Health Care For America Now

NEWS

Reid Fights for 60th Vote on Health Bill - Wall Street Journal

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid struggled to win over the last Democratic vote on health-overhaul legislation as uncertainty grew about whether the measure can be brought to a vote before Christmas.

The other Independent who could sink health care - CNN

There's been a ton of liberal  anger this week focused on Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman - who those on the left considered the main obstacle to the Democrats' efforts to pass a health care reform bill in the Senate by Christmas.

But now, an Independent senator from the progressive side of the Democrats' coalition could threaten passage of a reform bill.

Senate plan is called too empowering to health insurers - Washington Post

The Senate health-care bill could enable insurers to avoid some of the strongest consumer protections and benefit requirements adopted by state governments, Democratic lawmakers from Maine and California say.

SEIU Urges Changes In Senate Health Care Bill, Calls Out Obama - Huffington Post

A top labor leader urged Congress and the White House on Wednesday to make major improvements to the Senate health care legislation, suggesting that the labor community could not support the current incarnation.

How Joe Lieberman's 'no' helps President Obama - Politico

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) is taking a thrashing from his former Democratic colleagues and liberal activists for forcing a Medicare expansion out of the health bill.

But in the end, Lieberman may have done President Barack Obama one of the biggest favors in the health care debate.

Lieberman's Health Care Shift Gets Mixed Reviews - NPR

For a while this week, it looked like the opposition of Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut independent, could doom the Democrats' attempt at passing health care. That changed when Majority Leader Harry Reid gave in to Lieberman's demands on the Medicare buy-in program and the public option.

Sen. Coburn Promises "Several More" Stunts To Delay Health Care Reform - Media Matters

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) tried to shut down the Senate today by demanding that a single-payer health care amendment introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) be read in its entirety.  The amendment was 767 pages long.  After the clerks read for roughly 2.5 hours, Sanders withdrew the amendment calling it an "outrage" that Republicans would "bring the United States government to a halt."  Think Progress noted that, "at the pace it was proceeding, the reading of the bill would take 14.5 hours."

OPINION

Health-care bill wouldn't bring real reform - Howard Dean

If I were a senator, I would not vote for the current health-care bill. Any measure that expands private insurers' monopoly over health care and transfers millions of taxpayer dollars to private corporations is not real health-care reform. Real reform would insert competition into insurance markets, force insurers to cut unnecessary administrative expenses and spend health-care dollars caring for people. Real reform would significantly lower costs, improve the delivery of health care and give all Americans a meaningful choice of coverage. The current Senate bill accomplishes none of these.

The Progressive Case For Passing The Senate Health Bill - John Podesta

Since Joe Lieberman demanded stripping the public option and Medicare buy-in provisions from the merged Senate bill, some strong progressives like Howard Dean have argued that without a public option or a Medicare buy-in provision, the bill is a giveaway to private insurers and should be killed. Other progressive leaders like Senators Jay Rockefeller, Tom Harkin and Sherrod Brown believe that the bill represents the best chance for passing health care reform in the foreseeable future. “I’m going to vote for it,” Brown told reporters. “I can’t imagine I wouldn’t. I mean there’s too much at stake.”

Sorry, Senator Kerry - New York Times

Let us contemplate the badness of Joe Lieberman. Who would have thought that this holiday season we’d be obsessed with the senator from Connecticut? Really, I was hoping it would be more about shopping for mittens on the Internet.

Andy Stern Is Not Happy - Jon Cohn

Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, just put out a statement on health care reform. There are few players in the health care debate whose judgment I respect more than his. And he is not happy with what's transpired in the last week.