Rep. Kucinich Wants His Amendment Back

[babylonsister]

http://washingtonindependent.com/65956/kucinich-wants-his-amendment-back

Kucinich Wants His Amendment Back
By Mike Lillis 10/30/09 4:44 PM


Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) was none too happy when House leaders stripped his single-payer provision from their $894 billion health reform proposal. Today, he’s urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to reinstate it.

“Like many other important reforms included in the underlying bill, the Kucinich amendment is the object of attack by the insurance industry,” Kucinich wrote in a letter. “Unlike other reform measures, Leadership has chosen to strip the Kucinich amendment of the protection it deserves.”

Kucinich’s provision, which would allow states to set up single-payer health care systems modeled after Medicare, passed the House Education and Labor Committee in July, but was stripped out by Democratic leaders as they pieced together their final bill from the various committee proposals. Kucinich concedes that the provision represents “incremental reform.” “But,” he adds, “it allows the country to move incrementally in the direction that is needed.”

If Education and Labor Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) is right about there being no floor amendments, this plea could be Kucinich’s last shot.

Update (4:46 p.m.): Democratic Reps John Conyers (Mich.), Eric Massa (N.Y.), Neil Abercrombie (Hawaii), Janice Schakowsky (Ill.), Lynn Woolsey (Calif.) and Raúl Grijalva (Ariz.) have also signed the letter.

[Cleita]

1. I guess he needs our help in contacting Nancy Pelosi's office about this. n/t

[slipslidingaway]

2. knr - hopefully people will support him in this effort by contacting the Dem leaders. nt

[mmonk]

3. Recommended. Thanks.

[John Q. Citizen]

4. I want it back, too. It was the only insurance we had from the insurance companies in that bill.

[Hepburn]

7. Amen and totally agree. n/t

[Oregone]

5. "no floor amendments"?

Are you fuckn kidding me?

[redqueen]

6. Call Speaker Pelosi toll free - 800-828-0498 (nt)

[bvar22]

8. Obama himself tried to stip out the Kucinich Ammendment.

"President Obama told the committee chairman, George Miller, to oppose Kucinich's amendment, and he did so, leading off the voting with a resounding "No."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6880388

This was in committee, and Obama and his Blue Dogs were unable to strip out the Kucinich Amendment.
They had to wait until the bill was behind closed doors to have Pelosi do their dirty work in secret.

[ProleNoMore]

9. Progressives Warned All That This Is The Way Things Would Play Out

eom

[rhett o rick]

10. K & R 21. I am disappointed. nt

[Festivito]

11. One step in getting our country back. /nt

[flyarm]

12. THANK YOU FOR POSTING babylonsister ! And thank you Dennis!! eom