Oregon Public Broadcasting

About 100 union members protested outside senator Ron Wyden’s offices in downtown Portland Wednesday. Kristian Foden-Vencil  reports.

They chanted and carried placards. They’re angry the senator’s health care bill does not create a national overarching program -- the so-called single payer option.

Local doctor, Paul Goreman, says single payer is what the majority of Americans want, but politicians aren’t listening.

Paul Goreman: “They tell me it’s a non-starter. Which just makes me remember that there was this black man with the middle name Hussein, who was told the same, it’s pretty much a non-starter. You’ll never get the votes. We think single payer, most Americans support it, and most physicians support it but the membership hasn’t quite got there yet.”

A spokesman from Wyden’s office says the senator is open to a public health care plan, but that there has to be private insurance too -- so that there’s competition and prices are pushed down.