Public Option Picks Up 35th Supporter - Thank you Sen Maria Cantwell!!

[FourScore]

Public Option Picks Up 35th Supporter
First Posted: 03- 4-10 09:16 AM | Updated: 03- 4-10 09:50 AM


Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) became the 35th senator to commit to voting for a public health insurance option if it comes to a vote on the floor under the rules of reconciliation. That leaves advocates of the option 15 votes short with no official whip action from either the White House or Senate leadership...

...The steady climb in named supporters undermines the White House's conclusion.

While it refuses to push for the public option, the White House is attempting to muscle through several measures that have almost no political support within the Democratic caucus and, in fact, are vociferously opposed.

The excise tax on benefits, which hits unions hard, has extremely little support yet the White House has managed to include it. The administration is now pushing to include health savings accounts, a GOP priority that amounts to the creation of significant tax shelters for the wealthy. Democrats have fought hard in the past to oppose them and weaken them but the White House now intends to give them to the GOP in exchange for nothing.

"I find that ironic -- something that we had fought to keep out, and indeed were successful, gets back in as part of reconciliation. And a public option that enjoys great support in the House and up to 30 senators gets left out. That's something I just don't understand," Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) the co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Salon Wednesday.

Obama's campaign arm, meanwhile, is arguing that "at this point, the public option is detrimental to our efforts," according to Chris Bowers...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/04/public-option-picks-up-35_n_485369.html

[Bullet1987]

1. I wish my Senator from NC Kay Hagan would put her name on it

I voted for her!

[FormerDittoHead]

4. I just don't get how this is a problem for Democratic senators...

We're not talking about single payer or putting the precious insurance companies out of business...

ONCE it was enacted, people would see that it's not the boogy-man Republicans are making it out to be and it wouldn't be a campaign issue for the future...

[masmdu]

5. Don't just wish CALL! I've called her 3 times already to reminder that during her campain she said

she supports a public option.

[Nite Owl]

2. Pretty sad statement

that all we have have is 35.
And the WH is certaianly not fighting for it, campaign promise or not.

[liberal_at_heart]

3. It's about damn time!

I've been wating for Cantwell to show some support for the public option. I am pretty happy with how Patty Murray has fought for it but Maria Cantwell sure has drug her feet on it.

[The empressof all]

7. I've been calling her offices 2 or three times a week

Up until now there's been "no announcement" about supporting reconciliation. So this is good news. I will call them again today to Thank the Senator and to remind her that we need our Democratic Senators to be Leaders for our Health Care "Rights"

[cilla4progress]

6. Yes, this is frustrating...

what the heck is up with the WH - I can only believe this is the hand of Rahm.

Anyhoo - when I called Cantwell's office for the umpteenth time urging her to do this earlier this week, I got an interesting reaction from her receptionist: it was a greatly relieved, "thanks, that's terrific." I have to think (maybe this is obvious to everyone else here, but I guess I'm a bit of a bumpkin!) that these Dem Senators are looking for cover from their constituents. Maybe if those in the remaining states can continue to push their senators, they too will find success. I imagine this is also the case with the administration.I know Patty Murray also caved after my call.(!). Ain't democracy grand?!

Good luck!