Lets have a referendum on it...make it optional to start and we'll see how long the private, for-profit health insurance model lasts.

on this as they did about the ACA.


Like, actually the SAME EXACT things they said about the ACA they'll say about this. Only THIS will actually be a government provided healthcare system (which I'm already drooling for)

Cheers. May this have the legs to run through congress.

... in the sense that it provides health care. The government would be the "payer," but the provider would still be private or public, as is the case now.

It's important to correctly frame the message before the reactionaries pounce.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

Thank you Senator Sanders !!!

I can literally feel the baggers going apoplectic now.


Peace

If the Dems can take back the house on the coat tails of this bill, they will have to pass it into law or be exposed as the limp dicks they are.

nose to vote AGAINST whoever the Republican is.

Thanks for posting that. I love (Uncle Bernie) Sen. Sanders.

Kicking is just posting in the thread and "kicking" it to the top of the forum.

Rec is handled by that "DURec" button at the bottom of the original post. More recs means more likely to end up on the "Trending Now" or "Greatest Threads" lists on the front page.

I too love Uncle Bernie.

Thom Hartmann has him on his radio show once a week for an hour-long segment called:
"Brunch With bernie"

http://www.thomhartmann.com/

because the orange boNer is busy scheduling vote after vote to defund the ACA.

never even allow an up or down vote on it in the House.

I hope it does pass the Senate anyway.

WHAT is "very embarrassing to Democrats"?

been on the table in the first place and most just sat there in silence. Now they are pushing -well most are==the #aca. To say the least it is awkward for them. My guess is it will not pushed at all except for a few.
Tammy Baldwin--now Senator Baldwin pushed for it while she was a Rep. along withe Conyers. I will wait to see what she does.

reason to now say listen, we tried, some states would not do right by their citizens, so Single Payer is what we need to do.
No embarrassment, really, just point out the states who would not expand medicaid and who left many of their citizens still without affordable coverage. isn't that more of an embarrassment, or do I not understand the consequences of the states not expanding medicaid?

Not putting it up for a vote is an implicit no vote.

on edit: And they should (the dems) be embarrassed. But this is about health care, not posturing dem egos. Let them go talk to their therapists about their bruised egos. In the meantime, they should be working in the best interest of the American people.

Now I am all for making the ACA work and helping get people health care. But that is their job too. If they are afraid to even make some kind of statement regarding Sanders proposal, how will/do they manage the ACA?

and that would be embarrassing.

Virtually everybody stuck in the lower tier plans would go into Medicare which would cause the insurance companies to raise their premiums on the upper tier plans and be all but wiped out of existence in the ensuing cycle. The people that run the party don't want that any more than the people that run the other party. Since 2006, they've consistently shown that they have no intention of allowing any actual solutions through.

And besides, Senator Sanders is not a Democrat.

but if the Dems in the Senate did vote for Sanders' bill, it would be much more embarrassing to President Obama than to the Senate Democrats.

It's true that Sanders is an Independent, but these Senators are Democrats:
"Dems to White House: Fix Obamacare, and fast."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/11/12/dems-to-white-house-fix-obamacare/

want single payer. Senate Dems would just as soon not have to be put on the spot of voting. There is a reason that an Independent is proposing single payer instead of a Democrat.

Sunzabitches!

consequences, was an admired trait for any leader in America. Now, we're supposed to admire cowards who avoid the right thing because it will upset a PR campaign.

And the Republicans will use any potential vote as a vote of no confidence in the ACA.

I think the ACA set Single Payer back a generation at least. I think 2009 was ours for the taking, if our leadership had the guts.

Now, it will be up to the leaders from Generation Next, today's 20-somethings, to make Single Payer a reality.

...don't we? Now what?

I know, it's a rhetorical question, but there it is nonetheless.

and we don't listen to the 'but s/he can't win' whining from the operatives for the Third Way. Donate to them, work for them, and even if they are not in our district, put everything into getting rid of the phonies and replacing, one by one until we have a Congress that represents us.

It may take years. It took THEM years but that didn't stop them from taking the first step. We keep tagging along with people who have zero interest in what our concerns are and only during election time, pay any attention to the voters who give them the power they have.

It is not their fault, it is ours. People have done things that seemed impossible when they were motivated enough. Our focus has been on 'winning' but not on 'succeeding'.

We have to start somewhere and the first place to look is what have been doing wrong. Because clearly what we have been doing hasn't worked.

They count on our support because they think we 'have nowhere to go'. They take it for granted. And until they learn that they have to EARN our support, nothing is going to change.

is not enough. For once, maybe they will get that yelling Sanders or Warren for president means nothing while the orangeman is speaker of the house.

Oh, wait. We did.

Last edited Tue Dec 10, 2013, 07:09 PM - Edit history (1)

There were two time periods during the 111th Congress when the Dems had a 60 seat majority:
1)..From July 7, 2009, When Al Franken was officially seated as the Senator from Minnesota
to August 25, 2009, when Ted Kennedy died
2).. From September 25, 2009, when Paul Kirk was appointed to replace Kennedy, to Feb 4, 2010,
when Scott Brown took office after defeating Martha Coakley.

Also, for one day in September, 2009, Republicans lacked 40 votes due to the resignation of Mel
Martinez, who was replaced the next day by George LeMieux.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/did-the-democrats-ever-really-have-60-votes-in-the-senate-and-for-how-long?/

A simple majority vote.

that.

IMO, if the ACA is not fixed (the bill, not the website) by next November, Dems likely will not only fail to recapture the House, they may even lose control of the Senate.

From Sanders.senate.gov/
"The United States is the only major nation in the industrial world that does not guarantee health care as a right to it's people." Sanders said. "Meanwhile, we spend about twice as much per capita on health care with worse results than other countries that spend far less.
It is time that we bring about a fundamental transformation of the American health care system.
It is time for us to end private, for-profit participation in delivering basic coverage.
It is time for the United States to provide a Medicare-for-all single-payer health coverage program,' Sanders said.

From November 12:
"Dems to White House: Fix Obamacare, and fast"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/11/12/dems-to-white-house-fix-obamacare/

this? This truly is a test. Let's see who passes and who fails.

And yes, we can afford it.

There is a subsection entitled, "Prosthetic devices", in Title II--Comprehensive Benefits. Perhaps hearing aids would fall under that one.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/download/american-health-security-act-of-2013?inline=file

As others have commented, I don't expect it to go anywhere.

One of the two I can always count on Bernie, and Warren.



-p

That is the only viable business model for health care.

And that's...super!

K&R

That's a damn sight more straightforward than the worn-out self-righteous old "fiscally responsible" lie.

Kickety rec'ety!

Why can't I have a Senator like this? All I got was Cruz and Cornyn.

Dammit!

kind of comprehensive, universal medical care at reasonable cost.

thank you President Obama for paving the way.

As an American who was marooned in Canada after my son was born here with multiple health issues I sure hope you get single payer! It is the only thing that makes sense and that WILL work. First though you'll have to over come the idea in the U.S. that's it's "socialist!" lol.. I could have never afforded to move back to the U.S. in a million years. We'd have been bankrupted there with all the health problems my son has had. I'm grateful to Canada but, it's always been a thorn in my side how the insurance industry vultures were allowed to run rampant in the U.S.

Really looking from afar I never understood ACA which just seemed like a big insurance company boon to me rather than any sort of workable, affordable care for ALL.

I hope Bernie Sanders gets his way. It makes perfect sense for the U.S. to deal with health care the same way almost every other civilized nation in this world does. You're going to have nay sayers of course. Is single payer perfect? No. However, if you get sick, your kid does, your spouse or anyone you love, it will give you great care without bankrupting you and you cannot be denied. No rate will be raised because you are sick. Nobody will base your care upon your "coverage" because it's all covered.

Will the U.S. ever realize that everyone paying in to health care is good for the country? It's no different than the way schools or libraries are paid for and no right wingers it's not "socialist" It's just the right thing to do! No one should have their health care decisions made by an insurance company.

Thank you, Bernie!

Damn, I do a lot of thanking of Bernie.

He is simply the best!

We have a health care industry.

My own ACA experience tells me that there are still people being left behind.

I am a sole unpaid caregiver for a parent with dementia. While I am fortunate to have some savings I am officially quite poor. I live in a state that has opted not to expand its Medicaid program. No Medicaid for me and no tax credits since I likely will not have taxble income. And my premium has increased by nearly 20% (for a policy with comparable total annual premium + deductible + any remaing co-pays up to annual maximum out of pocket). My total annual health care cost will exceed m gross income. Yes, it is better coverage and I no longer need to fear being cncelled or priced out of the market. But my situation is such that I will still avoid incurring medical expenses.

And I will still feel like I am less han equal to other Americans.