Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA): The healthcare bill is a complete surrender to insurance companies

[Better Believe It]

Lynch: I Could Vote For Health Care Bill 'If They Put Reform Back In'
By Eric Kleefeld
March 18, 2010

Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), who has already declared his opposition to the Senate health care bill in its current form, vocally aired his criticisms of the bill this afternoon -- and this was before a scheduled meeting with President Obama.

"There's a difference between compromise and surrender, right? And this is a complete surrender of all the things that people thought were important to health care reform," Lynch told reporters. When asked what might cause him to vote for the bill, Lynch said: "There's one thing. If they put reform back in the health reform bill, that would change my position."

"We're paying the ransom, but at the end of the day, the insurance companies still hold the hostages, even after this is all done," Lynch added. "This is not meaningful reform."

Lynch shied away from criticizing the grand health care reform package -- that is, the Senate bill plus a reconciliation bill -- but said he has significant doubts about whether the Senate would be able to push a reconciliation bill through successfully.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) fired back at Lynch's criticisms. "They're not going to have a better reform if this goes down. They're not going to have reform at all if this goes down," said Waxman, who also added: "In fact we're also going to show him how well the state of Massachusetts does with all the breaks that they're going to get. They have a system to cover people and a lot of federal dollars are going to flow into that system.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/lynch-i-could-vote-for-health-care-bill-if-they-put-reform-back-in.php

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Stephen Lynch strong ‘no’ on health bill despite talk with President Obama
By Jay Fitzgerald
March 18, 2010

Not even President Barack Obama could sway U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch from voting against a health-care reform package now headed for a dramatic weekend showdown.

After emerging from a 40-minute Oval Office meeting this afternoon with Obama and a White House aide, Lynch (D-South Boston) said he was not persuaded and made it official: “I am firmly a ‘no’ vote.”

http://bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1240756&srvc=business&position=3

[geek tragedy]

1. Labor will not forget, or forgive him for this. nt

[readmoreoften]

2. As if you know anything about labor. The rank-and-file will love him.

[Better Believe It]

4. Not really. Perhaps some union officials but not the dues paying union membership

Press Releases
Machinists Members Adamantly Opposed to Health Care Excise Tax
March 18, 2010

Washington, D.C., March 18, 2010 – Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) delivered a bipartisan thumping to both political parties as well as the White House in an online survey of workers’ attitudes. But there can be no mistaking their strong opposition to key provisions of health care reform.

On the pending health care legislation, nearly 68 percent of Machinists adamantly opposed the 40 percent excise tax on health care plans. Seventy percent gave a thumbs-down to penalties for those without health care coverage and 64.9 percent wanted a public option. President Obama was given only 18.9 percent approval for his efforts to control the cost of health insurance by the 1,262 Machinists completing the survey.

The poll’s opening right track/wrong track question produced a 75.0 percent wrong track response from IAM members. President Obama’s overall job approval rating was 38.5 percent, while the House of Representatives job approval was just 11.3 percent. The U.S. Senate drew only 5.5 percent as either excellent (.3 of one percent) or good (5.2 %).

IAM members were even handed in their disapproval. They felt neither party was controlling the growth of the Federal deficit (67.1 %); standing up forcefully to the big banks (64.1 %) or pushing a strong jobs program to get people back to work (63.6 %).

In response to questions about the Democratic Party, over 88 percent agreed with the statement: “the Democratic Party doesn’t represent working people as strongly as they used to.” An identical percentage said they would “be inclined to support either party if they stood up strongly for the interests of ordinary working people.”

“For most Machinists, this Democratic White House, Congress and Senate is seen as turning their backs on the blue-collar workforce,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. “Over 54 percent said they would NOT support their member of Congress for re-election, and three-fifth’s said their congressman was a Democrat.”

The IAM is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America, representing nearly 700,000 active and retired members in dozens of industries.

http://www.goiam.org/index.php/news/press-releases/7025...

Read the union membership survey at:

Press Releases
Machinists Members Adamantly Opposed to Health Care Excise Tax
March 18, 2010

Washington, D.C., March 18, 2010 – Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) delivered a bipartisan thumping to both political parties as well as the White House in an online survey of workers’ attitudes. But there can be no mistaking their strong opposition to key provisions of health care reform.

On the pending health care legislation, nearly 68 percent of Machinists adamantly opposed the 40 percent excise tax on health care plans. Seventy percent gave a thumbs-down to penalties for those without health care coverage and 64.9 percent wanted a public option. President Obama was given only 18.9 percent approval for his efforts to control the cost of health insurance by the 1,262 Machinists completing the survey.

The poll’s opening right track/wrong track question produced a 75.0 percent wrong track response from IAM members. President Obama’s overall job approval rating was 38.5 percent, while the House of Representatives job approval was just 11.3 percent. The U.S. Senate drew only 5.5 percent as either excellent (.3 of one percent) or good (5.2 %).

IAM members were even handed in their disapproval. They felt neither party was controlling the growth of the Federal deficit (67.1 %); standing up forcefully to the big banks (64.1 %) or pushing a strong jobs program to get people back to work (63.6 %).

In response to questions about the Democratic Party, over 88 percent agreed with the statement: “the Democratic Party doesn’t represent working people as strongly as they used to.” An identical percentage said they would “be inclined to support either party if they stood up strongly for the interests of ordinary working people.”

“For most Machinists, this Democratic White House, Congress and Senate is seen as turning their backs on the blue-collar workforce,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. “Over 54 percent said they would NOT support their member of Congress for re-election, and three-fifth’s said their congressman was a Democrat.”

The IAM is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America, representing nearly 700,000 active and retired members in dozens of industries.

http://www.goiam.org/index.php/news/press-releases/7025...

This union official clearly has his fingers on the political pulse of his membership. Most other top union officials are mainly keeping their fingers crossed hoping it doesn't blow.

[Dinger]

16. Count On That gt

It won't be pretty.

[saracat]

18. BS . My AFLCIO hubby will love him for this. Rank and file aren't leadership/

[eridani]

20. The labor families who voted 49-46 for Browm in the issue of benefits tax will, however n/t

[kestrel91316]

3. That may or may not be the case. But if it IS, you can rest assured that the outrage will

lead to improvements. The pitchforks and torches will assure that.

[Oregone]

5. There already is outrage

And this is the result.

[EFerrari]

7. Are you sure? The Supreme Court just effectively took our elections out of our hands.

[kestrel91316]

11. Yeah. I'm sure. Mass bankruptcies will threaten to destabilize this country in a way

it's never seen before if this bill doesn't work out.

[NYC_SKP]

6. What a Dick.

Lynch, I mean.

Edited to add floating cats, below:

[Better Believe It]

8. Do you wish to indicate what you disagree with and why?

I'm listening.

[NYC_SKP]

12. What Waxman said.

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) fired back at Lynch's criticisms. "They're not going to have a better reform if this goes down. They're not going to have reform at all if this goes down," said Waxman, who also added: "In fact we're also going to show him how well the state of Massachusetts does with all the breaks that they're going to get. They have a system to cover people and a lot of federal dollars are going to flow into that system.

In my own words:

If we drop this effort because of its shortcomings, it may never come up for a vote again, not for years and years.

I'm of the mind that we get this passed and continue to expand what it provides and begin to shut out the for profit industry as more people opt for nonprofit and or cooperatives.

And, a public option or expanded medicare could be integrated over time.

Obviously we cannot get everything in one bill, so we'll do it incrementally.

[Better Believe It]

22. So you think people will opt out for co-ops!!??? That idea was dismissed by liberals months ago.

"more people opt for nonprofit and or cooperatives."

You can't be serious.

"And, a public option or expanded medicare could be integrated over time."

Since that isn't happening with big Democratic majorities in Congress, do you expect that to happen after the 2010 and 2012 elections when Republicans will have more Senators and members in the House?

[NYC_SKP]

23. I'm with Skinner and Kucinich on this matter. I'll not argue further, it's futile. eom.

[Better Believe It]

27. I didn't know that Kucinich was pushing co-ops. Link please. Thank you.

[graywarrior]

10. Meeeeoww!

And yeah, Lynch is a fundie.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rox63]

29. I like the floating cats!

And Lynch is a dickhead ConservaDem.

[SnoopDog]

9. So, what exactly does this bill do for the majority of Americans...

Nothing much at all and no time soon...

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

15. You could have said the same thing about the civil rights act or medicare.

Man, did those suck.

[Lorien]

17. You could compare them to civil rights or medicare if we were talking about single payer

but to compare them to this insurance bailout and act of extortion is disingenuous at best.

[eridani]

21. Right. Medicare, as we all know, forced old people to buy insurance from private companies n/t

[laughingliberal]

34. And minorities were mandated to pay a private company to protect their rights. nt

[Better Believe It]

24. If one were totally nuts one could say that. This is not Medicare. This is an insurance bailout

[Warpy]

14. Beaker needs to read at least the Senate rundown.

He's making himself look ignorant, not principled.

If he really gave a shit, he'd throw all his effort behind Grayson and his attempt to allow people to buy into Medicare.

[Bluebear]

19. kick

[derby378]

25. Sic 'em, Stephen!

:applause:

[rox63]

30. You obviously don't know Stephen Lynch...

Just ask any Mass DUer about him. He's a life-long, anti-choice ConservaDem.

[Mari333]

26. ....

"Be not intimidated... nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice." John Adams 2nd U.S. Presiden

[uponit7771]

28. ....k, so that's why they're spending 250 million to defeat it? Or is he another "rope-a-doper"?!?!?

[Better Believe It]

31. Links please! And big Pharma is spending 2 billion to defeat it?

Are you talking about the health insurance industry spending 250 million to defeat a bill that will get them 30 million plus new customers? You gotta be kiddin! I think you're mixing that number up with the money they paid members of Congress to support the Health Insurance Industry and Big Pharma Protection Act.

:)

[derby378]

32. Too late in the game for Big Insurance to show its true colors now

$250 million is small potatoes to these health insurance CEOs. They could blow that much money during a "lost weekend" in Macau and barely flinch.

[Bluebear]

33. Link?

[Donnachaidh]

35. and you found this amount where? LINK?

Because I definitely smell an ass stat.

[Better Believe It]

36. Lynch is right.

We will remain hostages held by the big insurance companies under the Health Insurance Industry and Big Pharma Protection Act.