Tag Archives: republicans

Adam Green

Co-founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee

Posted: March 1, 2010 01:18 AM

In the wake of last week’s “bipartisan summit” — which proved that no Republicans in Congress will vote for health care reform — an avalanche of Democratic senators are announcing today that they will vote YES for the public health insurance option if it is brought up in “reconciliation.”

Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) are the latest to announce their support, raising the number of senators on record from 0 to 30 in under 2 weeks.

The below statements were released to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), Democracy for America, and Credo Action — three groups who have been organizing thousands of Americans daily on this issue and who gathered over 200,000 signatures on a petition telling Congress that Americans want a good bill with a public option over a “bipartisan” bill without one. A tally of senators supporting the public option in reconciliation is at WhipCongress.com.

DICK DURBIN (D-IL):

Durbin Communications Director Joe Shoemaker: “Sen. Durbin has long been a supporter of the public option. I don’t know whether the votes exist in the Senate right now, but if the House version of the public option came up for a vote in reconciliation Sen. Durbin would vote yes.”

PATTY MURRAY (D-WA):

“I’ve been consistently supportive of a public option so that Washington’s families and businesses have choices in their health care options and so insurance companies are finally forced to compete for the business of the American people. Nothing has changed that support. I don’t know whether the votes exist in the Senate right now, but if the public option came up for a vote as we move ahead with reform, including under reconciliation, I would vote yes.”

JEFF BINGAMAN (D-NM):

“I have long been a supporter of the public option, and I have voted for it every time it has come before the Senate. I drafted the public option provision in the HELP Committee and co-sponsored the public option amendment in the Finance Committee. If the public option came up for a vote in reconciliation I would vote yes.”

BEN CARDIN (D-MD):

Cardin spokesperson Sue Walitsky: “Senator Cardin has always been a strong supporter of the public option. As a member of the Budget Committee, he has always considered reconciliation a viable option for passing health care reform. If there is a vote in reconciliation on the House public option, Senator Cardin would vote yes.”

AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN):

“I support the House bill version of the public option which is based on negotiated rates, and if that came up for a vote in reconciliation I would vote yes. I do not support a public option based on Medicare rates because it exacerbates geographic disparities that already hurt Minnesota.”

Previously, 24 other senators signed Sen. Michael Bennet’s letter calling for the public option through reconciliation plus Majority Leader Harry Reid made big news by endorsing the idea:

Reid spokesperson Rodell Mollineau: “Senator Reid has always and continues to support the public option as a way to drive down costs and create competition…If a decision is made to use reconciliation to advance health care, Senator Reid will work with the White House, the House, and members of his caucus in an effort to craft a public option that can overcome procedural obstacles and secure enough votes.”

We are finding out who our real friends are. These senators deserve praise for embracing the will of the people. Polls show that voters in state after state overwhelmingly want the public option — and progressives will keep pushing others senators to take a stand until 50 votes are reached.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee will spend thousands of dollars this week on an online ad campaign in the states of at least 10 senators who should be for the public option but have refused to issue a statement so far, reaching at least 1 million people online.

First up: Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa — and we’ll soon be naming more. Jon Stewart lampooned Harkin last week for previously saying, “I’d say right now we have well over 55 votes for a public option, but we need 60” — while now shrugging his shoulders and saying not even 50 exist.

Harkin also claimed on MSNBC that nobody has fought harder for the public option than him. I’ve been a longtime Harkin fan, but at this point, that claim is laughable. I can name at least 30 senators who have fought harder than Harkin, with more likely to come.

People can help fund the online ads pressuring Harkin and others here — and can join 200,000 others in signing the petition to Harkin and others here.

The avalanche of Senate support for the public option will continue. Who do you think is next to take a stand?

huffington Post

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Monopoly power …

02/27/2010 Nativegrl77

Most Republicans were too embarrassed to publicly support insurance industry price-gouging. But not Republican leader John Boehner, who was one of 19 Republicans to vote against the bill. Click here to see our new ad calling him out

oss have too much power. The Senate must subject them to antitrust laws, just like every other company.”

Sign the petition

Hi,

Unlike just about every other industry in America, health insurance companies are completely exempt from antitrust laws.

They can establish monopolies and raise rates without having to worry about competition, like Blue Cross just did in California, where they’re raising premiums by up to 39% for some customers.

But the House, led by freshman Rep. Tom Perriello, just passed a bill to strip them of their special exemption by 406-19. Can you join me in pressuring the Senate to follow the House’s lead by signing this petition? http://pol.moveon.org/perriello_antitrust/?r_by=19140-9640874-LO_p2_x&rc=confemail

Thanks!

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

TGIF … news reviews and what’s on CSPAN.org live-stream

02/26/2010 Nativegrl77

This is Black History Month

Friday …

will be spent analyzing what actually was accomplished at the Thursday Summit or not, this will probably go on through the weekend maybe more. My take on the summit was that Democrats, specifically the President, Pelosi and Reid were able to see through the wall the continued rhetoric from Repubs as a sign that after a year no major moves to the center was on the Republican agenda; hoping Americans watched and truly listened to the need to move forward with HCR. The governing body has the right to keep bills that passed already; I hope our Democratic Party finally understands the ramification and votes HCR through reconciliation; we are the majority and it’s time to act like it… don’t we use majority rules in most things we do in our lives.

In the news this Friday …

**Governor Paterson will not be running in 2010: Democratic officials in Washington were informed of Paterson’s plans early Friday. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because Paterson had not publicly disclosed his plans.huffpost

Democrat Charlie Rangel is under investigation for breaking House rules… taking gifts(trips)

**VP Biden will be announcing new Labor Regulations aimed at protecting worker’s retirement savings

V.P. Biden Remarks

**Our economy grew by 5.9% stronger than expected but it’s not expected to carry forward for too long

**The House passed extensions to unemployment benefits with a voice vote and Senate Republicans JimBunning and McConnell have been blocking the temp extension of unemployment benefits,which end on 2/28/10 the vote next Tuesday… TP reports that Senator Bunning was missing his BB game,tough sh-t on unemployment benefits. Democrats made repeated attempts to pass the extension by unanimous consent, and Bunning blocked them all. He then complained that the Democrats’ insistence on trying to ensure that unemployment benefits not expire had caused him to miss a college basketball game: GOP Rep. Dean Heller claims extending unemployment benefits is creating ‘hobos.’ TP

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Today on CSPAN.org

HR2701- Intelligence programs; Democrats stripped the torture amendment

First Hundred Years of the NAACP

Panelists talked about history and the future of the NAACP. Panel: – Patricia Sullivan, University of South Carolina, history professor; author “Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement” – Robert Zangrando, University of Akron, history professor; author “The NAACP Crusade Against Lynching, 1909-1950” – Kenneth Mack, Harvard University, law professor; author “Representing the Race: Creating the Civil Rights Lawyer, 1920-1955”

White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs conducts a daily briefing at the White House.

Washington, DC : 49 min.

White House Press Briefing

Hearing examines small business and commercial real estate lending

The House Financial Services and House Small Business Committees hold a joint hearing on lending programs for small businesses. Witnesses will likely discuss the state of lending, and how credit standards affect small businesses.

WSJ: Examiners Aren’t Hindering Lending
Washington Independent: Plan Meets Skepticism

Joint Hearing: Panels 1 & 2 Joint Hearing: Panel 3

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JEC Hearing on Prospects for Jobs and Growth

Joint Economic Committee Chairman Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) holds a hearing to discuss ways to promote job creation. The committee hearing, titled “The Road to Economic Recovery: Prospects for Jobs and Growth,” will include witnesses from Manpower Inc., the jobs services agency.

JEC website

JEC Hearing: From Earlier

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

A Win- Win- Win- for Cash Strapped States

02/24/2010 Nativegrl77

Report Released: February 10, 2010

Tobacco taxes are a win-win-win for states facing budget shortfalls — a BUDGET WIN that will raise billions in revenue and help preserve essential services such as health care and education; a HEALTH WIN that will prevent kids from smoking and save lives; and a POLITICAL WIN that is popular with voters.

This report details the revenue and health benefits to each state of increasing its cigarette tax by $1 per pack, as well as the national benefits if every state took such action.

TAKE ACTION: Tell your legislators and governor to
increase the tobacco tax and save critical programs!

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Americans want a good Health Care bill …

02/22/2010 Nativegrl77

Poll after poll shows this statement is true.

Research 2000 Poll:

QUESTION: What would make you more likely to vote for Democrats in the 2010 elections: If they pass health care reform that includes a public health insurance option but gets zero Republicans votes OR if they pass health care reform without a public option but with some Republican votes?

Nevada: 53% public option, 40% bipartisanship
Illinois: 61% public option, 30% bipartisanship
Iowa: 58% public option, 29% bipartisanship
Washington: 61% public option, 25% bipartisanship
Missouri: 49% public option, 36% bipartisanship
Virginia: 55% public option, 33% bipartisanship
*Minnesota: 51% public option, 39% bipartisanship
*Colorado: 46% public option, 43% bipartisanship

*The MN and CO polls used the following wording for this survey question: “Which do you think should be a higher priority for congressional Democrats right now — working in a bipartisan way with Republicans in Congress or fighting for policies that will benefit working families, even if those policies can only be passed with Democratic votes?”