Health Care Reform:

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Issue December 22, 2009 - http://sanders.senate.gov

HEALTH CARE REFORM ADVANCES - IT'S A START

Major health care reform legislation is advancing in the Senate and is likely to pass by Christmas Eve after overcoming a Republican filibuster. Senator Bernie Sanders said the bill is far weaker than he would like, but still will help tens of millions of Americans. The Senate bill also includes $10 billion for community health centers, thanks to a provision Bernie fought for. To read more in The New York Daily News,
click here. http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=a23978b9-78b0-411b-a420-adc5003fa00b
To take our new poll, click here.
http://sanders.senate.gov/polls/index.cfm?uid=874d50e7-7520-424b-a86c-49571f8b7f77

Single Payer For the first time in American history, a proposal to create a single-payer health insurance program was brought to the floor of the Senate. The Brattleboro Reformer decried tactics used to waylay a vote on Bernie’s bill. The Capital Times in Madison, Wis., called Sanders “a senator who takes seriously his responsibility to represent and serve the American people." To watch Bernie's floor speech, click here.
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/media/view/?id=d7ef385a-5563-4bee-88c3-0363be25c7d3

Vermont Medicaid In a major victory for Vermont, a provision by Senators Leahy and Sanders would increase Medicaid payments to the state by $250 million over six years. The health care bill would keep Vermont from being penalized because it has been a leader in the country in expanding health care for low-income people. “This recognizes Vermont’s forward-thinking policies,” Bernie said.

Standing with Labor Bernie called for congressional conferees to strike language in the Senate bill which would tax some health insurance plans and adopt the progressive tax included in the House version of the bill. “Imposing an excise tax on health insurance plans would be a disaster for millions of middle class Americans,” he said. To watch video from a press conference with organized labor and workers,
click here.
http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/media/view/?id=04240e89-073a-4016-8f46-3c96f42cc4ef


Health Centers Some 25 million more Americans would be served by community health centers that would provide primary medical and dental care, low-cost prescription drugs and mental health services in 10,000 more communities. “Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has been a leader on this issue and deserves credit. He was dogged. He looked to this bill to provide a helping hand across America,” Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate leader, said on Monday. To watch Bernie’s floor speech,
click here.
http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/media/view/?id=e7fbaaa2-070c-4f91-ba5c-275697375cef

Dairy Crisis USDA has begun issuing $290 million to hard-pressed dairy farmers who suffered through their worst year in four decades. Bob Wellington of the Agri-Mark dairy co-op praised Bernie: "Senator Sanders took the lead and farmers throughout the nation should be grateful to him." To read more,
click here.
http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=04e213dd-63fe-4df9-a304-5343d56d1f68

The Fed The Senate banking committee recommended Ben Bernanke for a second term as Federal Reserve chairman, but because Bernie put a hold on his nomination, The Washington Post reported confirmation “is not a foregone conclusion." Calling the Bush appointee “part of the problem,” Bernie’s hold means 60 votes will be needed for confirmation. To watch Bernie’s news conference,
click here.
http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/media/view/?id=14ca1a8c-752c-4f41-87bc-7900785ec9f5

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