WASHINGTON (CNN) – As Democratic leaders in Congress appear to be converging on proposals for a public health insurance option that might win passage in each chamber, the comments of two Democratic senators Sunday suggested that a long fight is likely ahead in the Senate.
Conservative Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska told CNN's John King that he has not committed to lend his vote to aid Democrats in avoiding a filibuster of health care reform legislation.
"I've made no promise," Nelson said Sunday, adding that he can't decide whether he should help stop a filibuster until he sees the substance of the Senate bill being crafted by Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid.
Nelson also said that he does not support the latest proposal that Reid is considering - a national public health insurance option that would allow states to opt out. But Nelson said he might be able to support a public option where states are allowed, instead, to opt in.
"Look, I'm a Jeffersonian Democrat," Nelson told King, "I think states can make decisions on their own about their own citizens and so I certainly would look at that."
Nelson added that he didn't think he "could make any decision about anything until [he'd] seen everything."
Liberal Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio disagreed with Nelson and said a public health insurance option was necessary in order to help deal with the power insurance companies currently wield.
Brown rejected the idea of placing a trigger on the public health insurance option which would only kick in and provide the public alternative under certain market conditions.
"The trigger says let's give the health insurance companies another two years after they've had five decades since World War II to do things right," Brown said Sunday.
"We need the public option now," Brown added, "We need it in large part because it will inject competition into places where they don't have it."
Brown said he could support a version of the public option that includes a state opt-out.
Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch came out against any form of a public health insurance option.
"You're going to have a fiasco on your hands," the Utah Republican warned referring to the prospect of a public health insurance option which could place additional financial burdens on states.
Late last week, Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid began to lean toward including a version of the public option in the Senate bill that allows states to opt-out.
On the House side, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leading House Democrats are considering a public health insurance option that would contain costs and extend coverage because it would reimburse at the same rates as Medicare. House Democratic leaders have also expressed some openness to a version of the public option that uses negotiated reimbursement rates much like private insurance.
From CNN Politics
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So is the term "Jeffersonian" Democrat the new buzz word for the the Democrats who are aligned with "the party of nothing to add; so just say NO."
The public option is an obsession of the left. It is not needed to get everyone coverd and bring down costs. Yet the left insist on it at the expense of a possible bi-partisian solution. The only reason I can come up with is because the public option is a Trojan horse to single payer Universal health care, something the left is in love with. Barney Frank is on tape saying that he in fact views the pubic option as the path towards installing single payer Universal health care in the future. Once a public option is in place the government infrastructure for single payer will be in place. At that point the government can operate at a lose and charge public option premiums so low that private insurance can't compete. On top of that they can over regulate private insurance making it impossible to charge premiums that produce a profit and still compete with the public option. Private insurace will be forced out of business by the government and the public option will morph into single payer Universal health care. One can only hope that by that time the government will have found the will and the way to rescue Medicare from going broke. If not, single payer Universal health care will likely be just one more big government money pit like Medicare that will bankrupt our country. Either that or the government will ration health care to all of us to control costs, with the elderly and disabled being those who are most left out in the cold.
Hey, Democratic Senators: Time to suck it up and stand with the American people, 65% of whom want a robust public option!
And two important, effective ways to help fund meaningful health care reform (including a robust public option and eliminating pre-existing condition exclusions) are:
1. Eliminate the FICA tax cap on income above $90,000. This would generate a huge source of funds. (Right now, no FICA is paid on individual income above $90,000.)
2. Change the top tax rate to what it was under Ronald Reagan: 39%. Right now, the top rate is 36%; people making higher incomes can afford to pay an additional 3%.
Are these "taxes on the rich?" Yes, they are. And the wealthy of this country can well afford it. After all, it's the least they can do for this country that has given them the opportunity to create their wealth in
Why does such a sparsely populated state as Nebraska get to hold up legislation for the rest of the country?
If you look at the 'red states', California has more people than they do combined.
I think we should vote on this issue and let the majority rule(unless the 'cons want to be socialist and force their will on the majority)!!!
Vote!
VOTE!
VOTE!
Price controls. Stop the greedy weasels from siphoning our wallets. That is all it would take and it would be easy to put into place. The government has used price controls before with great success. The cowboy capitalists hate them because they can't continue to steal from us.
Our politicians are busy arguing along the edge of the issue: they don't dare to do anything that stops the spigot of big money into their campaign coffers. They remind me of two people arguing about whether a Chevrolet or a Ford is better in the snow – a four wheel drive is better in the snow, who cares what brand it is. But they'll argue about the brands forever. Forget the snow; that's the problem. Forget health care; that's the problem. Let's argue trip switches into universal care or state buying pools. Huh?
These monkeys are trying to distract the American people with collateral arguments that have absolutely no bearing on the issue. What weak dishonest politicians this country has in office.
Thank goodness there are moderate/blue dog Dems like Senator Nelson that bring some sanity to the Democratic Party.
However, this is also because he knows that the MAJORITY in the country do NOT want the public option (see Rasmussen polls and all other unbiased, national polls)-and I believe that he has been hearing from the MAJORITY of his constituents telling him the same thing-NO WAY on the public option.
The majority in the country agree that some necessary changes/tweeks need to be done to our current health care system-in order to make it a more affordable, fairer system for everyone. However, what Obama and the Democrats are trying to shove down our throats, is not the answer. We do NOT need to destroy our current health care system in order to make a few changes/tweeks.
It really is too bad that the US has had 60 years of anti-socialism rhetoric and brainwashing. Look at what the baby boomer generation and their fear has done to the country.
You guys were handed a country that was #1 in everything, and the only thing we got from you was a country that is #1 in "National Defense" spending, which really isn't national defense but a scam to get tax payer money into the traitorous companies pocket because they decided to charge 6 dollars per can of Coke DURING A TIME OF WAR.
Yep, just make sure you stand up for those folks who are doing that in the name of anti-Obamaniasm or whatever yo guys are calling it today.
Pathetic.
The poor always sacrifice, while the filthy rich are just filthy, ahh hell google Prescott Bush, to see where that former span of Satan came from.
What happened to my comment CNN? On this most important issue, you are closing down this article after 2 comments?
I seem to remember when the GOP was the majority they were screaming let the Majority vote. Now that they are not the majority that you need 60 votes for everything! Please all you need is 51 votes to pass a bill in the U.S. Senate.
If Senator Nelson cast his vote with the GOP to fill a buster this vote I for one will ask Senator Reed to strip him of all leadership in the DEM party and strip him of any Chairman ship too.
"You're going to have a fiasco on your hands,"
Yeah, Senator Hatch, tell that to the millions of citizens of virtually every other major industrial democracy on the planet.
Tell that to the foreign companies who are able to sell us automobiles and airplanes without having to add the cost of their employees' health care to their prices (and then tell it to unemployed American workers in Detroit and Seattle).
Making up fantasies like yours would be more effective if there wasn't such clear evidence to the contrary from the real world.
Could we please start thinking of Americans for a change and get the "darn" bill passed. We have been able to figure out the only thing that our politicians are concerned about are themselves, their money and winning their next elections. You don't need anymore proof than you already have that americans want a public option and for those senators that want to delay this then I say they don't deserve to be in office anyway and their wasting time.
If the oublic option is so important why not let the public buy into medicade? It is already a established medical program run by the government. Then we don't have to have the circuis that is going on in Washington right now
PUBLIC OPTION FOR – ALL- not for certain states, that bull.
And who didnt think the Democrates originally LIED like Obama and want to control your life as a DICTATOR, Dems are just like Nazi's.
How about let the people "opt in" if they want the public insurance? This is what the public option is designed for- it gives the public the right to opt for the public insurance. If politicians can choose for the people in their states not to participate, instead of the people making the choice themselves (which is the point of the public option), then politicians are forcing the public to choose the private option (the insurance companies).
Comments by "Frank" are right.
Price controls on the health insurance industries would be the quick and sensible solution – even if it is only a temporary measure until something better surfaces.
Also, any government employee who is covered under Federal Blue Cross should be paying at least 50% of the policy cost.
They receive enough other benefits.
Government employees work for the masses are paid by the masses and live better than the masses. What's wrong with that picture?
Its like a dope addict, keep giving me the dope, at whatever cost, even of those of my parents who earned their living the hard way, and yes they have money, but I dont care I need my fix, that is how I see those wanting this reform at whatever cost.
It's amazing to see the Federal Government getting paralyzed with the details of this while the whole time the most basic question has no answer. How can anyone stand up and say with a straight face that America can afford another $900 billion (+) program in this devastated economy and obscene levels of debt already on the books? How are the citizens so blind to even encourage these discussions? Has it become just a free-for-all I want mine now regardless of what it does to the future of America mindset? Future generations are going to despise us for what we are leaving them.
I don't get it....these people in the senate were elected to serve the public not the insurance companies. Maybe all new elected congress people should take a week's course in reading and understanding the constitution. That way they will KNOW that they are public servants. They are not supposed to do what the insurance companies and big business pay them to do.
When ever the spector of term limit is raised they scream - you have term limits vote them out. BUT that wouldn't work...it is too darn expensive to run for office and the really good people WHO WOULD do the people's business and don't have a public platform like the ones already in office, could never afford to run.
We should be able to do what California does and put a referendum on the ballot and not have to wait for congress to do it themselves. Just like making lobbying illegal. If we could only remove those two things from influencing congress, we would have had a public option health care reform bill written, voted on and passed.
Nelson is out for big business, and unfortunately, he is a Democrat.
He is also a traitor to the American people.
Public Option is the only true plan that benefits the American people.
No to trigger.
No to co-ops
No to big business
Yes to Public Option.
Those of you who agree go to ussenators.gov and contact, e mail, phone every senator you can, asking them to do what is right for us and our country. This is too crucial for the survial of Health Care Reform to ignore.
country.
I personally would like to see a public option. As I am day to day with my job as layoff's loom in the near future, I know I cannot afford a health program like COBRA with a family of four for very long should I get laid off. The Republicans and the private insurers they represent are going to fight a public option all the way. I hope the president has the gonads to not be flexible and stand firm and include a public option with the reform.
Mike in Minn....
What do you suggest to get costs down, beg the insurance companies to please not screw us?
That has worked so well this far!!!
The only recourse we have is a public option!!!
Do you, by chance, work for an insurance company?
You can't have a bi-partisan solution when one party only says 'no'!!
Let the 'cons work with the MAJORITY, for once!!!
Where do you get off spouting that a "Jeffersonian Democrat"?
That would have been a good thing in the 18th century, but not in the 21st century when big insurance and big pharma have made health care a "for profit" monopoly. Stop living in the past like the rethugs old man.
Wash the blood of your hands and show you are a "real" American AND a democrat by voting to stop killing 122 Americans every day because they cannot get or afford health care.
If you don't vote to stop a rethuglicon filibuster Nelson, voters in your state won't re-elect you, they will bring you up on feloney murder charges...
just remember all democrat and republicans name when we will be voting in coming election, none of the who are against PUBLIC OPTION should win , because they are against 95% of working hard american people. Especjally any of those traitors -democrats and I believe that all together are 14-16 of them. We have so many young politicians, andsomehow WEdo not vote for them, because they do not have enough money or to young Look at those congressman and woman and Senat leaders. They are telling that those young politicians do not have any experience. Well, what I can see, is that all those politicians in our Governmet are screwing US with their experience to just do so!!!. It is our own problem, we are responsible for that. It is not about experieience but COMMON SENSE!!!. We are to lazy to look at real facts,we are not educating our selfs, and listening to much to adds and republicans propaganda and those 14-16 democrats who are doing disservice to USand most of their voting times, they are SUPPORTING REBUBLICANS, mR. bACHUS PROVE TO BE ONE OF THEM, AND WE ARE PAYING HIM FOR SUPPORT FOR US!!!!! NOT REPUBLICANAll those in congress and senate are taking a bug money to vote against US, and we put them were they are.Come on, listen to facts and start paying attention. Million of us-voters must support Mr.Obama again, we must support this President, as we did in last ellection. We asking Him to be tough but we are just a bunch of YOYOS!!!! HOW ANYONE OFUS CAN BE AGAINST "PUBLIC OPTION IN HEALTH CARE, ARE YOU GUYS LOOSING COMMON SENSE???
I will really cry for the insurance industry when they go broke.....BOO HOO!!!
Put the Public Option on the ballots. Let let the people decide not the paid for senators of both corrupt parties. Any issue that is this important should be put on the ballots. As long as the Senate makes all our decision the people will never have what they need. The system we have now is designed to oppress the people and keep them under control. The current health care system is designed to keep the people sick, to allow as many as possible to die by denying services and collect lots of money while doing it. Health Insurance Companies have been committing murder for years and years. Yes denying people life saving services is murder. They need to be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The bill simply Cost too much. ...
It is a bad bill.
We do not want or need a public option.
Allow insurance companies to compete across state lines.
THere must be tort reform. Stop all the law suits....
Change to the system to a dental type system...
Except for catastrophic illness... we should not be spending and testing for every little thing...
Monitor insurance company spending....
But kill the health care bill. It is a joke.
No insurance should cover the illegal aliens.
Any dem who doesn't commit publicly for a strong public option would bring the dems down. Republicans are playing games on dems. They know the only way they can come back to power is if the dems do not deliver the reforms for which they were elected (public option healthcare is just one of the reforms) .
Republicans have also succeeded in turning the whole Obama reforms agenda into healthcare reform agenda. All the other pletoria of items on the agenda have all been skillfully pushed asside.
Republicans are waiting for election time to bring it up as the laundry list of things Obama and dems failed to do.
Dems need to wake up and stop following republicans. A proverb says the man who runs naked after a mad man who stole his cloth while he was taking his bath is crazier than the mad man.
Republicans have nothing to lose in the diversionary tactics. They gain by preventing dems from delivering and performing better than they did in the last 8 years.
Yet it is up to dems to see through their games and focus on delivery rather than the rethoric.
Dems will gain in ignoring the repuks.
Where do you libs come up with the 65% figure on public option?? I sure haven't seen it in all the polls I've looked at. The so called public option is just another way for the gov. to take total controll of the health care. OOPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK PEOPLE. This will doomed the senior citizens in this country.
Are you listening America!!! Vote out these people who are in the pockets of Big Insurance. Let them know that is your intention. Write, call, e mail, hell stand outside their offices and yell it if you have to. A Public Option is not just wanted, it is necessary!!!
Funny thing. I attended a workshop on healthcare just last Friday. Historically you will never guess what the root cause of the out of control costs are. MEDICARE. The rising costs of health care have their roots in medicare. Of course technology has had its influence in recent years. But with medicare came reimbursement without control for several years. So now we are debating government control as a way to hold down costs. Good luck with that!
I don't know why I can't get anyone to investigate an operation that happened to me in Nelson's Nebraska and Mayo Clinic in 2001/2002. My situation would show health insurance idustry supported Nelson's direct involvement in Nebraska's healthcare, and also the state of Nebraska's involvement in healhcare outcomes. Mayo Clinic just recently announced that it would no longer accept Medicaid patients from the state of Nebraska. Is it because of the political interference in Nebraska?
I think 80% or more of the people up in arms don't actually know what the term "public option" even means. They are upset because someone powerful told them it was evil (or vital - it works both ways).
The people who are really against the public option are the big insurance companies. They don't actually care much about it, but they see this as the way to bring the whole of health care reform down.
Public Option will soon be a joke and machine of destruction on our health care.
I was from a country where govenment controlled our health care. It was so terrible. Under the Govenment controlled HC, you will soon find yourself like walking in a dead end road. It made me scared to death.
Nelson lost my vote with his continued hogwash about needing over 60 votes or he won't support it. Yes, I'm from Nebraska. I've been watching what he's been saying very closely lately. He needs to understnad that over 65% of the nation supports a public option. Maybe he should get on board with that. My respect for Webb (which you have not mentined here) went up when he said something to the effect that the real answer is a system like other countries have. Cover more of Webb. I'm tired of Nelson getting all the press when he is really a DINO.
It is infuriating that any elected official would not want the public option. It is precisely for the good of the public that the bill is being put forward.
These Republicans and republicans in democrat name are in the pockets of the insurance companies. It's long over do to protect the public from these vultures.
Oh, by all means, do keep the conversaton going. As long as you can delay, you can get away with doing nothing. Meanwhile, the country is suffering. People are dying.
Conservative Dems have to decide how afraid they are of their belligerent, ignorant and violent Republican constituents before they can commit.
To Mike in MN,
So? Sounds like a good plan to me.
In fact that is the nature of true National Security.
For all those that want a public option...look at the waste in fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. Can you honestly beleive a public option will save money? The government cannot even make enough H1N1 vaccine let along run our health care.
Jeffersonian Democrat, Blue Dog Democrat, Conservadem, no matter what they want to call themselves, they're all conservatives to me, with conservative constuents, and are towing the Republican party line. But one question I would be asking if I were in the media, over and over again is how long have they've been benefiting from, and would they be willing to give up their government run health care?
Thank you Beverly in NC!
For decades there are efforts to fix the health care system. Not to take this opportunity to bring real change including a national public health insurance option for the American public would just be a big irresponsibility on everybody that does not vote for it! That the GOP does not want it we know – but if the Dems do not ALL support it, they prove some voices right that say, the Dems just have not the backbone to come together, support the American public and the President. Perhaps some of the blue ones are talking too much to and taking too much from the insurance companies?
Can anyone explain why a state opting in or out is good for a paticular state? Aren't we talking about the "National" debt? If one state is not "in" how do they save money?
It seems to me that the insurance companies haven't had any competition. Truely to save the govt, we would want to spend the least amount of money... NonProfit Healthcare, it doesn't need to be run by the Govt.
I don’t get it, if insurance companies are getting rich, why government cannot do the same?
I think this is why. The insurance companies are using the same tactic of “mushroom cloud” the Bush Administration used to get us into Iraq. They put our money and our children life on line in order to secure billions in oil revenues and their war machine companies such as Halliburton, Black Water and so on.
So now the insurance companies are making billions and pocketing it. They’re capitalist as long as they make money, but socialist when the government has to bail them out. That’s why they are spending millions of dollar in bribing our SERVANTS the Senators and Congress and in order to stop competition against their lucrative business. So basically what is good for them is bad for us! I’m sick of these freak bastards, no good politicians and their stupid, uneducated, tea party socialist phobias followers making decisions for the rest of us, which by the way happen to be the “MAJORITY”. One vote one voice, let’s change the voting system in America. I don’t want no Hill Billies, Bible thumpers, Right Wing a.. h…. dictating my way of life.
Stop calling it a public option.Call it what it really is a gov option.Consider the facts about gov options,there are no options.Its do as we say or else.You can see how great gov runs thing like social security(going broke)medicare(going broke)medicade(going broke)Amtrack(allready broke)Post office(allready broke)as well as gov, totally broke.Really now what makes anyone think a gov, that in its millitary buys thousand dollar hammers,has the worlds poorest record of on budget projects,can actually be trusted to not go broke with a gov option,when they admit theyre broke?Oh ya they did not go broke with the prescription drug thing.Because they do not run it.Its run by private companies.So lets all just ignore the non broke private system of HC and instead of trying to fix,it give gov full controll of it.I sense the word more broke written all over this one.