What constituency do you feel the Congress serves in healthcare debate/reform?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

[eleny]

1. The health care industry, of course

[bluethruandthru]

2. I feel very very few in Congress really care about providing

healthcare to Americans. They just can't seem to acknowledge that health CARE...not health insurance...should be a right for all Americans.

[Cleita]

3. They've got their Cadillac health insurance plans via FEHB where the tax payer

pays 75% of the premium and the balance paid by the federal employee according to a sliding scale. They can't be denied coverage or payment of claims. Why do you think Dick Cheney is still alive? His government health plan has paid for all his heart failure needs, drugs and surgeries. They got theirs, the Hell with the rest of us.

[bluethruandthru]

6. Exactly... and now they think it's a good idea to

force everyone to buy insurance ...and our tax dollars will subsidize the insurance companies to cover those who can't afford it!!! What's wrong with this picture? If they have their way, I'll now be paying (with my taxes) the insurance companies to cover people with their high priced/low benefit plans..and that will include big bucks for employees and CEO's of the insurance company!

How about taking my tax dollars and implementing a single payer program?

[subterranean]

4. Most of their public statements and actions point to choice A

The list of participants in the recent Senate Finance Committee hearings also supports that conclusion. Nearly all of them represented groups with vested interests in the status quo. I did not see anyone representing the American public in there.

[centristgrandpa]

7. status quo bono...

Look at the wall street debacle and how the true insiders really won. The consumer lost on every point, why should congress change now. It takes congress 4 years to be vested with life long medical coverage and the average citizen has to fight and scratch for any meaningful coverage. The lobbyist have deeply embeded their monies into our public servants. What chance do we really have?

[endarkenment]

5. The corruption is manifest. nt

[elifino]

8. Politicians always have their hands out for the money.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. I'm beginning to see a problem.

[uponit7771]

11. Yeap, I bet said problem cuts across politcal, racial, age, gender lines too...

...eom

[uponit7771]

10. This needs to be a PEW research poll for Reps, Dems and Independents

....thx

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

12. I wish someone WOULD do a real poll on this issue.

The scales are falling from a lot of eyes.

[uponit7771]

13. On 2nd thought, I don't think any reputable pollster would touch this question with a 10 foot "pole"

The pollster would be ripped to shreds by congress and the health care industry for showing that the disdain for our health care industry is shared amongst most Americans.

[old mark]

14. Insurance, medical and related lobbies - the people who are great

financial contributors.
We have the best politicians money can buy.

mark

[nichomachus]

15. Since 1990

The health care industry has given $195,000,000 to Democrats and $258,000,000 to Republicans. The insurance industry has given $114,000,000 to Dems and $196,000,000 to Republicans.

That's a total of $761,000,000.

Would you like to ask the question again?

[bvar22]

16. Not so fast.. "Congress" is not monolithic.

HR 676 (Remove the age restrictions from MediCare) has been presented in the House of Representatives and has 93 co-sponsors. This is for TRUE Single Payer HealthCare.....but you wouldn't know this if you only listened to the White House or the Democratic Party Establishment (the "Centrists") who will work with Republicans to make sure their Corporate Owners are taken care of.

So, NO, not ALL of "Congress" serves the interests of the very rich Health Insurance Industry.

If you had phrased the question "What constituency do you feel the Obama and the "Centrist" Democrats serve in healthcare debate/reform?", I would answer differently.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

17. You're right that there is a lot more going on with actual representation of the public

in the Congress as opposed to the Senate. I think it's a House of Lords vs. a House of Commons type thing. Excellent point and the only small bright spot of justified optimism. Thanks!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

18. kick for late shift!

[OneBlueSky]

19. this is not a matter of opinion . . . it's a matter of fact . . .

Congress ALWAYS supports the status quo, because the status quo supports Congress by contributing to their campaigns . . . a change as massive as universal single payer healthcare is something many Members of Congress and Senators can't even fathom, much less support . . .

I don't know what it will take to convince lawmakers of the right path, but it's obvious that we haven't found that key yet . . .