Skip over global navigation

Sen. Wyden Dogs Baucus Health Care Reform Bill

BY APRIL BAER

Portland, OR  September 23, 2009 5:03 p.m.

Senator Ron Wyden has dug in his heels on a critical health care bill under construction in the Senate Finance Committee. April Baer reports.


Wyden wrote a New York Times op-ed last week saying he felt all bills in committee could benefit from more consumer choice. But in a new Congressional Quarterly Politics video, he gets much more specific.

Talking to CQ, Wyden expressed reservations about the process turning into a collection of individual changes that satisfy lobbyists, but don't hold costs down or make structural changes.

Ron Wyden: "And I made it clear yesterday that unless the bill changes, and all Americans, not just a select few have real choice and competition, I don't think that's going to be health security, and that's not going to be something that I'm going to be able to support."

Wyden's statement is important because of his status as a Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.

Committee chair Max Baucus, who drafted the bill, is doing a careful balancing act this week.

The Committee has more Democrats than Republicans, but none of those Democrats has explicitly promised to vote for the bill yet.

The markup process, adding amendments, continues through the week.

© 2009 OPB

del.icio.usdel.icio.us digg.comdigg newsvinenewsvine

Comments

September 23, 2009
5:45 p.m.
Thank you, Senator Wyden, for opposing the Liberal's War of Choice on Our Choices in Health Care! Most of the proposals do not really address the inflation of health care costs. Earth to Members of Congress: How about turning to Economics 101 to find ways to (a) increase the supply of insurers, levels of insurance, and providers and (b) lower the demand for unnecessary tests and other health care services? There are proposals out there that do this, but few of them are getting serious consideration in a Congress dominated by liberals who are hell-bent on imposing their statist agenda of "social justice" on this country. The health care reform bill should end crony capitalism by including: (a) tort reform to stop frivolous malpractice lawsuits; (b) ERISSA reform so insurance companies are no longer protected from lawsuits and are accountable for their fraudulent nastiness; (c) provisions that allow individuals and small businesses to create pools and purchase insurance across state boundaries; (d) incentives for individuals to own their own insurance policies rather than being dependent on companies; (e) incentives for individuals to buy, and insurance companies to sell, policies that permanently cover preexisting conditions; (f) ways to eliminate any local, state, and federal mandates for insurance companies to cover specific conditions; and (g) provisions that allow health care professionals to practice in all 50 states without having to be licensed in each and every state. Dr. Gregory Garamoni Doctors on Strike for Freedom in Medicine http://www.doctorsonstrike.com

— Posted by DrGreg


Post a Comment

You must be logged in to post.

Login or register to set up an account.

© 2009, Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Search · Inside OPB · Report Reception Problems · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Contact Us · Pressroom · Employment · Community · Audio Streams · RSS Feeds


PBSNPRPRIBBC