BREAKING: Pelosi Makes Strong Case For House Public Option Going Forward, "We Must Act"

[kpete]

Source: Open Left

BREAKING: Pelosi Makes Strong Case For House Public Option Going Forward, "We Must Act"
by: AdamGreen
Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 17:35


Mr. President, I harken back to that meeting a year ago. At that time, Senator Grassley questioned you about the public option.

And you said the public option is one way to keep the insurance companies honest and to increase competition. If you have a better way, put it on the table.

Well, I bring that up because we have come such a long way....As a representative of the House of Representatives, I want you to know that we were there that day in support of a public option which would save $120 billion, keep the insurance companies honest, and increase competition. (This describes the Medicare-rates version of the public option, not in the House bill. The current version saves $25 billion.)

We've come a long way to agreeing to a Republican idea, the exchanges...because the insurance companies opposed the public option. They couldn't take the competition.

Read more: http://openleft.com/diary/17574/breaking-pelosi-makes-strong-case-for-house-public-option-going-forward-we-must-act

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UPDATE: Obama pretty much admits that he abandoned the public option not because of a lack of votes, but because the White House couldn't stomach Republican "government takeover" talking points being used against them and really really wanted Republican support. This is actually huge news:

OBAMA: "There were criticisms about the public option. That's when supposedly there was going to be a government takeover of health care. And even after the public option wasn't available, we still hear the same rhetoric...We have the concept of an exchange, which previously has been an idea that was embraced by Republicans before I embraced it. Now, suddenly, it became less of a good idea."