Senate Bill Won’t Pass with Public Option
On Saturday, Senate Democrats voted to start debate on health care reform in the Senate, moving one step closer to passing health reform. Although Senate Democrats cleared the first hurdle standing in their way, they have a much larger one to clear next. The GOP minority has much more strength in the Senate, because a filibuster can only be stopped by a completely united Democratic Party. The Democrats, therefore, will not pass health care reform if the final bill contains a public option.
A handful of Democrats who voted in favor of starting debate on health care reform have decided that they will wait to see what the final bill looks like before pledging support. These Democrats are Ben Nelson from Nebraska, Mary Landrieu from Louisiana, Blanche Lincoln from Arkansas, and Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman from Connecticut. The Democrats need all four to cloture and pass a government run insurance plan. Fortunately, this will not happen.
Joe Lieberman was the first non-Republican to voice his concerns with a public option. Lieberman said on NBC’s Meet the Press, “If we create a government insurance company, it’s going to run a deficit and it’s only the taxpayers that are going to pay for it. I don’t want to do that.” Fortunately for us, the American people, Lieberman understands the glaring flaws with a public option and could be our savior from massive debt, health care rationing, increased taxes, and many other problems. The Democrats’ threats to revoke Lieberman’s chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee have been futile, as Lieberman has shown he values his country more than his chairmanship.
The three other moderate Democrats also have their own reasons to vote against the $848 billion health care overhaul. Senators Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson are moderates from traditionally red states, and they have both voiced some concerns over a government option. Having made it clear that he would not vote this bill off the Senate floor, Nelson has expressed his desire to change many aspects of the bill including prohibiting federal funds for abortions and an opt-out public option. Landrieu, also opposed to a public option, voted to begin debate because she secured a $300 million provision to increase Medicaid to Louisiana. She has also stated that she will only vote for a “trigger” public option, that is, a public option kicks in if certain measures of coverage are not met. Although both Nelson and Landrieu are opposed to the current bill, they are both willing to negotiate and potentially vote with their party.
The final opposed Democrat, Blanche Lincoln, is opposed to the public option not only for the reasons of her fellow moderate colleagues, but also because she is up for reelection in 2010. Lincoln is currently tied in polls with relatively unknown Republicans and her support of a public option will severely hurt her reelection bid in her incredibly red state of Arkansas. Lincoln’s added pressure will result in a no vote unless the Democrats are willing to yield into her concerns.
Assuming the Democrats go forward with a public option and concede into requests by Nelson, Landrieu, and Lincoln to get them on board, they will be one vote short to break a Republican filibuster. For the sake of the quality of health care in America, we must all thank Joe Lieberman for standing up for what is right. His promise to filibuster any bill with a public option gives the Republicans and Americans more than a fighting chance to stop radical, liberal legislation from engulfing our health care system.