Big surprise: 3 small-state Democratic Senators on the Finance Committee sided with the insurance lobby and voted down a voluntary public option for health insurance. The amendment lost 10-13, instead of passing 13-10 along party lines.
So forget your stupid fear of "socialized" medicine, government won't even have a role to play outside of Medicare! The draft bill in committee has no way to significantly bring down health costs, since single-payer never had a prayer, and since the public option is officially dead.
This post-vote statement by Senator Thomas "Traitor" Carper (D-DE) goes down as one of the dumbest ever:
"Carper said he did not vote for the [public option] amendment because 'it would give the government an unfair advantage in the marketplace by allowing it to negotiate prices initially based on Medicare. That would stifle competition, not increase it, and the end result, I believe, would not be good for the consumer.'"
In other words, if the government can use its negotiating leverage to get us, the American people, better prices for medical care than the private sector can, then that is unfair to the private sector.
Now we know whose side the Senate Millionaires Club is on. (Hint: not ours).
By Kris Alingod
September 30, 2009 | All Headline News
1 comment:
Jay,
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