AFL Says No Deal Between Trumka and Rahm on Public Option
By: Jane Hamsher Wednesday September 30, 2009 12:30 pm
http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/09/30/afl-says-no-deal-between-trumka-and-rahm-on-public-option/This morning we reported that there was a meeting between Richard Trumka and Rahm Emanuel today. According to AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale, the meeting is over and Trumka is standing strong on the public option:
As the new President of the AFL-CIO Trumka had a broad meeting today with the White House on all of the issues that are important to working families. Trumka reiterated our commitment to creating good paying jobs, passing health care reform with a public option, the importance of passing major labor law reform and re-regulating financial markets.
I asked if Trumka considered "triggers" to be a public option. He responded:
Trumka is sticking to what he said on triggers all along - which is that we haven't seen any plans that would be as effective as the public option, and he told that to Rahm Emanuel today.
They discussed the Baucus/Pelosi plan to pay for reform by putting an unfair burden on the benefits of many AFL-CIO members. (No doubt it's just a happy coincidence that the one big liberal institution which has pledged to withhold support from any Democrats who won't vote for a public plan is getting specifically hammered.) Trumka reiterated that "working families shouldn't be taxed on their health care benefits, which often have been gotten by foregoing wage increases and other benefits."
I asked whether Rahm brought up the subject of triggers, something he has been pushing for since