Health Care Reform, Rick Larsen, and Options

by Richard May, 42nd LD State Committeeman

Rep. Rick Larsen attended the State Democratic Party meeting on January 30 and spoke to state committee members from the 2nd Congressional District. Rep. Larsen openly and brazenly said he supports the public option. No ifs, ands, or “gotta think about it some mores” about it. He is fully on board.

Months ago, Larsen read the whole lengthy health bill that the house passed, the one with the public option, and voted yes for that bill. It’s the Senate bill that expelled that part. Congress as a whole is looking at a variety of options for what to do with Health Care.

Here are some options that are being discussed:

1. Accept the Senate version in conference, so that at least the foot is in the door, and the federal government will then be officially in charge of health care (Sean Hannity’s worst fear). The hope would be to tweek and fix it later, as an already mandated program in need of more cost efficient versions.
2. Use “the Nuclear option” of reconciliation, to bend the Senate bill as far towards the house bill as possible, an immediate partial victory that also breaks the Nuclear barrier, meaning that future Republican majorities will use this method as often as they currently fillibuster. You can’t go back once the Nuke precident is set.
3. Just ditch the whole flawed bill, forget passing it now. This would mean holding out in hopes that some circumstance would some day happen that is even better than having the White House, the House, and increasing from 52 real Democrats to 60 liberal Dems in Senate. If you think that we can get Montana to replace Baucus with a Liberal, Lieberman etc. and that we can hold onto the White House and both houses of Congress for more than 2 years at a time, then take that gamble.

As always, I urge everyone to contact our representatives and let them know how you feel. Only with good feedback can the best represent us.