Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden isn't saying how he'll vote when the Finance Committee takes up Chairman Max Baucus's 10-year, $829-billion plan next Tuesday.
"I am not going to characterize where I am (on the bill) in any way," Wyden said Friday as he headed to the airport for a trip back to his state.
"I'm going to be doing everything I can to make sure hardworking Americans aren't forced to buy unaffordable coverage from monopolies," he added, making his discomfort clear.
Narrated by former health insurance executive Wendell Potter, the spot accuses private insurance of trying to "kill health reform" and whacks the committee for not including a public option to keep the industry honest.
"Take it from me," Potter says, "the Senate Finance bill is a dream come true of the health insurance industry. If there is no public option insurance companies aren't going to change. The choice of a public health insurance option is the only way to keep insurance companies honest."
"I want to continue to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle," he said in remarks before the Finance committee, emphasizing that he did not want to do anything to promote groups trying to halt healthcare reform this year.
"My vote today to advance this bill forward is a judgement that there is enough goodwill in this committee and this Congress to move this bill forward," Wyden told colleagues.
Wyden asserted that Baucus and other Democratic leaders had vowed to work with him to ameliorate concerns about the bill as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) works to meld the Finance proposal with the one in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
"I am convinced every one of those colleagues is anxious to get real health reform, while we have spirited debates about how to get that done," the Oregon Democrat said.
Always the optimist, the cute little dreamer believing that working with people like Chuck Grassley and Joe Lieberman is an exercise in good faith.
Today, millions of Americans are one step closer to the healthcare reform they need. We disagree with Senator Wyden on some of the principles of healthcare reform, but we stand with him and many of his colleagues today in saying that, while the Senate Finance Committee bill is not perfect, it is important to ensure that the process does not stop. There is still time to make changes, and we hope changes will be made; we hope that all Oregonians will be ensured access to affordable healthcare, that a public option will be available and that employers who support their workers by providing health insurance will be rewarded, not discouraged. As the Senate and House bills move to the floor we are counting on Oregon's delegation to continue to stand with middle class Oregonians and support the real reform we need, reform that, for the first time in a decade, is now within our reach.
I suppose a bit weirdly, I agree with both Potter/MoveOn, and OR-AFLCIO: it's a horrible, bogus, POS gift to the insurance industry, and if it's what largely ends up as the Senate version that crowds out a more robust House plan, we're all doomed and Democratic electeds will start feeling the pain next year. However, while I'm not as sanguine as Wyden is about all the good-feelin's within the caucus and across the aisle for health care, it's true that the SFC bill is simply batter waiting to be made into cake. There WILL be modifications; I'm just scared about what they will be. The truth is that a solid bill was never going to come out of that committee, and in fact Baucus and Co have been a tremendous hindrance all summer. At least this way he's gotten his moment in the sun, and while he'll definitely have a big seat at the table, there will be several other players working with/against Baucus to create something that might actually help American citizens instead of Humana shareholders.
So the vote today was almost entirely meaningless, for perhaps everyone except Snowe. She now has to endure what will surely amount to furious pressure from her own caucus, who has reportedly threatened to keep coveted chair assignments away from her for this vote. Equally furious effort will come from those still obsessing over the mercurial value of "bipartisanship," hoping to keep Snowe in the Yea column when it comes time for a floor vote. Again, what's it worth? Not a lot, but that's where we are. Onward! And screw it, let's just put the MoveOn ad here at the bottom, above the fold:
(Bumping to the top as a reminder--apparently there is also a rally today at 1230p for his Salem office, Federal Building, 310 W. 6th St, Rm 118... - promoted by torridjoe)
If you're feeling itchy about where Senator Wyden stands on a full and robust public option (FRPO)--and why shouldn't you be, considering he continues to press his own bill that doesn't contain one?--here's a chance to represent:
Public Option Now! Health Care Rally
Sen. Ron Wyden's District Office, 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 585 (Map) Portland, OR 97204
Thursday, July 09th, 12:00 PM
MoveOn is sponsoring the rally, and has been working furiously to get its membership out on the hustings, trying to fulfill FDR's imperative when asked to support progressive policy: "Make me do it." The only way that Wyden will come out openly and strongly for a FRPO, and finally ditch his weaker alternative, is the same way that Arlen Specter, Ben Nelson, Dianne Feinstein and Kay Hagan have been made to come around: they've been shamed and warned into it.
Yesterday, as I mentioned, I was home from work and pretty busy all day--so I let the community drive the front page for the most part, promoting good diaries and enjoying the surge in comments. LoadedO is starting to organically create content, which for me is pretty thrilling--it's what Carla and I hoped for when we switched to the community model. I think I've demonstrated that if you have a timely topic and get your thoughts out there coherently, you've got a decent shot at a front page post--so keep it up, and don't be shy, the rest of you! Start telling us what's on your mind.
One of the posts I promoted was from Dan Denvir, who was recently arrested while trying to change Rep. Blumenauer's position on the Peru trade agreement. I haven't officially taken a position on either the proposal or Earl's stance on it, but I found Dan's account interesting and certainly from the inside of the story.
As I said, I promoted it not only for good content and topicality...but because I was pressed for time. One of the things I wanted to write was also about Earl--his strong rebuke of the bill condemning the MoveOn ad. I never got the chance until now.
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