CBO response to my inquiry on scoring a Single-payer amendment...

[slipslidingaway]

I had asked CBO if they were scoring a SP amendment by Rep. Weiner.

The message left on my machine said they already scored a SP amendment, it was not an amendment by Weiner, but an amendment by Rockefeller that would save 50 billion over 10 years.

That makes no sense to me as the Rockefeller amendment was for a PO, but then again many people have confused the two issues.

She left her direct phone number for any additional questions so I'll follow up on Tuesday.

[xchrom]

1. that's interesting -- it's one thing for me out here to confuse the two --

it's another for that office to.

[slipslidingaway]

3. My thoughts as well and I was pretty clear about what I was looking ...

for by saying a SP amendment or bill by Weiner similar to HR 676.

I'll post an update in this thread if I get more answere on Tuesday.

[xchrom]

5. i'll love to hear what they say. and thank you. nt

[slipslidingaway]

7. You're welcome and I'll post it here. n/t

[clear eye]

2. Thanks. This is interesting, but

the MSM, including the luminaries like the NYT and WaPo, would never report a rating of a SP proposal, even if the CBO did one. Even though they regularly report the exact figures for all other CBO ratings of health coverage proposals. The corporate media has universally declared a black-out of all positive coverage of SP. No pro-SP experts in their "comprehensive coverage" health care reform articles, no explanations from spokespeople for the AFL-CIO who has endorsed it, no way any naive citizen could get an inkling of just how good SP would be for them and the economy in general.

It's become absolutely creepy--like pretending France doesn't exist or covering Autumn as though no one is interested in or likes Thanksgiving.

[slipslidingaway]

4. The same thing was done back in the early 90's I'll post the links

later tonight as I'm leaving shortly.

I expect a blackout on the news, but the Dems have at least said it is being scored.

[subterranean]

6. Anthony Weiner seems to be the lone exception.

He's been getting a lot of airtime lately (even on FOX), and he does tout the advantages of Medicare for All. Other than that, single payer is basically ignored by all the networks except PBS (Bill Moyers is a strong advocate of single payer).

[slipslidingaway]

8. Extra! July/August 1993 - Healthcare Reform: Not Journalistically Viable?

We've been here before.

:(

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1519

"...In fact, the debate over healthcare reform still goes on, but you might not know it from establishment media. While the New York Times and other elite outlets have rallied around "managed competition"--a system in which private insurance companies provide medical care through giant HMOs--grassroots activists continue to push for a "single-payer" system, similar to Canada's, in which insurance companies would be eliminated from the health care picture and government would provide universal coverage. Single-payer proponents often refer to managed competition as the "Insurance Industry Preservation Act."

The media slant in favor of managed competition seen before the 1992 election (see Extra!, 1-2/93) continues. While the phrase "managed competition" appeared in 62 New York Times news stories in the six months following the 1992 election, "single-payer" appeared in only five news stories during that period--never in more than a single-sentence mention.

The tilt toward the managed competition plan at the New York Times is so pronounced that it provoked a demonstration by single-payer advocates outside the paper's offices on May 12. Protesters pointed out a potential conflict of interest in New York Times healthcare coverage: Four of the paper's directors are also on the boards of health insurance companies..."


Conyers - September 10, 2009

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/congress/?q=node/77531&id=9030718

"...Now, on the other hand, the universal single-payer health care bill is not just a few people that have come up with something to involve themselves in the discussion with health care reform. As a matter of fact, the single-payer concept is one of the oldest serious major notions that has been around. That is to say, for those of us who were here when the President was Bill Clinton and he assigned his wife the task of taking on the reform of health care, we were summoned, we who were supporting single-payer, were summoned to the White House collectively.

I remember very well that Jerry Nadler of New York was there, a distinguished member of the Judiciary Committee. And what happened was that we were urged to step back from our initiative which had been going on for years before the Clintons assumed their responsibilities on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and after some brief discussion, we agreed that that was the appropriate thing to do. We did it. We did step back..."

[slipslidingaway]

9. From CBO today, they are only required to give estimates for bills...

that are reported out of committee.

Weiner may have asked for a score, but unless it is reported out of committee or pushed for a score by committee chairs or someone in a position of authority then many times they are not scored.

She said they try and work with members of Congress on other estimates, but even if they did that the estimate would not be published.

They have a staff of 250 and 50 people have been working solely on HC for months.

In summary someone needs to make it a priority for CBO and that has not been done.

[redqueen]

10. Steny Hoyer asked for it. I guess we need to flood Pelosi's office with calls.

They need to know we're serious.

Toll free: 800-828-0489

[slipslidingaway]

11. Thanks, been doing that, but obviously they are not hearing from...

enough people.

[slipslidingaway]

12. There were reports that Hoyer would do this in the spring...

guess he does not have enough power to make it happen ...or he does not want it to happen.

[redqueen]

13. Yep... and it seems he only said the leadership would do it...

never said explicitly that it had been done.

I've been calling the capitol all day. :P

[slipslidingaway]

14. Telling people that it is being done stopped people from demanding...

it be done.

I called his office again today ...thanks.

[redqueen]

15. Yep... funny how that works.

Thanks for the reminder, with this thread. Back to the grindstone! :hi:

[slipslidingaway]

16. I can only guess how well it worked...

and thanks for kicking the thread so more people will see the update.

:hi:

[redqueen]

17. My pleasure, of course!

:patriot:

[slipslidingaway]

18. And a kick for anyone who is interested and still waiting :) n/t

[annabanana]

19. thanks.. It's a number that *I'd* sure like to see.. . . . . n/t

[slipslidingaway]

20. Me too ...people need to push the leadership to make it happen. :) n/t

[xchrom]

21. +1 -- thanks for the PM -- time for more phone calls. nt

[slipslidingaway]

22. You're welcome and thank you, I also spoke with a staff member...

at Weiner's office again today.

She told me it is a bill not an amendment which contradicts what his office had said earlier.

No bill number, nothing to read yet ...FWIW.

[xchrom]

23. the devil is in the details -- thanks for the updates. nt

[slipslidingaway]

24. I wish someone knew the details :)) /t

[nightrain]

25. kick for exposure.