Pelosi calls an emergency meeting on push for “robust” public option

[FourScore]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scrambling to push back the notion she lacks the votes for a “robust” public option.

Pelosi (D-Calif.) called an emergency meeting of her caucus Friday morning to declare that she has not abandoned the push for including that provision in a healthcare bill.

The Speaker met late Thursday night with the Progressive Caucus, the bloc of Democrats most supportive of a robust public option, and assured them that it was still on the table, according to a member in attendance.

And according to attendees, Pelosi reiterated that pledge to the larger caucus at Friday's morning meeting.

The Hill reported Thursday night that a survey of Democrats shows Pelosi and her leadership team are a handful of votes short of the 218 they need to guarantee passage of a healthcare bill containing the public option favored by liberals. That public option would be tied to current Medicare rates for hospitals and ‘Medicare plus 5 percent” for doctors.

The results of the survey set off rumors that Pelosi was planning to admit defeat on a goal she has consistently guaranteed would be met.

At Friday’s caucus meeting, leaders took a roll call of those members in attendance — 196 of the 256 House Democrats — on a single question: Do you support a robust public option?

A member supportive of a robust public option said there was “overwhelming support” for a “Medicare plus 5 percent” public option among those members in attendance...


http://thehill.com/homenews/house/64515-pelosi-calls-emergency-meeting-reiterates-pledge-for-robust-public-option

[Barack_America]

1. What's with this "robust" bs? Why not use "meaningful" and "worthwhile"....

...versus "meaningless"?

[Oregone]

2. Or word that describe what robust and meaningful really mean.

Their Medicare + 5 was a decent stab. But I want to know about eligibility. How about "low cost, universally available" Public Option?


Im a tad tired of the "strong" and "robust" crap.