Huff Po article: Kerry supporting a 10 year delay of Public Option? Plus attack diary on kos [View All]

[beachmom]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/25/kerry-pushes-for-public-o_n_220822.html

In a closed-door meeting of Senate Finance Committee Democratic members and their staff Wednesday evening, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) suggested that the committee bill include a ten-year delay between passage of health care reform and the implementation of a public option that Americans could buy into, according to two Democratic aides.

Under the plan floated by Kerry, a public health care option would only be triggered by private insurance companies failing to meet certain criteria after ten years. Known as the "trigger" in legislative lingo, the idea is vociferously opposed by health care advocates who consider it the death of reform.

Reform advocates say that the system is already broken and that there's no need to wait any longer, also warning that the insurance industry might be able to game the criteria and prevent the public plan trigger from ever being pulled.

One source familiar with Kerry's unexpected suggestion said that the idea seemed to have little impact on the meeting and that the senators quickly moved on.

Previously, Kerry has expressed strong support for a public option without a trigger so that would be available immediately.

Attack diary, mixing the Palin joke with this:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/25/746760/-John-Kerry,-Shame-On-You!-Betraying-Families-wTrigger-Option.

My view is that Kerry WANTS the public option, but that there aren't the votes on the committee at this time. That really sucks. I think he is trying to save it here in some recognizable form. How disspiriting.