tons of money...

[slipslidingaway]

2. knr #5 nt

[bvar22]

3. K&R

Still fighting for a solution....not a capitulation.

There are 36 successful blueprints for Universal Health Care in the World, and any one of them is far better than what Congress is proposing (HR 3200).
Why should Americans be forced to Settle for Less than the rest of the civilized World.


Yes We Can!

[maryf]

4. HR 676 Single Payer plan

Really has so much in its short 30 some pages...transparent and it would work...We just have to get the representatives to vote for it! No profit, no limits, transferable from jobs, and so on...

[maryf]

6. from the link: Campaigning for single-payer in August

– by demanding that members of the House agree to support such a plan when it comes up for a vote, and by urging senators to schedule and support a similar vote in their chamber – is the best way to assure that whatever reform ultimately comes will err on the side of Americans who need health care rather than insurance companies that would deny them that care.

People over Profit!!

[slipslidingaway]

7. kick n/t

[scarletwoman]

8. *kick* -- If we're not fighting for single payer, what the hell is there worth fighting for?

I mean, really -- what sense does it make to fight for anything less? Are we going to throw off our corporate-forged shackles or not?

sw

[Hannah Bell]

9. Currently, the big issue here is whether "bitch" is PC or not.

[blindpig]

10. k&r n/t

[maryf]

11. Thanks to all, Couldn't reply as I was in the hospital!

With appendicitis! I just kept thinking what would I have done without decent insurance??