Government
Harkin predicts public option will be law
Posted on Nov 01, 2009 by James Q. Lynch.
Sen. Tom Harkin intends to lead the fight for a public option in health care reform and says he’s confident Democrats will have the votes to send it to the president.
He rejects suggestions that a handful of moderate Democrats will block passage of sweeping reform including a public option that would offer a government-run insurance plan competing with private insurers.
“There’s a lot of jockeying that goes on around here,” Harkin said. “People are always going to try to get what they want. They use their position to get something else that isn’t even in this bill. Leverage, leverage, leverage.”
He’s pleased that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid included the public option, which was part of the plan drafted by the Health Committee Harkin chairs, in the bill that will be debated on the floor.
Although Harkin prefers a straight up public option instead of Reid’s opt-out option which would allow state legislatures to vote not to participate in the national health insurance plan, he could support that version.
“In the end, would I vote against bill because it has opt-out provision? No, probably not,” Harkin said.
It might not matter because Harkin doubted any state legislature would vote to opt out.
MitchCumsteen
01. Nov, 2009
The Democrats are a bunch of clowns—leading some of the entitlement clan around by your noses.
Why do you losers want the governent to control every aspect of your lives. Do you people get hit with a 'dumb' stick too many times?
ctiger
01. Nov, 2009
Why should anyone take someone seriously, who comes here and is rude and insulting?
Is that supposed to be a sign of wisdom and intelligence?
MrMaintain
01. Nov, 2009
it was a bit rude but what he said was spot on
ctiger
01. Nov, 2009
I would prefer the government do something for the people for a change, instead of catering to insurance companies and other corporations.
Remember, the government is WE the people, the corporations are not.
chaimfinestein
01. Nov, 2009
Socialists want it to. I'll take a government run by the people over a corporation run by profits.
JohnNone
01. Nov, 2009
Sorry, Mitch. Wrong movie.
Tyree_C
01. Nov, 2009
Thank God! I am so glad Harkin is empowering illegal aliens to grab even more of our tax dollars. Thank you, Tommy. Keep up the good work. And please, all you haters out there, please don't write in and say the illegals won't get our tax dollars. In the law, if it isn't expressly and specifically forbidden and prohibited, it will work its way into practice. But no worries. Tommy is a good boy, and knows this…which is why he voted down amendments that did specifically forbid and prohibit this. Thank God we have someone like Tommy in the Senate. Otherwise, we might actually be able to keep some of the money we earn.
JohnNone
01. Nov, 2009
Tyree, I think it's time for your medication. Your post makes no sense whatseover.
Tyree_C
01. Nov, 2009
What, they don't have sarcasm where you live?
Marionite
01. Nov, 2009
I just cannot see how our bumbling, bloated, bureaucracy of a federal government thinks its going to run an insurance plan better, without constant infusions of tax money. I completely agree that our health care system is broken, but having the fed government fix it is kinda like using a wrecking ball where a hammer is all that is needed.
JohnNone
01. Nov, 2009
Claw or ball peen?
linnsys
02. Nov, 2009
People are afraid of how inept government run health care would be. Why is it that it was even brought out on Fox news that Europe with it "socialized" medicine, has the capacity to make enough flu vaccines while the US lags behind. No other country has a medical loss ratio close to ours. Our administration costs are more than double any other country.In Japan for example, they spend less than half as much per person on health care yet their life expectancy and recovery rates for major diseases are much better than ours. If government run health care like the VA is so awful why is it forced onto those who've served their country? Or as Bill Kristol was forced to admit on Jon Stewarts show, they deserve the best.
linnsys
03. Nov, 2009
Just wondering if federal crop insurance is "socialism" Chuck Grassley is all for that, being a farmer, but not for the public option. And what about farm subsidies, isn't that government run farming? Even flood victims can get federal flood insurance. If those safety nets are in place for some why shouldn't people get help for health insurance which can mean someones life when insurance companies deny them care on the basis of pre-existing conditions? Just watch the John Grisham movie "The Rainmaker" for a picture of what insurance companies are like. People say our health care system is so good people come from all over the world for it. That may be true but more and more Americans are going out of our country to where they can afford quality care, it's called "medical tourism" Even one of the doctors regularly on Fox said it's an option he can recommend because he said the quality of care in other countries can be excellent and cheaper.
More and more poeple here cannot afford good care. They may treat people in emergency rooms but if you need treatment for a serious illness and don't have the means to pay for it, you may not get the treatment you need, even it it's here. My parents on the other hand have government run health care(Medicare) and they love it. And don't say the government is more of a death panel than insurance company execs.