Reply #59: Sanders: Senate has the votes to pass public option via reconciliation [View All]

[sabrina 1]

From Bernie Sanders in Feb. of this year:

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/83641-sanders-senate-has-the-votes-to-pass-public-option-via-reconciliation

"I think we do have 50 votes in the Senate for a public option and frankly I don't know why the president has not put it in and I hope that we can inject it," Sanders said on MSNBC. "I think it's a very important part of healthcare reform."

There's no mystery about why Obama did not fight for the PO.

And from Howard Dean in September of last year:

http://www.blogforiowa.com/blog/_archives/2009/9/18/4324747.html

Congress Has The Votes Needed To Pass A Public Option - TODAY
From Howard Dean, M.D.

We've worked together since the beginning of the healthcare debate to draw a line in the sand - the choice of a public option must be included in any reform bill passed this year. And every time Republicans have tried to kill it or the insurance industry has claimed it's already dead, we've stood up and proven them wrong.

The new line from opponents of reform is that Congress doesn't have the votes to pass a public option.

Once again, thanks to you, we've proven them wrong.

We've asked everyone in Congress where they stand. At least 218 House and 51 Senate Democrats have said they would vote for the final healthcare bill if it included the choice of a public option rather than vote against the bill and kill reform. That means Congress has the majority votes needed to pass a public option - TODAY.

Now is the season for action. The majority of Americans want it. Majority votes in Congress will pass it. Join President Obama in calling on Congress to get the job done this year.

Unfortunately, President Obama never did call on Congress to get the job done at all

There are plenty of other links I can provide, all of which WERE posted over the past year, so you must have missed that side of the debate.

So, either Dean and Sanders were lying, or the WH was lying. The evidence seems to favor Dean and Sanders. They were certainly not the only ones making that claim, but that's enough to answer your question.

Now, I'm sure you will try to spin it. Feel free, but I wouldn't waste my time if I were you. The WH made a deal and sold us down the river on the PO.