A Commentary on the Passing Scene by
Robert Paul Wolff
rwolff@afroam.umass.edu
Friday, March 31, 2017
CHRIS'S LIST
Chris linked to this list of 117 House Democrats not currently co-signing a call for Medicare for all. I checked and my supposedly reliably liberal Rep, David Price, is, alas, on the list. I shall call him today. Thank you, Chris.
This is important work. The proposal has sound and progressive financing. Moving to a universal insurance would be a tremendous health benefit but also a boon to all those beholden to employers for health coverage. The two greatest benefits to the ACA have been the expansion of Medicaid and the increased mobility of workers (it is quiet visible in the data when you see lots of workers who now work part time because they prefer it when they would be forced to work full time without ACA access to coverage).
If one wish to focus on reps that are on the fence but leaning toward supporting single-payer, I would suggest targeting members of the House Progressive Caucus, which has as a group endorsed HR 676 - the health bill gold standard, but who have as yet, not committed. Currently there are 77 co-sponsors of HR 676 .
And here are the 19 members of the House Progressive Caucus who have yet sign on as co-sponsors. They are: Ruben Gallego (Arizona), Maxine Waters (California), Jared Polis (Colorado), Rosa DeLauro (Connecticut), Lisa Blunt Rochester (Delaware), Val Demings (Florida), Lois Frankel (Florida), Andre Carson (Indiana), Dave Loebsack (Iowa), Anthony Brown (Maryland), Joseph Kennedy (Massachusetts), Debbie Dingell (Michigan), Ruben Kihuen (Nevada), Carol Shea Porter (New Hampshire), Frank Pallone (New Jersey), David Cicilline (Rhode Island), Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas) Lloyd Doggett (Texas) and Don Beyer (Virginia).)
It puzzles me what’s behind this failure of Democrats to support single payer. Some, if not all, of them may believe that single payer is a pipe dream. I would agree that actually getting a single payer system in the foreseeable future is unlikely. But this is the start of a process that will require progressives to compromise in order to get something passed.
Progressives should start from what they really want, and give up as little as possible to gain improvement in Obamacare, e.g., a public option. Not supporting single payer at the outset--in an atmosphere where public support for Obamacare and is very strong--is to begin the bargaining process only after giving away a good part of what you want.
I found myself frustrated with Obama who seemed to start the process only after giving away a good portion of what he could have asked for. Hence, the bargaining began where he expected to end up--which meant that he didn’t end up there. He thought he could make the compromises at the start and that Republicans would agree with his proposal. Apparently that worked in the Illinois legislature as it worked in the US Congress in the past, but it doesn’t work there anymore.
This is important work. The proposal has sound and progressive financing. Moving to a universal insurance would be a tremendous health benefit but also a boon to all those beholden to employers for health coverage. The two greatest benefits to the ACA have been the expansion of Medicaid and the increased mobility of workers (it is quiet visible in the data when you see lots of workers who now work part time because they prefer it when they would be forced to work full time without ACA access to coverage).
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if I should even both calling all my Georgia reps, who are essentially Trump's lickspittle.
ReplyDeleteIf one wish to focus on reps that are on the fence but leaning toward supporting single-payer, I would suggest targeting members of the House Progressive Caucus, which has as a group endorsed HR 676 - the health bill gold standard, but who have as yet, not committed. Currently there are 77 co-sponsors of HR 676 .
ReplyDeleteAnd here are the 19 members of the House Progressive Caucus who have yet sign on as co-sponsors. They are: Ruben Gallego (Arizona), Maxine Waters (California), Jared Polis (Colorado), Rosa DeLauro (Connecticut), Lisa Blunt Rochester (Delaware), Val Demings (Florida), Lois Frankel (Florida), Andre Carson (Indiana), Dave Loebsack (Iowa), Anthony Brown (Maryland), Joseph Kennedy (Massachusetts), Debbie Dingell (Michigan), Ruben Kihuen (Nevada), Carol Shea Porter (New Hampshire), Frank Pallone (New Jersey), David Cicilline (Rhode Island), Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas) Lloyd Doggett (Texas) and Don Beyer (Virginia).)
I just called both my Senators and my Representative; all three of them support Sen. Sanders' bill.
ReplyDeleteIt puzzles me what’s behind this failure of Democrats to support single payer. Some, if not all, of them may believe that single payer is a pipe dream. I would agree that actually getting a single payer system in the foreseeable future is unlikely. But this is the start of a process that will require progressives to compromise in order to get something passed.
ReplyDeleteProgressives should start from what they really want, and give up as little as possible to gain improvement in Obamacare, e.g., a public option. Not supporting single payer at the outset--in an atmosphere where public support for Obamacare and is very strong--is to begin the bargaining process only after giving away a good part of what you want.
I found myself frustrated with Obama who seemed to start the process only after giving away a good portion of what he could have asked for. Hence, the bargaining began where he expected to end up--which meant that he didn’t end up there. He thought he could make the compromises at the start and that Republicans would agree with his proposal. Apparently that worked in the Illinois legislature as it worked in the US Congress in the past, but it doesn’t work there anymore.
"It puzzles me what’s behind this failure of Democrats to support single payer."
ReplyDeleteMoney in politics. Case closed.