John Conyers, Jr. - CBC Panel Video Link: Medicare For All: Because #Obamacare Alone Isnt Enough.

[Donkees]

Link to tweet

[Warren DeMontague]

1. He's right, of course.

Kick And Rec!

[classykaren]

2. Yes he is.

[dae]

3. K&R

[RandiFan1290]

4. Kick

So quiet in this thread... I wonder why?

[LeftInTX]

26. Because we are fighting for the ACAs life

Concerns that it is bad timing?

[burnbaby]

5. please please medicarefor all

I so need health insurance

[Honeycombe8]

6. The absolute worst time for this. The worst. Not helpful at all. nt

[Arazi]

7. Whoops! This is inconvenient for the Bernie haters. Prepare for this thread to quietly die

[Demsrule86]

15. If the ACA fails, there will be hell to pay.

[GaryCnf]

8. The constant Bernie bashing is raising some questions isn't it?

Does John Conyers need to sit down and shut up?

How about Kamala Harris? How about Corey Booker?

Does Kirsten Gillebrand needs to shut up as well?

Who else gets thrown under the bus? Btw, I mean REALLY thrown under the bus and not just criticized for a particular policy position because the argument being raised here in one after another Bernie-bashing OP is NOT merely that MFA is bad policy, but that the people who joined together to introduce the MFA were stupid, selfish, hated Obama and are attacking the party.

It needs to stop NOW

[Demsrule86]

14. Sen. Sanders sponsored the bill and I believe the Dems were forced to go along as they are running

for president because of purity politics. I understand their plight. As for House Member Conyers, this is his thing. He does it every year. But when an actual bill is put into place by a Senator who has attracted a following and much attention, then it becomes important. The single payer bill should never have been introduced until after the period of reconciliation was over. It was a mistake. And it is not bashing anyone to note the Republicans are using this against us. it is factual. It was a foolish thing to do. I doubt I would vote for anyone involved in this mess in a primary. It shows an alarming lack of judgement. Sure if one of them became the Democratic nominee, I would vote for this person as I always vote for Democrats. We may lose the ACA and even medicaid. Thousands will die.

[GaryCnf]

19. I am well aware of your substantive arguments

and respect them even though I disagree.

However, to accuse three of our brightest rising political stars of being "intimidated" by "purity politics" (two of whom are black and two of whom are women) and having "an alarming lack of judgment" is denigrating/insulting, at best. Those kinds of statements are attacks on their character, not merely a disagreement with a particular policy they support.

[Demsrule86]

21. It is not insulting...it is truthful. I am not attacking anyone. There was much pressure brought

to bear on politicians who were not on record as supporting single payer...I saw it here ...numerous posts and on twitter, Facebook ET AL. Of course presidential candidates are pressured by this sort of thing and it is purity politics and unwise. This is the reality of our situation. I understand the Democrat's actions, but I still believe with the ACA hanging by a thread, it showed a lack of judgement. I won't vote for any involved in this fiasco in the 2020 primary. Should any of those mentioned win the primary, of course they have my vote...but not in the primary. We need to run on keeping the ACA- assuming we save it. We can't pass single payer without a super majority in Congress and the presidency...this has happened only twice in more than 30 years. The GOP will demonize single payer as 'socialized medicine' and it may work. The GOP is betting even if they lose in the coming elections,we won't gain the majorities needed to enact any sort of healthcare...and they have destroyed Medicaid as well...I hope to God they are wrong.

[GaryCnf]

22. We're all on the same side

Everyone is doing what they believe is best to preserve the ACA.

No one, not me, not Sanders, not Harris, not Booker, not Gillebrand, not Klobuchar, not Conyers, not one of the other congressional Democrats backing MFA/single-payer has done anything other than offer their full support for preserving the ACA because WE ALL AGREE with your analysis of what it will require to return health care to the American people IF the ACA goes down.

For my part, I disagree with your opinion that the introduction of the MFA bill makes it more likely that the ACA will go down. I also disagree with your opinion that anyone who doesn't agree with your assessment of the effect of the introduction of MFA at this time "lacks judgment." In between the House and the Senate there are over 120 elected Democrats who have signed on to an MFA/single payer bill while maintaining the fight for the ACA. I simply cannot accept that supporting MFA/single-payer at this time shows that they are lacking in judgment.

[LiberalLovinLug]

25. +1000

[riderinthestorm]

9. K&R! nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

10. K & R

This is the exact perfect time for this. People have to be made aware of what they COULD have, in comparison to the GOPs Death Bill.
Bravo Conyers, Harris, Sanders and all the brave reps working hard to give Americans the best possible health care. Pay no he'd to all the haters in the republican party or even the chicken little haters in our own

[Demsrule86]

16. Yes, but this isn't something they can have...the choice is not between

the ACA and single payer. You lose the ACA, you get nothing. It was the worst possible time for this and if the healthcare debate devolves into a slug fest over the impossible dream (at least right now) single payer, it will be a shit show and very damaging...there are real live at stake here.

[LiberalLovinLug]

17. It's not about rejecting the ACA

it's about making people aware of the best that they could have, should have in the world's wealthiest nation. It makes the GOP plan look even more deplorable.

[Demsrule86]

20. It is actually in reality about the ACA not being good enough or as the GOP are paining it at this

very moment not savable. And we lose Medicare...this is a shit show. Timing matters. A bill to fix issues in the ACA should have been put out not a single payer that bill is being used against us by the GOP...it may be the catalyst for repeal of healthcare that took more than a 100 years to achieve...and when I think about Medicare and the lives that will be lose, I feel like crying. So many folks will be hurt by this...and it didn't have to happen. There is no chance of getting single payer...saving the ACA was and I hope still is doable.

[LiberalLovinLug]

24. It takes a bit of courage

What about single payer universal healthcare can they use against us? Yes yes "but ....SOCIALISM!"
What besides that? Because I don't think that is enough anymore. Sanders helped to defang the word to a big degree. But more than that, if it is actually explained properly which has still not happened with the MSM it would gain more supporters. And that is what this opportunity is all about. There is no better time!

[Demsrule86]

28. They don't need anything else that and the higher taxes...probable 32 Trillion dollar price tag,

people who have work insurance losing it, higher payroll and income taxes and of course the socialism should work very nicely to destroy it.

[LiberalLovinLug]

32. They would pay less in the tax to pay for it

than their insurance premiums cost at present. And in countries that use a single payer there is usually an option for employers to add onto the basic coverage that everyone's has.

So that is all moot.

Then... The added bonus of never having to worry or even think about healthcare coverage ever again for oneself our ones children from cradle to grave, no matter the seriousness of the illness or injury, no matter where you live, or your employment status. In Canada here we do not even use the word "insurance" or terms like "pre-existing condition". The profit motive is taken out of the equation for the basic coverage and healthcare is truly a right rather than a privilege.
Believe me, it's worth it.

Yes there would be an initial startup cost to set it up but you'd all be paying less for your very own universal healthcare after that.

There's a reason why the London Olympics opened their ceremonies with a tribute to their National Healthcare Service. Once you have it, you'll appreciate it and never go back. That's what the GOP fears.

That is why any opportunity to be able to inform the public like this debate is important.

[Demsrule86]

11. We will be fortunate to save health care of any sort and once it is gone...we won't

get it back easily...and in one of those truly ironic twists...we won't get single payer at all if the ACA goes. In order to pass single payer, we would need a 60 vote majority in the Senate, a majority in the House and the Presidency. That has happened twice in 30 years. A single payer healthcare bill could not be done in reconciliation. No stand alone healthcare bill could . If we save the ACA, we can build on it by adding a public option and lowering the age of medicare to 55...we can achieve Medicare for all by continuing to lower the age of Medicare when we can and of course payroll taxes must be adjusted as well. WE could do that in reconciliation without 60 votes-but not single payer.

Now is not the time to criticize the ACA , 'say it is not enough' or debate its merits period. Graham is using this sort of discourse to repeal the ACA and deny healthcare for millions right now and the cherry on the cake for the GOP, they also get to take down Medicaid. This is a disaster for progressives. To lose the ACA and medicaid for nothing is such a waste. We won't get single payer now or maybe ever. We need to ask ourselves how helpful it is to take the Democratic Party down a path where we lose progressive policy that has been in place for more than 50 years.

[virtualobserver]

13. you imagine that the Deathcare bill will be easy to defend?

The Republicans are trapping themselves.

[Demsrule86]

18. No, they trapping us. Deathcare ends the ACA and Medicaid... 50 year and gone for nothing.

Last edited Sat Sep 23, 2017, 06:28 AM - Edit history (2)

The Republicans are betting even if they lose in the next couple of elections, we won't gain the majorities needed to pass healthcare again. You need 60 votes to start over...we have had a super majority with the presidency twice in 30 years...chances are the GOP are correct in this belief. They are willing to take the risk to stop universal healthcare...too bad we didn't play this smarter. We gain nothing and lose it all. It took over 100 years to gain any healthcare. This is a disaster for humanity.

[SMC22307]

29. Deathcare ends Medicare?

[Demsrule86]

31. Typing on a cell phone...ends donut hole in medicare but kills Medicaid...50 + years gone.

And why? So we can run around pretending we have a snowball's chance of getting single payer for years?

[SMC22307]

33. Did you learn nothing from Ronnie Raygun and what voters respond to?

You're being defeatist, not thinking big and bold. A majority of Americans already support single payer -- Democrats just need to keep drilling it into voters' heads as to how they, and the nation as a whole, would benefit. True, Republicans don't give a shit about "the greater good," but sane ones will get on board with something that benefits them directly. The Democratic Party needs to message the hell out of this, and not with some dopey pajama boy aimed at Millennials.

Universal health care, protecting social security, jobs, and legalized weed (highlighting other states' successes) -- there's your election victories.

[Demsrule86]

34. No they don't...the polls are mixed and it is soft support...when those who have workplace insurance

realize they will have to take it to...it is over...just like Hillarycare...and the cost and taxes make it impossible to even consider on a stand alone bill...a public option added to the ACA and a lower of the Medicare age to 55 is a start and feasible when we have power...at least three years away.

[Demsrule86]

35. There are other forms of universal coverage we can get ...Germany's is an improved version of the

ACA...but we won't get medicare for all...not in this country.

[Nanjeanne]

12. But he's not a Democrat -- oh wait.

[Arazi]

23. Crazy.that this has dropped off the front.page. Wonder why

[Donkees]

27. So many members look for Conyer threads, thanks!

[SMC22307]

30. Yeah, funny how that works.