The Hill: The Blue Dogs Still Chewing on Waxman's Offer

[flpoljunkie]

The Dogs still chewing on Waxman's offer
By Jared Allen

Posted: 07/28/09

The fate of the House healthcare proposal rested in the hands of the Blue Dogs on Tuesday morning as the coalition review the healthcare compromise offered Monday night by Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.).

“We’re not there yet,” Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), a Blue Dog co-chairman and member of the Energy and Commerce panel, said upon leaving the hot, crowded meeting. “We’ve had a good discussion with the Blue Dogs here this morning, and we’ll take it from there.”

Hill then retreated to his personal office along with Reps. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), Zack Space (D-Ohio) and John Barrow (D-Ga.), three of the seven Blue Dogs who hold the keys to unlocking the healthcare bill from the Energy and Commerce Committee. That group was gathering to consider whether to accept Waxman’s proposal or to make a counter-offer and keep the negotiations going.

“The seven of us have to meet to decide exactly how we believe we should proceed,” Ross said. “I think we’ll have something to say about that later in the day.”

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/blue-dogs-still-chewing-on-waxmans-offer-2009-07-28.html

[BlueIdaho]

1. Fuck them.

Shut down the committee and make these traitors irrelevant.

[flpoljunkie]

2. I share their concerns about holding down the cost of health care across the board, but not their

fighting for the wealthy against any tax surcharges to pay for health care.

[flpoljunkie]

4. It seems as if their concern for the cost is suspect, if this is accurate...

The fiscally conservative Blue Dogs were at odds with the leadership over how to pay providers in a government-run health plan that would compete with private insurance. The House bill models the payments based on Medicare, but the so-called Blue Dogs want a negotiated rate similar to private insurance. Other issues remain sticking points for the Democrats.

(This would make the cost even greater, would it not?)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/28/no-deal-yet-on-house-heal_n_246182.html

[John Q. Citizen]

3. Better yet, we need candidates to announce primary runs against them and then the country to respond

with contributions.

That would educate them about how people feel about taking bribes from the criminal conspiracy known as the health care industrial complex.

[Cal33]

7. Excellent idea ! But how to go about making it happen?

[seafan]

5. Blue Dogs: Their Republican corporatist demands continue.

Somebody needs to slap the tar out of these greedy corporatists.

.....

(Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.), a Blue Dog co-chairman) described Waxman’s offer — the details of which have not become available — as a hybrid between the House Democrats' plan and the demands of the Blue Dogs.

“I think what the chairman has done has agreed to a lot of our proposals in a hybrid fashion,” Hill said. “In other words, he’s kind of watered them down. And we’ve got to make a determination whether or not we’re going to accept that watered-down proposal or make a counter-proposal.”

.....

“The bottom line of the Blue Dogs has not been met yet,” said Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.).

Further complicating prospects for movement this week was the Blue Dog demand that the Congressional Budget Office weigh in on the cost of the Waxman offer before they budget.

“Our biggest concern is making sure we control cost, and that has to be determined by CBO,” Hill said. “Until we get that information we’re not ready to support a bill yet.”

Why not *run single payer by the CBO*, while we're at it?

[Kalyke]

6. I wrote all the Democratic congress critters in Tennessee today with

the exception of Steve Cohen.

Cohen's not a Blue Cross Dem, but Lincoln Davis, Jim Cooper, Jim Tanner and Bart Gordon are.

I'm not a constituent of any of them (my rep is a Republican. :eyes:), but I am a Tennessee resident.

I said,

"I am writing you, not as a direct constituent, but as a Tennessee resident, to ask for your vote to support a public option health care insurance plan.

I realize that many of the "Blue Dog" Democrats, a loose caucus to which you belong, have problems with the funding associated with a public option, but that funding is a misnomer. American families would SAVE money with a public option-to-single-payer plan.

First, the average American family of four spends $6,824 a year on health care insurance premiums, deductibles, co-pays and for things not covered. The last best-guess estimate regarding tax increases claims that the average family of the same size would see their taxes rise about $731 a year. When you deduct the tax increase from the outlay toward health care costs that a family would no longer pay, the average family would save more than $5,000 a year!! Imagine what a boon that would be to the economy if middle class families had an instant $5,000 a year to spend!

Secondly, a public option would begin to take the health care insurance onus off of businesses. If a small business didn't have to provide health care to keep good employees, they could use the money they're not spending on premiums to pay their existing employers better and/or hire new employees. On the other hand, employees who are not happy in their work would no longer fear quitting to pursue opening their own business (putting more people to work) since they would not have to worry about insuring themselves and their families.

Workers currently employed in the health care industry would move to the government-administered program and those that didn't certainly could find work with all the new jobs employers could create when freed of premiums.

Thirdly, providing a public option for those who could never before afford private insurance would save all Americans money. Instead of waiting until a disease or problem reaches a critical level to go to the emergency room, indigent patients could go for regular check-ups and receive preventative care - something all health care professionals agree saves money (and lives). And, with no need to default on these high bills, other insured Americans wouldn't be picking up the tab with increases in premiums, deductibles and co-pays.

Finally, a public option is NOT socialism. No one is demanding that our doctors and other health care professionals be employees of the government. We are asking for a similar community chest that we receive when we pay taxes for police and fire departments, parks, roads and/or any other public service.

I think any congressman, Democratic or Republican, would be a shoe-in for any future election if he/she saved his/her constituents and average of $5,000 a year, brought in more and better-paying jobs and took the risk necessary to make sure the country is a healthier place to live and work.

Health care should be a right, not a privilege. How can one pursue liberty and happiness without life?"