Pelosi: A Public Option “Trigger” Is “An Excuse For Not Doing Anything”
In another possible sign that a real showdown is looming over the public option, Nancy Pelosi offered some surprisingly harsh condemnation today of the idea of a public option with a “trigger,” denouncing it as “an excuse for not doing anything.”
A Pelosi aide sends over a transcript from her presser today:
QUESTION: What is your feeling about a trigger for the public option as a potential compromise, and what is the feeling of the caucus about a trigger?
PELOSI: We’re thinking and deciding about it. And the evidence seems to point, at this caucus that I just went to, that a trigger is an excuse for not doing anything. But everybody is open to listening to what people have to say. The point was made over and over again that for one reason or another the trigger was not effective in the Medicare Part D bill.
Pelosi appears to be saying that at caucus meetings of House Dems this week, the sentiment was overwhelmingly that a trigger is a phony solution, and that she agrees. This is pretty strong stuff, because the trigger is the solution preferred by Olympia Snowe, and even possibly those who want to win her over, such as the White House.
And yet Pelosi sharply dismissed that emerging compromise solution. It’s hard to see how she could support it later if she believes it’s tantamount to doing nothing.
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No Dem should support the “trigger” but they probably will.
Appearing on Charlie Rose last night, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel sounded less than optimistic that the Senate’s health care reform bill would include a public option.
“I think the Senate’s been clear what the prospects [are],” Emanuel said. “That doesn’t mean in the House, they’re not gonna come to the table and demand it.”
He also wouldn’t say for sure whether there will be a public option in the final legislation.
“It has to be what the conference has to negotiate,” he said….
Speaker Pelosi is correct. In fact I made the same point yesterday.
Here was my take on the Trigger farce.
…………………………
3. Liam | September 23rd, 2009 at 04:01 pm
A Trigger Option makes no sense.
It would be just as hard to pass that worthless bit of feel good fantasy, without actually doing any good, as it would be to pass a public option now.
If a public option would make sense in the future, it is because the Health Care Insurance business is broken now, when it comes to providing coverage for all, while controlling costs. Why would we defer the solution to some time in the future, to a broken system now.
I made this proposal before, and this is a good time to do so again.
Let us have a reverse trigger option. A Public Option for ten years, to see how it does. At the end of ten years, it gets evaluated, and if the results show that it has not worked, then the trigger kicks in to kill it.
If you know any Progressive Reps, please pass on that counter offer to them. That way they can be seen as being willing to compromise, without having sold out.
A Ten Year Public Option Trial Period only. Who could be against that.
I am willing to bet, that after ten years experience with the Public Option, the public support for killing it, will not be there.
What an embarrassment this lady is. A corrupt, doddering embarrassment.
Speaker Pelosi is correct. In fact I made the same point yesterday.
Here was my take on the Trigger farce.
…………………………
3. Liam | September 23rd, 2009 at 04:01 pm
A Trigger Option makes no sense.
It would be just as hard to pass that worthless bit of feel good fantasy, without actually doing any good, as it would be to pass a public option now.
If a public option would make sense in the future, it is because the Health Care Insurance business is broken now, when it comes to providing coverage for all, while controlling costs. Why would we defer the solution to some time in the future, to a broken system now.
I made this proposal before, and this is a good time to do so again.
Let us have a reverse trigger option. A Public Option for ten years, to see how it does. At the end of ten years, it gets evaluated, and if the results show that it has not worked, then the trigger kicks in to kill it.
If you know any Progressive Reps, please pass on that counter offer to them. That way they can be seen as being willing to compromise, without having sold out.
A Ten Year Public Option Trial Period only. Who could be against that.
I am willing to bet, that after ten years experience with the Public Option, the public support for killing it, will not be there
Way to go Speaker Pelosi.
No Surrender to the Private Insurance Racketeers.
A future trigger would be impossible to design, in such a manner, that the Insurance Racketeers would not figure out how to game it. For example; if the trigger set levels of coverage, and overhead cost standards that must be met by a certain year, to keep the trigger from kicking in, then all the Racketeers will have to do is waih it out, and on the year before the trigger deadline, take a hit for one year, to meet the target numbers. That would disarm the trigger, for ever, and then it would be back to business as usual.
What I don’t get is why the hell they are still arguing over this when a majority of Americans want public option – not some cobbled together substitute that won’t work.
Stand firm, Speaker Pelosi! I hope progressives in the Senate stand with you – there should be no compromise on an immediate, robust, open, strong, Public Option! It’s an absolutely vital component of health system reform!
Arrgh!
It was argued earlier that congress does the voting so we shouldn’t worry that a majority of seniors do not support reform. Now we are being told that congress should simply vote according to poll results…?
The reason they are still arguing is that a public option cannot pass the Senate.
“Now we are being told that congress should simply vote according to poll results…?”
Well, what else do you use to measure what the public wants, sbj? If it’s what a majority of Americans say they want – I fail utterly to get your argument – it’s senseless.
Should Congress just ignore what a majority of Americans say they want, sbj? Should we do what the minority wants – what you want, even though you are in the minority?
What kind of argument is that – they shouldn’t vote based on polls? Heaven forbid they should do what they were elected to do – what a majority wants…
As the Trigger deadline approaches, and should the Republicans be back in control of Washington again; and they will be sooner or later, then they will kill or delay the Trigger option indefinably.
If the Democrats are still in power, and the Private Insurance Racketeers come calling with a request for and extension, because they have made some progress, but just need some more time.
Here is what will happen. They will get that postponement, because by then they will have grown even larger, on huge annual subsidies from the Government, and will have set up local offices in all the key districts around the country. Gee Congressman, if you do not stop the trigger option from kicking in, we will be forced to close the office in your district, and fire hundreds of your supporters. That will be the lobbyists declaration to many members of congress, and they will buckle.
Once you have set up a system where Private Insurance is getting paid hundreds of billions in federal subsidies to cover the higher risk, and poor people, then how would a Public Option ever stand a chance. We would end up having the worst of both: Subsidizing Private Insurance to cover those that a Public Option would be designed to provide coverage for. It is a sick joke. Pun intended.
Once you start providing massive federal subsidies to Private Insurance, then they will automatically be established as “Too Big To Fail”, and it would be President Obama that would be signing a bill that made them “Too Big To Fail”.
That would destroy all credibility he has about wanting to make sure that we never let that happen again.
You can not say that you want to make sure that we are never held hostage again by the “Too Big To Fail” institutions, while at the same time you just added Private Health Insurance Companies to the list of those who you can never let fail.
The title of this thread,
“Pelosi: A Public Option “Trigger” Is “An Excuse For Not Doing Anything”
is not quite accurate. It’s not an excuse for doing nothing, it’s a hoped for cover for doing nothing. The hope on the part of Sen Snowe is that the trigger will be acceptable to Democrats in lieu of a public option, the Democrats hope that a trigger will bring a Snowe vote into the yea column, but in fact, it will do nothing to mitigate and control costs, and is crafted in such a way as to never get pulled, regardless of conditions.
@tena: Earlier, Greg presented poll results that showed, “Seniors are leaning against health care reform at a greater rate than other voters.” You replied, “The seniors will calm back down once health care reform is passed and the sky doesn’t fall…But they aren’t the ones who are voting on this – Congress is.”
The implication is quite clear. By your logic, any congressman in a district where the majority opposes reform should vote against reform.
I don’t agree. (I don’t believe that you even agree!) I vote for a representative and expect them to use their best judgment once they get into office.
To hell with what polls say. Can we stay on the subject of the Public Option.
They should vote for what they believe is the right thing to do. If it were up to the polls, women would never have gotten the right to vote, and Southern Apartheid would probably still be in place.
We need some Profiles In Courage, rather than Profiles In Jello.
Liam – the right thing to do is what a majority of Americans wants.
This is our country. It doesn’t belong to Congress.
A majority of Americans has already made it known that they favor public option – that is the kind of poll I’m talking about.
Ignoring what Americans want leads to things like bombing Baghdad, or the Tet Offensive.
In fact, the only branch of government that is free to do what it considers right without any regard to what a majority wants is the SCOTUS.
National polls about the mood swings of the populace tell us nothing about what the support level in each Democrat’s district or state is.
If we want to make law by polls, the why the hell are we holding elections.
Just set up non-elected pollster panels, and have them take the pulse of the people, and then declare here is your new laws.
Could we work through our elected government for a change.
No one cast a single vote for any poll takers, and if we are going to be swayed by them, then we are doomed.
We hold elections, where the issues are thrashed out, and then the winners move on to enact the changes that we voted them into office to make.
If you start going down the slippery slope of using: what the majority is currently in favor of, then you will have no choice but to go along with them, when the majority favors something, like torture, etc.
Polls are a modern day cancer on the body politic.
Way to go, Liam! (Quit while you’re behind, tena.)
“We need some Profiles In Courage, rather than Profiles In Jello.”
‘Profiles in Jello’ sounds like it would make for a great coffee table book. You know, colorful jello molds of our most spineless politicos?
Each poll should be judged on its merit, or lack there of, by Congress men and women. As should the desires of their individual district of constituents, and polling there of. All these things should be taken in to consideration by our Congress men and women.
Also, the general mood of the electorate and the country is important too. Generally, we hope to elect thinking people we respect to make the right decision based on such information (and additional information too). I don’t think Tena would argue otherwise.
Polls are neither all good or all bad- all reliable or all unreliable. They (like the issues and polices they will face) have to be judged on their merits.
The merits of a poll that is based off a population that has withstood much fear-mongering, freak outs, and opposition to a public option and STILL resoundingly supports it- should be listened to and respected (and feared if crossed). Seniors that have fallen victim to the fear-mongering should be expected. I would hope my representatives (if they are thinking people) would realize the same.
Thank you.
Also, if a member of Congress is smart he/she damn well better represent their constituents opinion. If a member doesn’t support an issue and their district does- they had really better watch out come re-election time or, in the least, be able to explain themselves really, really well. With the public option, I’d be especially careful- the people are paying attention this time (I think).
Yep. That’s a true lib. Go against what 75% of the American people want. Force it down their throats because you know what’s better for them than they do. Pay for it using their money then tell them how much you are providing for them. If you don’t like our health care system, then move to France, Germany, Canada or Cuba. After all, they have exactly the system you try installing here. Oh, yeah…I forgot….when they get really sick, they come here and pay out of pocket because THEY CAN’T GET AS GOOD OF HEALTH CARE BACK HOME!!!! When you start feeding pigeons, millions of them show up for food and no longer provide for themselves. Then you find you have no food left for any pigeons. No creature on earth will provide for themselves that which they don’t have to, that’s why socialism lost the cold war. That’s why Cuba, N. Korea, China, Venezuela, Honduras want WHAT AMERICA HAS!!! Even being the fattest nation on earth, we outlive most other countries because no other health care on earth comes close.
I say put every major issue like this on the ballot box. Let the American people decide for themselves what they want instead of Washington Beauracrats trying to add fame to their names.
All businesses want to eliminate the competition in order to maximize their profits – from the guy that runs Kinko’s – who worries about Copy Connection opening up down the street to AT&T wanting to be the only Phone Company, or Cable wanting to shut out Satellite from operating in your neighborhood.
If you think the insurance companies are going to lower their cost while having a monopoly over the process – well I’ve got a bridge to sell you …and I think Wall Street should be completely unregulated because I trust strangers with my money…and pollution is good and we should take all of the air bags out of the cars.
Unregulated markets are anarchy not democracy. The free market system is a myth. Vote your own pocket book and don’t care what happens to the millionaire strangers trying to pull the strings in Congress for their own benefit, and to eliminate competition. What’s good for GM is only good for GM – not the entire market system we all depend on.
A vote against the public option is a vote against competition. And whether an individual business or market sector likes it or not competition is vital to our whole global economy. Individual agendas run at cross hairs to the vitality of our markets. Sorry fellas gotta level the playing field.