Public Citizen: Public Pressure Helps End Silence on Single-Payer in Congress

[marmar]

Public Pressure Helps End Silence on Single-Payer in Congress

Statement of James Floyd, M.D., Health Researcher, Health Research Group at Public Citizen

WASHINGTON - June 11 - Today, Dr. Margaret Flowers of Physicians for a National Health Program will testify before the full U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions - the first time all year that a single-payer advocate has been invited to participate in a Senate hearing on health reform. Dr. Flowers' participation today, and Wednesday's hearing in the House dedicated to single-payer, are clearly the result of the groundswell of public support for single-payer. At town hall meetings and rallies throughout the country, Americans have demanded to know why Congress has failed to consider the most popular reform proposal, one supported by a majority of the public.

But inviting single-payer advocates to speak at hearings doesn't go nearly far enough. We should also be included in the closed-door meetings that congressional leaders are holding with so-called "stakeholders" - the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies - to shape health reform legislation. Also, the Congressional Budget Office should score single-payer along with any other reform proposals. Lastly, all major committees dealing with health reform legislation, including the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, should hold dedicated hearings on single-payer. There is a great deal of misinformation about single-payer that needs to be clarified, including the difference between a "public" option and single-payer.

By excluding single-payer from hearings throughout the year, Congress decided that protecting the profits of an industry that adds no value is more important than providing quality health care to all Americans. But the public has demanded an end to this obscene silence on single-payer.
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Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization founded in 1971 to represent consumer interests in Congress, the executive branch and the courts.


http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/06/11-13

[Cleita]

1. Remember the hands across America to raise money for hunger and homelessness?

Maybe we need to do something equally as dramatic as a demonstration for single payer health care.The hardest part would be to get the media to cover it like they did back then and I doubt if Coca Cola would make such a generous donation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hands_Across_America

[John Q. Citizen]

2. My guess is back in late November or early December there was a meeting somewhere and the

White house, key members of congress, the health care industrial complex and some unions with some big health insurance contracts decided to strangle single payer in the crib.

It was a very bad move and it didn't fool anybody. It has shown Obama up as a liar who ran on considering all sides of an issue without regard to ideology, it showed Baucus up as a liar as he tried to pretend the public didn't want single payer. It showed the health care industrial complex is scared shitles of the public and of single payer and it showed up some unions and their Democratic Party patrons as unwilling to participaye in an open exchange of ideas and unwilling to fight for their own members to be heard.

I say this to these cowards who hide under their desks from single payer:

What are you so afraid of? Quit hiding and remaining silent.

[Cleita]

3. A Congressman from New Jersey, whose name I didn't catch, spoke up

on one of the afternoon TV shows today (sorry I don't remember which one...was busy today and just listening while I worked) and made a statement that this is going to be spoken about and the caucus that is for meaningful reform will be heard loudly and clearly as the issue heats up. He basically said that they aren't going away and voices will be raise.

I hope so.

[slipslidingaway]

5. Not sure how else to explain how advocates were shut out

from the WH summit to Congressional hearing.

:(

[John Q. Citizen]

6. Read the Obama transition team's health care listening meetings report. I should find

it and post it in the single payer group.

Anyway, it's obvious the whole exercise was a sham to arrive at a desired outcome. With that and the Summit, it's clear what happened.

I'll look for it.

[slipslidingaway]

7. Not much doubt, just look at the actions :( nt

[slipslidingaway]

4. knr - Yes there is a great deal of misinformation including the

difference between a public option and SP.