WSJ: It is more important that health-care legislation inject stiff competition among insurance plans than it is for Congress to create a pure government-run option, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Monday."The goal is to have a means and a mechanism to keep the private insurers honest," he said in an interview. "The goal is non-negotiable; the path is" negotiable....Mr. Emanuel said one of several ways to meet President Barack Obama's goals is a mechanism under which a public plan is introduced only if the marketplace fails to provide sufficient competition on its own. He noted that congressional Republicans crafted a similar trigger mechanism when they created a prescription-drug benefit for Medicare in 2003. In that case, private competition has been judged sufficient and the public option has never gone into effect....On Monday, Mr. Emanuel said the trigger mechanism would also accomplish the White House's goals. Under this scenario, a public plan would kick in under certain circumstances when competition was judged to be lacking. Exactly what circumstances would trigger the option would have to be worked out.
It's time for Chuck Schumer to step it up and for Senate Democrats to refuse to pass legislation without a public option.
...Some Democrats pushing for a vigorous public plan say the trigger idea isn't good enough. Sen. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) said in an interview, "If it's not there on day one, those of us who support a public option have a real problem with it."(H/T Bob Cesca)
UPDATE (10:20am): David Shuster on Twitter:
ShareThis
3 comments:
As I have tried to say on the GDAB when you cite the WSJ, a right wing rag owned by Rupert Murdoch as your source you have to take that with a grain of salt, the President has made a statement from RUSSIA, that he fully supports a Public Option still and that for some reason that still isn't good enough..
I really don't know what everyone expects him to do.
Here is his statement from Russia:
Obama released a statement (from Russia!) reaffirming his support for a government-run health care plan:
"I am pleased by the progress we're making on health care reform and still believe, as I've said before, that one of the best ways to bring down costs, provide more choices, and assure quality is a public option that will force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest. I look forward to a final product that achieves these very important goals."
Exactly, Annette. That's why it's so damned frustrating to hear non-definitive talk from Emanuel. Stop with the mixed signals and say flat out that the President will veto any bill that doesn't contain a strong public option. Something President Obama failed to answer at his last press conference.
To Annette&BroadwayCarl:Obamas statement does not rebuke Emanuel!He gave you lawyer speak.He didn't take the trigger or co-op off the table.If he wanted to make a definitive statement on the public option all he has to say the trigger is off the table.
do you know what Emanuel's motto is?"everything is negotiable".
Post a Comment