Dennis Kucinich: Government of the people or a government of the corporations? + Action Alert

Dandelion Salad

by Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Washington, Oct 29, 2009

Kucinich on New Health Care Bill: ‘Is This the Best We Can Do?’

Following a statement on the Floor of the House of Representative, Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today made the following statement about the latest House health care plan:

“Is this the best we can do? Forcing people to buy private health insurance, guaranteeing at least $50 billion in new business for the insurance companies?

“Is this the best we can do? Government negotiates rates which will drive up insurance costs, but the government won’t negotiate with the pharmaceutical companies which will drive up pharmaceutical costs.

“Is this the best we can do? Only 3% of Americans will go to a new public plan, while currently 33% of Americans are either uninsured or underinsured?

“Is this the best we can do? Eliminating the state single payer option, while forcing most people to buy private insurance.

“If this is the best we can do, then our best isn’t good enough and we have to ask some hard questions about our political system: such as Health Care or Insurance Care? Government of the people or a government of the corporations.”

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“The Eagle needs two wings to fly.” on Nov 2, 2009

(Oct 29th, 2009 C-SPAN)

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Kucinich: State Single Payer Cannot Be Ignored

by Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Washington, Oct 29, 2009

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today made the following statement after House Leadership announced the latest version of health care reform:

“Today, advocates of true health care reform were disappointed to learn that the Kucinich amendment was removed from the latest version of the health care reform bill. At the end of the day, states may be given the option to opt out, but won’t be allowed to opt into a proven system that provides all of a state’s residents with better health care.

“Many states are demanding single payer. Not only does it help people stay out of poverty and provide health care for all, but it would provide major relief for states facing budget difficulties. The Lewin Group’s financial analysis of the California single payer bill that passed the legislature twice found that “the net cost of the program to state and local governments is a savings of about $900 million” in 2006 alone. There are also strong single payer movements in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Colorado, and New Mexico.

“If a state wants better health care than can be provided by the federal government in the health care bill we are seeing today, the federal government should not stand in their way. The removal of the Kucinich amendment constitutes yet another capitulation to the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries who are already reaping billions of dollars from the bill.

The Kucinich amendment had been added to HR 3200 in a 27-19 bipartisan vote in the Education and Labor Committee.

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Action Alert

From an email from Health Justice:

Today the House Democrats released their version of healthcare reform. While we have been pushing for a debate of the House floor for single-payer, and been calling for the representatives to keep the Kucinich/Weiner amendments; all that is gone. It seems House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lied. That’s all it is in Washington – Lies, damn lies, and promises from Democrats! An amendment (the Kucinich Amendment) allowing states to create state-level single-payer healthcare has been stripped out of the House healthcare bill, after having passed in committee back in July by a vote of 27 to 19. And rumor has it that a vote on national single-payer (the Weiner amendment) that was promised in July in exchange for skipping a committee vote on it will at the present be denied.

Let Nancy Pelosi and your own Congressperson know what you think of this lying, backpedalling and shameful behavior.

Send this fax today.

Add your own comments if you wish.

Let’s call Pelosi out on her lie! Demand Nancy Pelosi Keep Kucinich Amendment Allowing States to Enact Single-Payer
Call Speaker Pelosi: (202) 225-4965
Call Bill Floor Manager Rep. George Miller: (202) 225-2095
Call Bill Floor Manager Rep. Henry Waxman: (202) 225-3976

see

Dennis Kucinich: Is the 2-Party System truly capable of representing the American people?

“Baltimore Four” Arrested–Health Care for All

Healthcare Roundtable: With Exclusion of Single Payer, What Opportunities Remain for Meaningful Reform?

Nancy Pelosi Unveils Merged House Health Care Reform Bill: Thank You, Insurance Companies of America!

Kucinich to Receive Thomas Merton Award for Social Justice + Kucinich Opposes Coal-fired Power Plant