Delaware Democratic Party Resolution On Health Care Reform
Yesterday, the Huffington Post picked up a story that the Delaware Democratic party passed a health care reform resolution. One purpose of the resolution was to put pressure on Tom Carper to support the public option for health care. Below is the text of the resolution. The full press release can be found here.
Delaware Democratic Party – State Executive Committee Resolution on Health Care Reform
WHEREAS, 20,000 die each year in the United States because they cannot afford to see a doctor, 700,000 go bankrupt because of their medical bills, almost fifty million Americans lack any health insurance at all, and millions more who do have private coverage pay increasingly unaffordable premiums; and
WHEREAS, every developed country except the United States has concluded that providing health care for all their citizens is a right not a privilege; and
WHEREAS, health care in the United States is now in major crisis and affordable health care for all Americans is a matter of the utmost urgency in our time; and
WHEREAS, despite efforts by well funded extremists to disseminate false and misleading information about health care reform, public polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans want health care reform to include, as a matter of choice, a robust public option similar to Medicare in order to create, as President Obama has said, significant competition for the medical insurance industry; and
WHEREAS, co-ops or so-called “triggers” are inadequate in and of themselves to generate either the kind or the amount of competition needed to keep medical and insurance costs down;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Delaware Democratic Party urges Senator Thomas Carper, Senator Edward Kaufman and Representative Michael Castle to vote for such healthcare reform proposals as contain a robust public option at all stages of the legislative process including conference and reconciliation, and encourages legislators to use any available parliamentary means to pass such reform;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Delaware Democratic Party shall send a copy of this resolution to all members of Congress who represent its members.
Good. Keep your eye on the House and Senate vote to repeal the insurance industry’s exemption from federal anti-trust laws, scheduled for the 21st. Me thinks the inusrance industry has overplayed their hand this time with the distorted PR campaign and pissed the democrats off. This exemption alone is worth a fortune to the health insurance industry. The dems are playing hardball now and that bodes well for comprehensive health care reform. I would think the industry never thought that card would get played on them. Now it has. Will they now accept a public option to keep their exemption? Hardball in DC is (finally) on.
I agree anonie. I think that last-minute AHIP report is having some serious blowback.
It was the final straw and seems to have united the democrats. The free ride for the insurance industry is coming to an end. That’s good news for America.
I think that the hardball is on, but I still don’t think it will get to a Public Option. I really hope I’m wrong on that.
Did you the party promise to fully finance Carper’s next election? ‘Cause if they didn’t, he’s voting with pharma and the health insurance lobby.
BTW – how is this resolution…this clear admonition to Tom Carper to side with the people of Delaware over his corporate sponsors – not news? How does the the NJ news editor rationalize not covering this?
Jason,
I was really surprised it didn’t get any attention at the time. The press release was on Sept. 30.
How does the the NJ news editor rationalize not covering this?
Because Carper didn’t spoon feed it to them.
When Delaware Liberal couldn’t even be bothered to consider it news back in Sept., you expect the Carper-happy-Chamber of Commerce-happy WNJ to pay attention to it UI? You ignored your own presser, IIRC.
But no worries, it’s getting out now at crunch time.
Interestingly, I had an email from a national figure yesterday asking me if John Carney was progressive-leaning or merely an establishment DEM.
I gave a summary to whit: Carney is definately establishment and like most of our DE Way pols, he gets his marching orders from the Chamber of Commerce membership but that Carney is also unique in that he wears his heart on his sleeve and there’s likely a small opening for progressives’ influence.
(no doubt some of DLers’ employers are Chamber members…and I wonder if that shades any of the views here).
Actually, Nancy, I don’t think any of us are Chamber members, save perhaps Jason, but I am not sure even about him.
Nancy, you have a very interesting (i.e. irrational or insane, take your pick) view of us. It is as if we are all gathered in a medieval castle with lightning crashing all around, all laughing like Mr. Burns.
When you say we couldn’t be bothered, the truth is it fell through the cracks.
I kind of agree with Nancy on this one. If we couldn’t be bothered posting about it until Huffington Post ran something about it, why should we even criticize the NJ for not running with it.
I feel dirty right now.
nemski,
It’s all part of the we can’t cover everything posting. I did get the press release and I sent it out to the people on my committee. I didn’t get a chance to post it and it dropped down in my email list. Usually once it gets a few days old I don’t bother looking again.
UI, I completely understand
And for the record, the News Journal gets paid for writing stories and reading press releases (and sometimes writing stories that look just like press releases).
UI, surely you are not saying that none of the DL contributors are employed by companies who are Chamber members…
So what if any are employed by companies that belong to the Chamber of Commerce?
We should be penalized for what our employers do?
My health insurance is through Aetna, guess I’m enabling, and on the side of, health insurance companies. Ooh, I own stock too – Go Wall Street. Idiotic.
I represent only my own views on this blog. My employer’s views are my employer’s views.