Chuck Schumer: "I have always believed that there are 51 votes for the public option."

[ProSense]

This is a response posted at Daily Kos:

First of all, I have always believed that there are 51 votes for the public option. Getting to 60 was the real challenge. We're now reviewing all of our options and reconciliation is certainly one of them.

One of my main priorities in this bill is to reduce the cost of health care coverage while preventing insurance companies from unnecessary and unfair premium increases. Until we fully achieve that goal, we should make sure that anyone that cannot afford health insurance, even with a federal subsidy, should not be forced to pay for it. That is why I successfully pushed for an affordability waiver in the Senate bill.

The are several aspects of the House bill that I prefer for the final bill including generous Medicaid help for states, greater subsidies for affordability and, of course, the public option.

I thought the Medicare buy in would have been a tremendous accomplishment and pushed for it but that too could not garner enough support in the Senate.

by Chuck Schumer on Tue Feb 02, 2010 at 12:38:59 PM PST

link

[politicasista]

1. He sneaky n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Let's just see if he really puts his ass on the line for this...

[blm]

10. Depends which side of his mouth was used. His kos side? Oh...then lip service to the left it is.

And then back to his backroom deals to give health industry corporations the 'level playing field' those poor, hurting corporations need.

That's Schumer....and his office full of duplicitous 'aides' wearing donkey masks.

[Oregone]

3. The bar has been lowered so far that people will claim any "public option" as the holy grail

Which is fine I guess. Heh, better than just the Senate bill I guess.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. The senate would have failed the people if they don't pass any public option

I don't see why Medicare can't be expanded to all states.

[Teaser]

6. The Senate fails people all the time

it's practically the job description. If you're counting on them fretting about doing healthcare right, you are assigning them far too much conscientiousness.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. why they will be without a seat if they don't listen

[slinkerwink]

5. kicking

[WI_DEM]

8. Can they pass the MC buy-in with Reconciliation?

[Yuugal]

9. This from the guy

who voted against drug re-importation that would have saved me and my family a bundle of money. I don't trust him anymore. When push came to shove he went with his big pharma pals.

[TheKentuckian]

11. Chuck also believed that the Finance bill would be improved upon

throughout the process and was also wrong as it was arguably allowed to get even worse by sucking up to Confederates without requiring votes to get their amendments passed.

Chuck has been playing the role of carrot.

[butterfly77]

12. Democrats keep playing in their ..

asses that is why they can't get anything done. Trying to play both sides of the fence.

[Armstead]

13. Hmmmmmm....There's a Machiavellian possibility here

Chuck would like to become Senate Leader if Harry R. has to go.

Perhaps Schumer is being a bit Machavellian here. If he is able to actually do the finagling to get a Public Option or Medicare expansion into the Health Bill, he'd come out looking good, thus boosting his chances.

If that is in his mind, I'd say "Go for it." No matter what the motivations, it'd be the right thing to do.