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[KSweeley]

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is not endorsing an idea that is part of the Democratic Party platform, single-payer healthcare: http://www.latimes.com/politics/was...s-to-endorse-bernie-1505230000-htmlstory.html

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) declined Tuesday to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders' single-payer healthcare bill, saying her immediate goal is to protect the Affordable Care Act from President Trump's efforts to dismantle it.

Pelosi made it clear that her distance from the bill, which Sanders expects to unveil with top progressives this week, creating something of a litmus test for Democrats, had little to do with its contents. Rather she is working on more incremental gains to preserve and expand coverage for as many Americans as possible, despite Republican opposition to Obamacare, she said.

"Right now, I’m protecting the Affordable Care Act," Pelosi told a small group of reporters at a meeting Tuesday in her Capitol Hill office. "None of these other things, whether it’s Bernie’s [bill], can really prevail unless we have the Affordable Care Act protected."

Pelosi defended her position at a time when some progressives are taking aim at her leadership, noting that she has backed a single-payer system since before she entered Congress.

"I’ve been carrying single-payer signs as party chair of California," she said, referring to her tenure decades ago as state party leader. "I’m a progressive from San Francisco. Proud liberal. I have my own kind of credibility on these subjects."

 

[Empyrean Heaven]

This is not good, we need a unified democratic party or else the country is fucked next year.

 

[kirblar]

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is not endorsing an idea that is part of the Democratic Party platform, single-payer healthcare: http://www.latimes.com/politics/was...s-to-endorse-bernie-1505230000-htmlstory.html

Single Payer Healthcare is not part of the Democratic Party platform.

 

[CrocMother]

Single Payer Healthcare is not part of the Democratic Party platform.

Why not?

 

[jack_package_200]

.

 

[Slayven]

I will wait until I see the long game, Pelosi been killing it lately with strategy

 

[Makonero]

When will democrats learn: we don't want fucking incremental change!

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

This is not good, we need a unified democratic party or else the country is fucked next year.

It's fucked if we can't stop the Russians from manipulating voter rolls again.

 

[8BitsAtATime]

This is not good, we need a unified democratic party or else the country is fucked next year.

Lol so that means we all have to back the Bern? Naw...

 

[kirblar]

Why not?

Because a lot of Dems aren't willing to support it! Universal coverage is in the platform, but Single Payer is one of multiple ways of achieving that goal.

 

[sphagnum]

Why not...do both...?

 

[Flo_Evans]

Wants to expand coverage to as "many people as possible", just not everyone. That would be crazy!

Fuck off.

 

[MetalGearZed]

I feel like Democrats like to play a little too safe sometimes. people need to get excited about something revolutionary. Single-payer is one of those things that get liberals out the house.

Spoiler

weed next

 

[KSweeley]

Isn't Universal Health Care the same as single-payer?: https://www.democrats.org/party-platform#universal-health

Securing Universal Health Care

Democrats believe that health care is a right, not a privilege, and our health care system should put people before profits. Thanks to the hard work of President Obama and Democrats in Congress, we took a critically important step toward the goal of universal health care by passing the Affordable Care Act.

 

[DopeyFish]

Why not?

I assume they want moderate support.

I think the problem is Dems are aligning with a compromise position when the majority of Americans would probably love universal healthcare.

I believe Republican voters are going to start leaning universal in the near future despite their leadership not following suit. Eventually the outrageous costs are going to turn them against the status quo.

 

[BriGuy]

When will democrats learn: we don't want fucking incremental change!

Then get ready to settle for a great big pile of shit instead.

 

[shadowsdarknes]

Seems more about a power struggle between the bernie wing and the Democratic leadership.

Pelosi would rather they come forth with a single payer plan as a strategy. She'd rather march to the beat of the leadership, not Bernie.

I can respect that. Not everyone has to get behind some theoretical bill that won't pass.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Isn't Universal Health Care the same as single-payer?: https://www.democrats.org/party-platform#universal-health

A is a set of B

B is not a set of A

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Pelosi can be so damn aggravating sometimes.

 

[AmayaPapaya]

"Right now, I’m protecting the Affordable Care Act," Pelosi told a small group of reporters at a meeting Tuesday in her Capitol Hill office. "None of these other things, whether it’s Bernie’s [bill], can really prevail unless we have the Affordable Care Act protected."

Guys we can't do both. We can't. Impossible. For reasons. And donor money.

 

[Conciliator]

I would rather democrats take their side on this rather than evade the question or mince words. So in a way I'm really glad it's out there, so we can really figure where we stand/what we need to do to make it happen.

I will wait until I see the long game, Pelosi been killing it lately with strategy

fair point

 

[norm9]

Do we know how this will be paid for? I'm all about everyone being covered, but I'd like to see the numbers first.

 

[btrboyev]

Isn't Universal Health Care the same as single-payer?: https://www.democrats.org/party-platform#universal-health

Not exactly..one is a form of the other.

 

[Deuce Deuce]

If she endorsed single payer right now, it'd give ammo to Republicans saying the ACA is imploding. Given the circumstances and recent skinny repeal scare, I'd say working on repairing the ACA is the safer bet.

 

[dehydratedbabies]

I will wait until I see the long game, Pelosi been killing it lately with strategy

This is an insanely amusing statement.

If she endorsed single payer right now, it'd give ammo to Republicans saying the ACA is imploding. Given the circumstances and recent skinny repeal scare, I'd say working on repairing the ACA is the safer bet.

The AMA is imploding.

 

[BreezyLimbo]

I will wait until I see the long game, Pelosi been killing it lately with strategy

The way I see it, single payer isn't going anywhere. She's right in that Bernies bill won't prevail, and for Bernie, it's simply a purity test on his part. Single Payer isn't passing in a republican controlled congress, and just having it as a sort of test for dems only serves to hurt them.

Better to work on it when they control the house.

 

[Guess Who]

The way I see it, single payer isn't going anywhere. She's right in that Bernies bill won't prevail, and for Bernie, it's simply a purity test on his part. Single Payer isn't passing in a republican controlled congress, and just having it as a sort of test for dems only serves to hurt them.

Better to work on it when they control the house.

Single-payer didn't pass when we had a Dem-controlled congress because a significant portion of the Democratic Party, including Pelosi, fundamentally do not want single-payer.

 

[KirbYuuYuu]

I guess one other point is that if they can't protect ACA, what makes them think they can protect Single Payer?

 

[massoluk]

I'm going with Pelosi not wanting to force Purity Test on the party members.
Defending ACA is a much more concrete issue the party can message themselves out

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I feel like Democrats like to play a little too safe sometimes. people need to get excited about something revolutionary. Single-payer is one of those things that get liberals out the house.

The Democrats need the approval of their corporate overlords from the donor class before they are allowed to support anything.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

If she endorsed single payer right now, it'd give ammo to Republicans saying the ACA is imploding. Given the circumstances and recent skinny repeal scare, I'd say working on repairing the ACA is the safer bet.

I agree with this.

It'd be different if Dems had the presidency and/or Congress, but alas...

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Do we know how this will be paid for? I'm all about everyone being covered, but I'd like to see the numbers first.

In a perfect world, we could cut our insanely wasteful military spending to actually spend dollars on citizens but oh well!

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Interesting, I wonder what her strategy is.

I mean lets be honest the bill's not going to pass so the only reason she would decline is if she thought it looked better for her to.

Isn't Universal Health Care the same as single-payer?: https://www.democrats.org/party-platform#universal-health

Single-Payer is an implementation of ensuring universality, but isn't the only implementation. I'm assuming it's become popular because it is Canada's implementation.

 

[Deuce Deuce]

The AMA is imploding.

By what measures? The recent CBO scores of the various Republican healthcare proposals stated that the ACA markets are stable.

The biggest threat atm is from the current administration's shenanigans.

 

[Elysian Fury]

Isn't Universal Health Care the same as single-payer?: https://www.democrats.org/party-platform#universal-health

SIngle-Payer is a type of universal health care.

The issue with Obamacare is that it isn't real health insurance

Health insurance that still bankrupts you when you have to use it is not health insurance. its merely a scam.

 

[AmayaPapaya]

I will wait until I see the long game, Pelosi been killing it lately with strategy

I think the Trump meeting had more to do with Donald Trump than either Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi, TBH. They deserve some credit, but "killing it" isn't exactly accurate. Especially because of the state of the party.

 

[wenis]

Politician doesn't want to play the purity test game.

fine by me.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

In a perfect world, we could cut our insanely wasteful military spending to actually spend dollars on citizens but oh well!

Nope. Need another insanely expensive weapon that looks/sounds cool, but ends up not working better than the decade(s) old ones we've been using

 

[Slayven]

I think the Trump meeting had more to do with Donald Trump than either Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi, TBH. They deserve some credit, but "killing it" isn't exactly accurate. Especially because of the state of the party.

"Killing it" all things considered, with their level of power the GOP don't even have to let them in the room half the time. But thank god for the freedom caucus

 

[legacyzero]

Stephen Jaffe (her Primary challenger, and Justice Democrat) is rubbing his hands together right now.

MASTER LEGISLATOR

Single Payer Healthcare is not part of the Democratic Party platform.

Not yet, it's not. That litmus test is coming, like it or not.

I will wait until I see the long game, Pelosi been killing it lately with strategy

What strategy could she possibly have when the party is slowly moving I this direction? Just because she caught a small win with Trump doesn't mean she's suddenly the hero we need

When will democrats learn: we don't want fucking incremental change!

Exactly. P Lois and other corporate dems need to get in board, or not piss and moan when they get Primaried

 

[Pagusas]

How did Bernie propose paying for this?

 

[Laekon]

Do we know how this will be paid for? I'm all about everyone being covered, but I'd like to see the numbers first.

The real issue is how to reign in health care cost. Without cost controls being a part of the solution there is no reason to go forward. Allowing everyone to be covered by a system that can't negotiate drug prices will just bankrupt the system.

 

[Schattenjäger]

In a perfect world, we could cut our insanely wasteful military spending to actually spend dollars on citizens but oh well!

Throwing money at the problem won't solve the problem .. that was one of the ACA's shortcomings .. it didn't actually cut costs

Systematic reform is needed from the inside out

 

[Cartman86]

It's fucked if we can't stop the Russians from manipulating voter rolls again.

Assuming i'm not missing a joke I would say we should be more worried about current and ongoing voter disenfranchisement and suppression perpetrated by American citizens before that.

Anyways this is a left versus liberal argument in the making. The faster people realize that in these threads the better. Sometimes they read like four different types of conversations with people speaking passed each other. The most bizarre being liberals who are seemingly unaware of the very real policy differences and grievances between "liberals" and lefties (socialists etc.).

 

[legacyzero]

How did Bernie propose paying for this?

The bill is being introduced tomorrow

 

[Burt]

It's probably better for her to steer clear of a bill no one expects to go anywhere when signing on would just provide more ammo for "SCHEMING NANCY WANTS TO FORCE YOU TO USE COMMUNIST DOCTORS THAT GIVE YOUR KIDS COMMUNITIS" attack ads.

Attacking Pelosi has been super effective for the right.

 

[Gaogaogao]

fuck that shit

 

[metalslimer]

Honestly....its good ssomeone is coming iu5 against it instead of every single person not challenging it at all. There are large questions still looking

 

[Earthstrike]

I will wait until I see the long game, Pelosi been killing it lately with strategy

Pretty sure it's "Don't give the republicans even a single reason to try to kill the ACA"

They don't want republicans saying "We will consider single payer, if you kill the aca first"

Lots of things could go very wrong and give the republicans the advantage in the political narrative. Liberals can't afford to lose it in the time of trump.

 

[Plinko]

Good for her. Don't underestimate her--she's brilliant.

Single-payer is a huge payroll tax increase that looks awful to most citizens. Start small: fix the ACA, bring in public option, then years down the road move to single-payer.

Jumping instantly to single-payer is a horrible idea and I'm not surprised Bernie is doing it. It could potentially destroy any positive movement in this area.