Don't want to be mean to our busy congress people - but WHEN are we getting national health care?

[TwixVoy]

Is there even so much as a time table for national health care? WTF is the hold up? Getting on the program would do wonders for both individuals AND businesses health care expenses.

I mean this is the PERFECT time to make the move. We have control of the congress and the executive branch. What is deal? Are we going to wait another few election cycles and gamble the republicans won't find a way to get more seats and block it? This needs to be kicked in to high gear BEFORE the 2010 elections.

[rurallib]

1. I am thinking we will need to pool our money and buy more senators than the insurance companies

have. I have come to believe that is the only way to win.
Who here wants to help purchase some senate votes?

[Deja Q]

2. Or basic reforms?

$20 for a hospital tylenol pill is asinine when a case of, what, 1800 tablets can be had for the same amount of money. Of course, you can't bring in your own.

CPAP machine users: Every 6 months you need a new nosepiece, but they also put in a new hose and headgear set. Seems a little extravagant and wasteful...

I'm sure there are plenty of examples of this sort of thievery. This is not the intent of ethical pro-profit health care.

[TwixVoy]

4. How naive

I am glad you have bought the republican spin that lowering the cost of your tylenol will cause you health insurnace costs to go down. Let me know how well that works for you.

[ejpoeta]

3. well, i'll put it to you this way.....

they already have taxpayer funded healthcare. so.... since they are set, what do they care about the rest of us!! the health insurance companies are lining their pockets well enough. i fear that any healthcare bill would end up screwing us over. i wish it weren't that way, but i'll believe it when i see it with national healthcare.

[leftstreet]

5. When the Republicans decide it's the only way to get back in power?

:shrug:

The people want it.

The politicians know it.

When indeed.

[bluestateguy]

6. It's been folded into the budget reconcilliation process

That enables us to do it with 50 senate votes.

Because it is in the budget act, it will take until the late summer. If you want a separate bill then you would need 60 votes in the black hole known as the US Senate.

[earth mom]

7. Yeah, Congress is so busy-stuffing their own pockets & their cronies pockets with OUR money.

:puke:

[sandyd921]

8. Maybe when Al Franken finally gets seated?

Too many "so-called Democrats" in the Senate to depend on passage of a real universal health care system and I'm not sure that having Arlen Spector helps any. Franken will be a dependable vote for both universal health care and EFCA among other pieces of progressive legislation and repukes know it. Thus, we come to repuke blockage of seating Franken.

[annabanana]

9. If we even want to get a PUBLIC OPTION in a list of plans.. we are

going to have to agitate like it's election day... Seriously.

The Blue Dogs are going to align themselves with the insurance companies who know that ANY true public plan will be MUCH more attractive than anything they can come up with.. and that over time, corporations will stop offering health plans altogether.

Ben Nelson actually came out and said that he'd fight tooth and nail AGAINST a public plan for the very reason that it would be "too popular".

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/01/ben-nelson-plans-to-oppos_n_194907.html

Heavy pressure in large numbers on Harry Reid and every single Senator you can think of will be the requirement if we are to have even the slightest chance.

No kidding gang...

[L0oniX]

10. Fuck that national bull shit. Single payer NOW!

WTF can afford to pay what they pay for health insurance? Get rid of the sociopaths in health care ...all of them!

[Dark]

11. When pigs fly... oh wait, swine flu!!!

Seriously though, I think it's because the economy is the main concern, and with the cost of the stimulus package, they don't want the deficit to increase any more.

However, and I've said this before, controlling health care costs would go a long way toward helping businesses.

[TwixVoy]

12. Fixing health care

would be a great way to help fix the economy.

[napi21]

13. They're supposed to begin discussions in the House on Monday,

I know you're anxious, but right now there aren't even any ideas ti put in the bill! We've got a LONG was to go, but I suspect sometime before the late fall/early winter break, we MIGHT see a vote.

[TwixVoy]

14. HOW is it possible there are no ideas?

I agree it seems like there are none because of the zero action.

However, Obama had a PLAN during the election. WTF happened to that?

[napi21]

15. AFAIK, even Obama didn't have any specifics. I'm sure there are

ideas that a lot of people want to and are going to present, but so far, there haven't been any specific details. That's one of the main reasons there are so many unanswered question. People keep asking specific questions, but there are no answers yet.

[napi21]

16. Here's an email I received from MoveOn regarding health care next week.

Carole -

Next week, Congress will begin making the actual decisions about what reforms will make it into this year's healthcare bill.

Our actions over the next few days and weeks will be critical in building the support we need to win.

Meanwhile, conservative groups have launched a new assault on inclusion of a public healthcare option like Medicare. Their million-dollar ad campaign claims that healthcare will be rationed and "bureaucrats" will "decide the treatments you receive." It's an old message that you and I know isn't true, but it will stick if we don't fight back with our message of Choice, Competition, and Comfort.*

So we're holding an emergency online briefing on Monday night with Governor Howard Dean, M.D. at 9pm Eastern to make sure we're all ready for the fight ahead. This is a joint Stand with Dr. Dean event hosted by MoveOn, one of our biggest campaign partners.

All you need to join in is a computer with speakers and an internet connection. Please join us.

Emergency Online Briefing with Dr. Dean
Monday, May 4, 9pm Eastern

Hosted on MoveOn.org's web site at:
http://www.moveon.org/drdean/?id=16038-3139585-xg0J2sx&t=7

Last time Democrats tried to pass comprehensive healthcare reform, it failed. And it failed in part because the opposition was better organized and spread a bunch of lies that progressives weren't prepared to rebut.

It's up to us to make sure that doesn't happen again. We need all hands on deck, well-armed with the critical information, and motivated to keep the right from blocking real change. Dr. Dean will give us an update and inside look at the battle for real healthcare reform -- and the key actions we'll take to achieve a historic victory.

With an important Senate committee meeting on Tuesday to start shaping legislation, plus the right wing's escalating attacks, this couldn't be more urgent.

I'll be part of the emergency briefing, and I really hope you can join me at this crucial moment. Join us online Monday night at 9pm Eastern -- that's 8pm Central, 7pm Mountain, and 6pm Pacific -- this way everyone in the country can join us at the same time.

Click the link on Monday to join MoveOn & Dr. Dean.


http://ga1.org/ct/apMJFw11YzsK/

[sandnsea]

18. Me too

Not real complicated to stay informed. I'm on about 10 email lists and between that and DU, don't miss too much.

[sandnsea]

17. Emergency Health Care Briefing With Howard Dean

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/?p=143

"If real people like us don’t get involved in this health care fight now, it could all fall apart. So we’re holding an emergency online briefing on Monday night at 9 p.m. ET with Dr. Howard Dean to make sure we’re all ready for the fight ahead, called “What we all need to know to win on health care this year.”

[LWolf]

19. We're not.

You are correct about the timing; there will never be a better time.

The vast majority of our busy congressional democrats don't want national health care. They want to throw around rhetoric using the word "universal," but they have no intention of pissing off their more important constituents: the insurance industry.

The most you can expect is some tweaking of the status quo, making very little difference in the practical day-to-day too-pricey for too-little offerings, in order to pacify the masses.

[Coyote_Bandit]

20. Be mean to them

Our Congresscritters inflict the ultimate cruelty on uninsured taxpayers whose tax dollars are used to fund the generous health benefits enjoyed by political officeholders.

Would you ask someone who is hungry and malnourished to accompany you to dinner, require them to watch you eat while they are unable to eat and then require them to pick up your tab? That is exactly what our Congresscritters do with respect to health care. Fuck 'em.