“lAndmark moment” for senate HELP COMMITTEE,
and house cOMMITTEES MOVING FORWARD ON “bill worth fighting for”
In “Major Step” And “Landmark Moment” For Reform, Senate
HELP Committee Approves Bill. “The Senate health
committee approved a massive health care overhaul bill in a party-line 13-10 vote
Wednesday morning, a major step in the push to create a government-run health insurance plan. The partisan approval of the $600 billion health
bill in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was a
landmark moment in the 60-year push by the Democratic Party for national health
care.” [Politico 7/15/09]
Ways and Means Wraps Up Its Markup As House Members Work
“Through The Night” To Push Forward. “In a sign of the urgency, some House members worked through
the night. The Education and Labor Committee debated amendments to health care
legislation until about 6 a.m. Friday and planned to resume at 9:15 a.m. And earlier Friday morning, the Ways and
Means Committee voted to approve the tax provisions of the House bill.” [AP 7/17/09]
NYT Editorial: House Bill “Worth Fighting For.”
“While the Senate continues to struggle over its approach to health care
reform, House Democratic leaders have unveiled a bill that would go a long way
toward solving the nation’s health insurance problems without driving up the
deficit. It is already drawing fierce opposition from business groups and many
Republicans. This is a bill worth fighting for. …The bill makes a mockery of
Republican claims that the Democrats are pushing a hugely costly government
takeover of medicine.” [
Majority Leader Reid: Healthcare Reform Bill Could Hit Senate Floor
Before Recess. “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
told reporters that he hopes to put healthcare reform legislation on the Senate
floor the week after next and to pass it before the four-week August recess.”
[The Hill 7/16/09]
AMA ENDORSES HOUSE BILL IN ITS
“STRONGEST ACTION YET”
AMA Endorses House Health Care Bill
In A Letter From Executive Vice President, CEO Michael Maves. “This legislation includes a broad range of provisions that
are key to effective, comprehensive health system reform. We urge members of
the House Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means
Committees to favorably report H.R. 3200 for consideration by the full House.”
[Letter, 7/16/09]
“Traditionally Conservative” AMA
Backs “Liberal” Bill In Its “Strongest Action Yet.” “The American Medical Association on Thursday endorsed a
liberal health overhaul bill that includes a public insurance option, a bold
step for a traditionally conservative group with a checkered past on health
reforms.
In its strongest action yet signaling support for President Barack
Obama's vow to reform health care, the nation's largest doctors' group sent
letters to three House committees behind the bill. The letters, signed by AMA's
executive vice president, Dr. Michael Maves, said the AMA appreciates and
supports what is being called
TARGET AND WAL-MART
ENDORSE THE EMPLOYER MANDATE, AS GROUPS AND “OLD OPPONENTS” ARE “COALESCING
BEHIND OBAMA’S PUSH”
Target Joins Wal-Mart To Support Health Care Reform, Including
Employer Mandate. “Target Corp. and
Kelly Services Inc. said they may support Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s
call for mandatory medical insurance by large companies as part of a proposed
overhaul of
Wal-Mart’s
Support “A Boost
for the White House.” “The endorsement of the so-called employer
mandate represents a dramatic reversal for the retailing giant and a boost for
the White House as it tries to inject momentum into its top domestic priority.
… today’s announcement following a meeting at the White House with chief of
staff Rahm Emanuel, buttresses administration arguments that rising health
costs are an integral component to the weakened economy and hamper global
competitiveness. ” [
The Backing Of The Nation’s Largest
Employers “Could Give A Big Boost To President Obama And Congress’s
Effort.” “The so-called employer mandate is
adamantly opposed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of
Independent Business and virtually every major business trade association in
Groups and Companies “Coalescing Behind
Obama’s Push.” The letter was the latest sign that
some major interest groups and influential companies are coalescing behind
Obama’s push to overhaul the health-care system. [Bloomberg 6/3/09]
target, wal-mart show “major break”
or “widening
“Widening split” Between
Major Employers And Trade Groups That “Come Out Swinging” Against Reform. The positions of the two companies
signal a widening split in the business community over the issue, a core
element of President Barack
Obama’s proposed changes. Yesterday, the National Retail Federation, the
industry’s largest trade group, told members to ‘come out swinging’ against Wal-Mart’s
call for federally mandated company health insurance.” [Bloomberg, 6/14/09]
Moves By Wal-Mart And
Target Show A “Major Break” With Chamber, Other Players In The Business World:
“In a major break with most other large companies, Wal-Mart
Stores Inc. Tuesday told the White House that it supports requiring
employers to provide health insurance to workers, a centerpiece of President
Barack Obama's effort to provide near-universal coverage to Americans.” [Wall Street Journal 7/1/09]
Wal-Mart’s Move Latest
In Larger Trend Towards Business Support For Health Reform. “Wal-Mart is the latest in a line
of traditionally Republican-leaning businesses to embrace key portions of
President Barack Obama's bid to overhaul health care, a trend that could
complicate opponents' efforts to build a united front when Congress ramps up
its work on the issue this summer.” [Associated Press, 6/30/09]
Industry Lobbyist
“Flabbergasted” By Wal-Mart’s Move. Wall Street
Journal: “The National Retail Federation, the industry's main lobby, said
it was ‘flabbergasted’ by Wal-Mart's move. ‘We have been one of the foremost
opponents to employer mandate,’ said Neil Trautwein, vice president with the
Washington-based trade group. ‘We are surprised and disappointed by Wal-Mart's
choice to embrace an employer mandate in exchange for a promise of cost
savings.’” [Wall Street Journal 7/1/09]
HARRY AND LOUISE ARE BACK – THIS
TIME THEY’RE BACKING HEALTH CARE
REFORM
Harry and Louise “Switch Sides” To Push Health Care Reform
On The Airwaves. “Harry and Louise are coming back to
television screens across the country to talk about overhauling health care.
This time, they've switched sides. …Now, they will appear in a $4 million TV
campaign supporting a reshaping of health care, sponsored by Families USA,
which champions affordable health care for families, and the Pharmaceutical Research
and Manufacturers of America. The two groups, often at odds, have joined forces
this year to support some general principles behind revamping health care, such
as making it more affordable for low-income people.” [AP 7/16/09]
Today, Harry and Louise
Visited the Hill to Support Affordable Health Choices Act: Both “Harry and Louise” actors and their director Goddard --
who married the actress playing Louise in both the 1993 and 2009 ads -- were on
the Hill today along with representatives of insurance companies and key
leaders in the health care industry, speaking in support of the Affordable
Health Choices Act. That act, passed by the Senate’s HELP committee
yesterday, includes a public option.
[The Note 7/16/09]
SEN. SNOWE SUPPORTS SEN. SCHUMER’S
PLAN TO RAISE $100 BILLION FOR HEALTH CARE FROM INSURANCE COMPANIES
Americans CONTINUE
TO AFFIRM their support for reform, including A public health care option
The Latest Quinnipiac Poll
Reaffirmed Overwhelming Public Support For Reform, Showing 69 Percent Support
The Creation Of A Public Option. [Bloomberg 7/1/09]
A Recent New York Times/CBS News
Poll Showed Strong Support—72 percent—For A Public Option In Health Care
Reform. “The national telephone survey, which
was conducted from June 12 to 16, found that 72 percent of those questioned
supported a government-administered insurance plan — something like Medicare
for those under 65 — that would compete for customers with private insurers.
Twenty percent said they were opposed.” [
Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll
Showed 76 Percent Of Americans Think The Choice Of A Public Plan Is Important
For Health Reform. “The
American public overwhelmingly favors a choice between getting insurance
coverage either through the private market or a government run option. Indeed,
76 percent of respondents said it was either "extremely" or
"quite" important to "give people a choice of both a public plan
administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health
insurance." [Huffington Post, 6/17/09]