Liberals count Dem votes for public option

[jefferson_dem]

Liberals count Dem votes for public option
By Mike Soraghan - 09/30/09 11:03 AM ET

House liberals, challenged by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to prove they can pass their preferred public option, are surveying the rest of the Democratic caucus Wednesday.

In doing so, they may settle the key question facing House Democrats — whether there are enough votes within the Democratic caucus to pass any sort of plan.

The "whip count," started last night, seeks to prove that there are a majority 218 votes in the House for what liberals call a "robust public option." Robust generally means that providers' compensation would be tied to Medicare rates.

"We're asking everybody," said Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-chairwoman Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.).

The public option would be a government-run insurance plan that competes with private insurance companies to hold down rates. Centrist Blue Dog and other rural lawmakers don't like tying reimbursement rates to Medicare, saying providers in their districts are underpaid by the current Medicare system.

<SNIP>

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/60899-liberals-survey-support-for-public-option

[quantass]

1. Nice to see there are a few People in Washington working for the People. nt

[MarjorieG]

2. Rates may be low, but why not fix rates, imbursement, but go with Medicare to 55, or all, for that

option. We can increase access to it later.

[BzaDem]

3. Good. This is what they should have been doing from the start. Not threatening to withhold votes.

Since they want a Medicare public option, they should be trying to prove that there are 218 votes for it. Not threatening to withhold support from any other legislation (which doesn't bring them any closer to 218).

[mmonk]

4. Why not?

Plenty of corporate dems have said they will not vote for a plan with a public option.