Our Last Chance on State Single Payer Option

This is a letter form Rep. Dennis Kucinich

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all of your efforts on behalf of the Kucinich Amendment for a state single payer option which would protect the right of states to pursue a single payer health care system.

Unfortunately, the House Leadership has rejected the many appeals on behalf of the amendment and will not reverse their decision which removed the amendment from the bill. Therefore, the Kucinich Amendment for a state single payer option will not be included in the Manager’s Amendment and is not in the bill which will come before the House soon.

The Kucinich amendment represents the most powerful challenge to the insurance companies’ control of our health care system. Even the possibility of a state single payer system will make the insurance companies think twice before they raise premiums. The higher the insurance premiums, the more vulnerable companies are to citizens’ efforts to create alternatives such as a single payer system. We should never be locked into higher and higher premiums!

I do not accept the decision to remove the amendment from the bill. Nor should you.

Join the fight for single payer, please contribute.

We will have one more opportunity to offer the American people a true choice regarding health care. Once the health care bill passes the House, and the Senate passes its version, the two bills will go to a Conference Committee. It is at this point that we will have one more chance. We need to insist that the Kucinich Amendment be included in the Conference Committee report, since that is what will ultimately become law.

Why would we be successful in conference when Leadership refused our appeals in the Manager’s Amendment? Very simple. They may need the votes to achieve final passage! We should not quit.

We have come a great distance already. You helped get the Kucinich Amendment through the Education and Labor Committee. Let’s make one more try to get it into the Conference report. Your calls, letters, emails and visits make a difference.

Please contribute to continue the movement for single payer.

Thank you.
Dennis

9 Comments

  1. Chicago on November 4, 2009 at 5:41 pm

    I think Pelosi is a coward and a sell out for the insurance companies. Shame on you Nancy Pelosi. We are watching and we see what you are doing…

    Put the amendment back in the bill!!! Put it back now!!!

    I do not accept the decision to remove the amendment from the bill.



  2. Chicago on November 4, 2009 at 5:45 pm

    Pelosi is a sell out for the insurance companies… Shame on you Nancy Pelosi… Shame!

    Put the amendment back into the bill !!!! Put it back now!!!!

    I do not accept the decision to remove the amendment from the bill.

    Put the amendment back into the bill !!!! Put it back now!!!!



  3. Anthony on November 6, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    I put this on FDL as well, we need for them to put it back in. This is ridiculous. California already has a bill ready to go, its not supported by “The Governator” Tom Campbell or any other Republican. But I’m sure we can pressure “Arnold” to sign it, its what the people want!



    • JamesE on November 10, 2009 at 3:40 pm

      Anthoney,

      The Governator already shot it down twice, don’t expect him to support it anytime soon!….good thing his term is up next year and best of all, he can’t run again!

      Lets hope the new governor will support a medicare for all system in California, which has led the way with so many good changes in this country for so many years!



      • john on November 11, 2009 at 11:50 am

        the first thing california should do is repeal the medical malpractice law that limits awards to $250,000. Far more die from errors than lack of insurance,deadbymistake article



        • Anthony on November 11, 2009 at 5:16 pm

          I totally agree, we can do that too. As I said Arnold could sign it as a going away present to the GOP to give them a boost. This would force say Tom Campbell to go along with it since he’s not in favor of it anyway and remove a potentially problematic issue in his campaign, same for Meg Whitman.

          If the California GOP is seen as the same nutcases that are in Washington (and how often are you guilty by association?) then they’ll have a hard time getting into office. Usually in off-year elections the party in power is usually made to pay as the cause of what’s wrong and clearly Arnold has done his share of damage that’s very visible to many Californians, wanna go to the DMV on Friday?

          Look at opinion poles

          Brown is WAY ahead and he hasn’t even announced he is running for the Governor’s Office.

          What is the GOP suppose to do, if they come out automatically against Single Payer Health Care when most Californians want it?

          So I believe its entirely possible on the 3rd try Arnold might signed it because its not a political move as its mostly a personal belief and there’s no political backlash since he’ll just return to Los Angeles and be lauded as the guy that brought Single Payer Health Care to California, how is that for a Ego boost?



  4. maserati2 on November 6, 2009 at 6:24 pm

    Who can we trust to stand up for American families if not for our government? We believed that we had representation at last in Washington. What a disappointment this administration has turned out to be.



  5. john on November 11, 2009 at 11:47 am

    .Congressman Kucinich at least stood by his principles . I commend him for that.We can hope that something good comes out of the senate. This is a good time to go to the media with the facts of the money spent on influencing our goverment improperly.



  6. Richard Heckler on November 16, 2009 at 8:40 pm

    This family wants OUR tax dollars paying for OUR National Health Insurance for all because OUR tax dollars is OUR money.

    All of our doctors dislike the current medical insurance system with gusto. It is simply cost too much money for them to operate in a fiscal responsible manner. And it interferes with responsible medical practice.

    The nations jobs and ability to attract or develop new industry are at stake. We’re talking jobs jobs jobs. Toyota recently opened another new plant in Canada.

    The USA is down about 20 million jobs. No new industry has been been developed in the last 30 years to bring those jobs and their pay scales back = loss of national wealth.

    Without National Health Insurance, jobs and new industry development will remain in the negative column for years to come.

    The USA insured cannot afford to have high CEO salaries,golden parachutes,shareholders, key legislators as shareholders and special interest political campaign contributions attached to the cost of medical insurance.

    National Health Insurance does not remove competition from the actual health care industry. It will be alive and well. Profits will be based on customer service and clinic performance based on the clients experience. This is my perception of competition.

    None of the proposals on the conventional thinking tables address any of my issues stated above.

    HOW can a public option be a public option if the whole mess is mandated by law that consumers MUST buy insurance?

    Are we being duped?