The AFL-CIO Endorsed the House Healthcare Bill

[berni_mccoy]

As have these other organizations:
AARP
AFL-CIO
American Medical Association
Consumers Union
FamiliesUSA
Main Street Alliance

From the AFL-CIO:

http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/letters/20090714-HR3200-AFLCIO.pdf

STATEMENT BY AFL-CIO PRESIDENT JOHN SWEENEY ON HOUSE
HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL
July 14, 2009

Working Americans saw real and historic action today in the efforts to fix our
broken health care system with the release of the House of Representatives bill,
“America’s Affordable Health Choices Act.” We applaud the House Ways and
Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Committees for their
hard work and solid work product. We especially recognize the contributions of
Chairmen Rangel, Waxman and Miller in coordinating Herculean efforts to
produce a single bill for committee consideration so that reform efforts can move
forward smoothly and expeditiously.

The House proposal meets President Obama’s goals by controlling runaway
health care costs, offering the American people real choices and expanding access
to quality health care. It has a high quality public health insurance plan that
provides real choices and real competition for private insurance from day one. It
calls on corporations to pay their fair share. Like the President’s proposal, it calls
on those who can afford it to contribute to funding health coverage expansion – in
the House bill through a modest tax surcharge. It does not ask the American
people to pay more for what they already have. In fact, this legislation offers the
real promise of improving quality, increasing access and reducing costs, all at the
same time.

Voters want their elected representatives to guarantee quality affordable health
care. They want a quality public plan that will provide a real alternative to
confusing private plans that profit from denying care and shortchanging
coverage. They want everyone to pay their fair share. We urge the
Representatives to move forward with reform and vigorously resist any attempt to
dilute this bill during the legislative process. We call on Congress to act swiftly
on health care reform and deliver much needed relief to working families.

[berni_mccoy]

1. Wow. *crickets*

[TexasObserver]

2. recommend

[scheming daemons]

3. but,,,but,,,but.... SO DID THE AMA! That makes it *EVIL*

Other poster was correct.... *crickets*

[HopeOverFear]

5. lol

[berni_mccoy]

8. lol!

[galileoreloaded]

4. I thought the Unions were exempt?????? Did that get struck?

I hope someone here knows.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Exempt from what?

[galileoreloaded]

9. exempt from their members participation in the mandatory insurance provision.

If memory serves.

[berni_mccoy]

10. I see no such provision in the bill.

[galileoreloaded]

11. Well, the AFL CIO is pushing hard for what they are calling a "carve-out"...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aDvu77pZr7k4

June 26 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Senate proposal to impose taxes for the first time on “gold-plated” health plans may bypass generous employee benefits negotiated by unions.

Snip---------->


Gerald Shea, an AFL-CIO official lobbying for health-care reform, said grandfathering benefits negotiated in a collective bargaining agreement is a “common thing when there is a big change in federal law.”

‘Expectations Are Set’

“Once a collective bargaining agreement is set, employer’s budgets are set, workers expectations are set. It doesn’t make sense to go back in the middle of the contract and change it,” he said.

Union groups and workers said Congress shouldn’t target contractually negotiated benefits.

[berni_mccoy]

12. Again, there is no such thing in the current bill.

[angryfirelord]

7. To be honest, I'm not surprised

I think the AMA's endorsement carries a bit more weight.