1995: "he would veto any health care bill that didn't offer health insurance for all Americans"

[JoeOtterbein]

From way too long ago, back in 1995:

[link:https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-04-15-mn-55045-story.html|

NEWS ANALYSIS : Many Doubt Clinton Will Break His Veto-Less Record : Legislation: Despite threats, he’s yet to reject a bill. His party is urging him to fight the GOP agenda by using the power of the pen--soon.

By PAUL RICHTER

APRIL 15, 1995 12 AM

WASHINGTON — In threatening to veto a number of approaching bills, President Clinton has seized a powerful weapon in his battle to confront a Republican agenda and re-establish his relevance.
The only problem is, Republicans don’t believe he will use it. Nor do a lot of Democrats.

snip

Clinton’s most famous use of the veto threat came in last year’s State of the Union Address, when he waved his pen and declared he would veto any health care bill that didn’t offer health insurance for all Americans. Some were immediately skeptical, and by the following summer, Clinton was quietly backing away from the threat.

snip

The biggest failure of my generation (boomer) is that we never fulfilled the promise of healthcare "insurance" for all, let alone just plain healthcare for all Americans.

I feel I've cried way too many tears over the way we treat the ill and poor here in our own nation, let alone the entire earth.

We have a chance to change that once and for all with Liz or Bernie's Medicare for All.

Please vote for one of them. Lives will depend on it.

[StevieM]

1. Clinton used his veto, or threat of veto, quite often after the GOP took control of Congress.

There was an epic showdown over the GOP budget in 1995. The Republicans even shut down the government to get Bill Clinton to back down, but he never did. And we defeated the Contract On America.

As for health care in 1994, that went down because of the Senate filibuster and because actual conservative Democrats, like Sam Nunn and Dave Boren, refused to rally behind health care reform. Without the Senate filibuster, though, they probably would have gotten the votes to pass something substantial, like the way they eked out the votes needed for the 1993 budget.

[JoeOtterbein]

2. I'll never forget Andrea Mitchell on my TV gloating how the GOP defeated "Hillarycare"

Just the memory of that makes me sick.

[IronLionZion]

3. We can even go back to Truman's plan for national health insurance

which was blocked because people were afraid of communism.

The sad irony is there are fewer boomers alive today because of how many have died from preventable health issues because they didn't have access to health care.

Obama's ACA was a major improvement from what we had before. Hopefully it will build enough support for bigger reforms soon from people who benefited from pre-existing condition coverage, lifting of lifetime caps, Medicaid expansion, and annual preventive screenings without copay.

[JoeOtterbein]

5. Great points! Thanks! And more tears, for your Greatest point above...

The sad irony is there are fewer boomers alive today because of how many have died from preventable health issues because they didn't have access to health care.

So true, and so sad.

Thanks again.

[George II]

4. What does this have to do with the 2020 Democratic Primaries?

[JoeOtterbein]

6. What else do I have to do to beg for votes for Bernie or Liz that would make it about the Primaries?

[Hoyt]

7. I get it. But losing in 2020, puts progress off at least 4 more years.

I guess we can argue over whether MFA is a loser in 2020. I think odds are that it is a loser because too many people just don’t trust it or want to see exactly what it looks like and their cost.

“It won’t cost anymore than we are spending now,” just isn’t going to cut it for the critical 15% who might go for it once they see exactly how it impacts them. That’s where a Public Option comes in.

[JoeOtterbein]

8. Actually, MFA will cost much less than doing nothing. The public option failed too.

Because of a Dem failed Vice-POTUS candidate of all things. We can't afford to wait any longer. Lives are depending on us.

[Hoyt]

9. Then, we'll likely be arguing this same stuff in 2024, hoping to beat GOPers.

Hope I’m wrong, but polls pretty much indicate same.

[JoeOtterbein]

10. Polls measure the past few days at best. The future depends on our leadership.

Don't give up, until your last gulp!