"We Have 51 Senate Votes for Public Option" Adam Green to Ed Schultz (VIDEO)

Saturday 13 March 2010

"We Have 51 Senate Votes for Public Option" Adam Green to Ed Schultz (VIDEO)
(Image: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t; Adapted: takomabibelot, patersor)

Adam Green, of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, told Ed Schultz yesterday that he counts 51 votes in the senate for the public option, and cites details on senators who have not yet signed the letter, but who have clearly publicly stated that they will vote FOR the public option if they get that bill from the house.

Nancy Pelosi has said the votes aren't there, so she won't include the public option in the House legislation. Read this and try not to be angry.

Green told Ed Schultz, "In some cases a commitment is better than a signature." and goes on to assure Ed, "...We can say with confidence that are at least 51 votes for the public option in the senate IF the house goes first. "

He describes how his organization's own whip count of 41 has been used against them. But he then documents senator after senator who has spoken out or written to constituents saying they will support the public option.

"There are lots of commitments that are in the bag that indicate that the public option is in the bag, if, if the house went first.

Kay Hagen, from North Carolina, not on our list yet, told the Huffington post this week, that she would support a public option-- her only reservation-- that the house bill would pass.

Claire McCaskill told us this week on video four times she supports the public option.

Tom harkin was on your show, he said, that the only thing holding him back from supporting the public option publicly, was whether the votes were there in the house. Well, obviously if the house goes first and passes it to the senate, he would be there.

Same with Jay Rockefeller. Jay rockefeller said in his statement that everybody uses to say that he's against the public option that he is adamantly for the public option. His only question is viability. Well, if the house pass it is and it goes to the senate, and he's the final, final vote, there's no doubt he will be there.

Herb Kohl, today, e-mailed his constituents, it was reported to us by multiple people, and he said flat out, "I support the public option." Of course, he wants to look at the final bill, but if it's the final final bill, he's going to be there.

Mark Begich told us on-camera this week that the public option is not make or break for him but he's happy to support it as long as overall health care reform passes. Again, if the house pass it and comes out to his vote, he's not going to be against it.

That's tha brings us up to 47, ed. We're going to post all of this at Whipcongress.com. But wait. There's more.

Max Baucus. He issued the original White Paper, supporting the public option. He voted against it in the finance committee. He said, "I'm only voting against it because I don't believe the votes exist," but if the house passes it and it comes out to his vote there's no doubt that he will do what he's always done, be a team player and vote for it.

Mark Warner and Jim Webb-- have been publicly on the record. Jim Webb signed a letter with Sherrod Brown demanding the public option, a few months ago. Mark Warner said, quote, "I want to make sure that there are some competitive alternatives to the insurance companies" and he has supported the public option in the past. He would not be final vote against it.

That brings us up to fifty, by the way.

And number 51, Robert Byrd, one of the Ted Kennedy's best friends in the senate, has been a champion on this stuff all along. He indicated this week for the first time that he is comfortable with the process of reconciliation and there no s no way in hell that he would vote against his friend Ted Kennedy's final wish, to pass comprehensive health reform.

That's one more vote than is needed (and there's always Biden too) the house can say with confidence that if they pass the public option, the votes will be there in the senate. No doubt about it.

Do you think it's time to tell YOUR member of congress to tell Nancy Pelosi to reconsider?

Rob Kall is executive editor, publisher and site architect of OpEdNews.com, Host of the Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show (WNJC 1360 AM), President of Futurehealth, Inc,

All republished content that appears on Truthout has been obtained by permission or license.

Comments

This forum is moderated by software. Please allow up to 15 minutes for your comments to go live and avoid posting the same comment multiple times.

REP. GRAYSON'S BILL IS

Sun, 03/14/2010 - 12:54 — liced-Christ (not verified)

REP. GRAYSON'S BILL IS SUPERIOR TO ANY 'PUBLIC OPTION". IT WOULD ALLOW U.S. CITIZENS TO VOLUNTARILY SIGN ONTO THE SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM KNOWN AS MEDICARE. THE DEMS SHOULD DITCH THE PUBLIC OPTION DISCUSSION AND GET GRAYSON'S SUGGESTION ON THE HEALTH CARE BILL AS AN AMENDMENT IMMEDIATELY. BUT IF I KNOW OBAMA WELL, WHICH I DO, HE WILL FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO NOT ADD GRAYSON'S SUGGESTION AS AN AMENDMENT.

Those Senators are saying

Sun, 03/14/2010 - 13:21 — Anonymous (not verified)

Those Senators are saying that because the House bill DOESN'T include a public option. Rockefeller's changed his mind (publicly) several times. This is just politics, there's no guarantee they'd vote for a viable public option if it was in the House bill.

Besides, there's nothing to stop them from putting it in the Senate bill & then instructing whichever Senators are on the joint committee to make sure that public option stays in the bill or no bill comes out of the committee.

As for being taped when they saying something, big deal, it's not under oath and it's not like there's any real negative consequence for lying or changing their minds, now is there? If there was, how many of them would still be in office?

No public option, vote against the legislation. This is not something to compromise on.

People keep saying, this is a "first step" and I keep saying, look at Medicare D, Wyden said, oh, it's not perfect but it's a first step.

THERE HAS BEEN NO SECOND STEP. There has been no legislation even initiated, as far as I know, to give Medicare the power to negotiate with the pharmacutical industry regarding medication prices. Yet members of the GOP & some Dems are Sooooooo worried about runaway spending. Wouldn't that be one way of decreasing "runaway" spending on medical care? Of course it would. Yet a practical and worthwhile "second step" in Medicare D (making it better) has not been taken. Has not even been TALKED ABOUT.

So forget, it's a start. Either you get a good viable, can be used by millions of people public option in now or you can forget it for another 8-9 years. And watch the health insurers grow richer.

The house passed a public

Sun, 03/14/2010 - 14:35 — LillithMc (not verified)

The house passed a public option. The senate defeated it. The senate also refused to consider almost 300 bills passed by the senate. Let the senate pass the public option and send it to the house. The house has been mugged by the senate.

United Healthcare of Florida

Sun, 03/14/2010 - 14:51 — Priscilla Black (not verified)

United Healthcare of Florida just raised the rates on my high deductible plan by 43%. Perhaps I should be rejoicing that it was not more? Never before have they raised their rates with such gall. BTW, this increase is not because I migrated to a higher age group. They just figured out they can do it with impunity. I guess they need the extra bucks to line the pockets of shills like ex-governor Palin who comes a'callin in Florida with such frequency you'd think she had a prostate problem.
To pay $14,000 a year for the privilege of going out of pocket by thousands of dollars before they kick in a dime is tantamount to extortion. I am sure the policy has more holes than cheesecloth, but knock wood I've not yet had to test it. Can't switch policies because in all likelihood some other insurer will define death as a pre-existing condition - and believe me - I am sick to death of politics in this country so I would be excluded.
How does one get through to these politicians? With a 2X4?

Fear. The only real fear the

Sun, 03/14/2010 - 15:15 — Anonymous (not verified)

Fear. The only real fear the 'elected' (really bought and paid for) government has is losing the huge vampire cash cow that is the criminals in health insurance. Fear. Call then fax (I am today) your representitive and tell him/her you are a single issue voter. No robust Public Option with single payer ALLOWED for states and you vote goes to another. Fear.

Interesting that since

Mon, 03/15/2010 - 09:37 — MMcKinley (not verified)

Interesting that since Grayson introduced his revnue-neutral bill to open up Medicare at cost to everyone who wants to buy in, there hasn't been a peep that I've seen from any reader at Truthout let alone of course the MSM. Where's the action surge? The bill Grayson introduced is exactly what everyone wanted from the beginning. It's what the majority of Americans want. It's certainly what progressives have been calling for since the beginning of this national "conversation." And yet I hear nothing from any progressive out there about this bill. I guess Truthout readers are too busy with "what's the use" excuses and would rather blow than go. Talk is easy, folks. Now you have a chance to actually do something. Who's stepping up to the plate? I think we're seeing firsthand exactly why the progressive "movement" is so ineffectual, and it's not because we're victims. It's not because we're so few in numbers (we aren't actually) or because those big bad corporations are so all-powerful. It's because we'd rather whine and complain that actually get off our butts and do something.

Anything short of a single

Mon, 03/15/2010 - 10:47 — Anonymous (not verified)

Anything short of a single payer system is going to give the insurance industry another $500 billion per year. Why have middle men between buyers of health care and providers? We want to pay a reasonable profit to all providers through our taxes. Cut off the maggots.