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In recent years there has been little to claim coming out of
Washington, DC, that resembles the vision of the democracy envisioned for this
nation by our founders. But yesterday in perhaps the most unlikely way,
our Congress witnessed a victory that crossed party lines, ideological lines
and even heavy and sustained lobbying by everyone from White House operatives
to single payer activists. But this was a win for the people -- and it
came in the People's House.
In recent years there has been little to claim coming out of
Washington, DC, that resembles the vision of the democracy envisioned for this
nation by our founders. But yesterday in perhaps the most unlikely way,
our Congress witnessed a victory that crossed party lines, ideological lines
and even heavy and sustained lobbying by everyone from White House operatives
to single payer activists. But this was a win for the people -- and it
came in the People's House.
Human rights met states rights. Bipartisan effort
fought for and against, and in the final recorded vote, an amendment offered in
the United States House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee by
Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio won handily. The issue? Should
states be granted federal program waivers if they choose to pass and implement
single payer, publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare systems for their
residents?
Ultimately, in the wee hours of the morning on voice vote,
the amendment passed despite arguments against it by those who somehow would
deny states like California, where single payer has passed the state
legislature twice only to be vetoed by the governor, the ability to
successfully implement a single payer system. Other states are forging
ahead with legislation aimed not only at providing healthcare for all but also
providing relief from the crushing budget woes that stem from healthcare costs
for public employees and retirees that threaten everything from roads to
schools to sewer projects to filling potholes.
Enough about single payer for the moment. President
Barack Obama has called for bipartisan effort on the health reform
crisis. And to date we've seen few real and solid examples. We've
heard all the old saws about socialism and stretching the federal budget with
program development. And we've seen the Democrats breaking campaign
promises on everything from taxation of benefits to insurance mandates.
But in the House Labor and Education Committee where Mr.
Kucinich brought his amendment, finally we saw and heard some debate based in
Constitutional law ( the 10th amendment protects states rights) and
also heard debate on allowing states to develop single payer. Republicans
praised the effort for its recognition of 10th amendment protections
while Democrats struggled with how to tow the line for the Obama healthcare
vision and the thousands of activists and constituents calling and emailing and
writing for support of single payer.
Undoubtedly there was a lot of political gamesmanship in the
vote. No matter. Each side had its agenda and its pushes and pulls.
When the vote came down, it was breathtaking in its depth
and in its complexity and simplicity of purpose all at once. Big
"D" democracy - the people matter in the People's House
meets little "d" democracy as healthcare reform shapes up.
There is hope yet friends. And there is cause for
celebration and praise. Our Democracy can still listen and
function. Thank you to Dennis Kucinich for shepherding this amendment
through. Thank you to the Committee for allowing the debate and the
vote. And thank you to the millions who support healthcare as a human
right for believing that we can move single payer forward and we can do it together.
It may have been a little more bipartisan than
President Obama wished for... and it may prove once and for all that single
payer is not off the table for the American people, whether they are in Oregon
or California, Pennsylvania or Illinois, Colorado or Missouri, Ohio or Montana,
Utah or Florida, Nevada or New York, Maine or Maryland, Minnesota or
Virginia... or even inside the infamous Beltway where every so often
we see an example of the democratic process at its best.
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In recent years there has been little to claim coming out of
Washington, DC, that resembles the vision of the democracy envisioned for this
nation by our founders. But yesterday in perhaps the most unlikely way,
our Congress witnessed a victory that crossed party lines, ideological lines
and even heavy and sustained lobbying by everyone from White House operatives
to single payer activists. But this was a win for the people -- and it
came in the People's House.
Human rights met states rights. Bipartisan effort
fought for and against, and in the final recorded vote, an amendment offered in
the United States House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee by
Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio won handily. The issue? Should
states be granted federal program waivers if they choose to pass and implement
single payer, publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare systems for their
residents?
Ultimately, in the wee hours of the morning on voice vote,
the amendment passed despite arguments against it by those who somehow would
deny states like California, where single payer has passed the state
legislature twice only to be vetoed by the governor, the ability to
successfully implement a single payer system. Other states are forging
ahead with legislation aimed not only at providing healthcare for all but also
providing relief from the crushing budget woes that stem from healthcare costs
for public employees and retirees that threaten everything from roads to
schools to sewer projects to filling potholes.
Enough about single payer for the moment. President
Barack Obama has called for bipartisan effort on the health reform
crisis. And to date we've seen few real and solid examples. We've
heard all the old saws about socialism and stretching the federal budget with
program development. And we've seen the Democrats breaking campaign
promises on everything from taxation of benefits to insurance mandates.
But in the House Labor and Education Committee where Mr.
Kucinich brought his amendment, finally we saw and heard some debate based in
Constitutional law ( the 10th amendment protects states rights) and
also heard debate on allowing states to develop single payer. Republicans
praised the effort for its recognition of 10th amendment protections
while Democrats struggled with how to tow the line for the Obama healthcare
vision and the thousands of activists and constituents calling and emailing and
writing for support of single payer.
Undoubtedly there was a lot of political gamesmanship in the
vote. No matter. Each side had its agenda and its pushes and pulls.
When the vote came down, it was breathtaking in its depth
and in its complexity and simplicity of purpose all at once. Big
"D" democracy - the people matter in the People's House
meets little "d" democracy as healthcare reform shapes up.
There is hope yet friends. And there is cause for
celebration and praise. Our Democracy can still listen and
function. Thank you to Dennis Kucinich for shepherding this amendment
through. Thank you to the Committee for allowing the debate and the
vote. And thank you to the millions who support healthcare as a human
right for believing that we can move single payer forward and we can do it together.
It may have been a little more bipartisan than
President Obama wished for... and it may prove once and for all that single
payer is not off the table for the American people, whether they are in Oregon
or California, Pennsylvania or Illinois, Colorado or Missouri, Ohio or Montana,
Utah or Florida, Nevada or New York, Maine or Maryland, Minnesota or
Virginia... or even inside the infamous Beltway where every so often
we see an example of the democratic process at its best.
In recent years there has been little to claim coming out of
Washington, DC, that resembles the vision of the democracy envisioned for this
nation by our founders. But yesterday in perhaps the most unlikely way,
our Congress witnessed a victory that crossed party lines, ideological lines
and even heavy and sustained lobbying by everyone from White House operatives
to single payer activists. But this was a win for the people -- and it
came in the People's House.
Human rights met states rights. Bipartisan effort
fought for and against, and in the final recorded vote, an amendment offered in
the United States House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee by
Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio won handily. The issue? Should
states be granted federal program waivers if they choose to pass and implement
single payer, publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare systems for their
residents?
Ultimately, in the wee hours of the morning on voice vote,
the amendment passed despite arguments against it by those who somehow would
deny states like California, where single payer has passed the state
legislature twice only to be vetoed by the governor, the ability to
successfully implement a single payer system. Other states are forging
ahead with legislation aimed not only at providing healthcare for all but also
providing relief from the crushing budget woes that stem from healthcare costs
for public employees and retirees that threaten everything from roads to
schools to sewer projects to filling potholes.
Enough about single payer for the moment. President
Barack Obama has called for bipartisan effort on the health reform
crisis. And to date we've seen few real and solid examples. We've
heard all the old saws about socialism and stretching the federal budget with
program development. And we've seen the Democrats breaking campaign
promises on everything from taxation of benefits to insurance mandates.
But in the House Labor and Education Committee where Mr.
Kucinich brought his amendment, finally we saw and heard some debate based in
Constitutional law ( the 10th amendment protects states rights) and
also heard debate on allowing states to develop single payer. Republicans
praised the effort for its recognition of 10th amendment protections
while Democrats struggled with how to tow the line for the Obama healthcare
vision and the thousands of activists and constituents calling and emailing and
writing for support of single payer.
Undoubtedly there was a lot of political gamesmanship in the
vote. No matter. Each side had its agenda and its pushes and pulls.
When the vote came down, it was breathtaking in its depth
and in its complexity and simplicity of purpose all at once. Big
"D" democracy - the people matter in the People's House
meets little "d" democracy as healthcare reform shapes up.
There is hope yet friends. And there is cause for
celebration and praise. Our Democracy can still listen and
function. Thank you to Dennis Kucinich for shepherding this amendment
through. Thank you to the Committee for allowing the debate and the
vote. And thank you to the millions who support healthcare as a human
right for believing that we can move single payer forward and we can do it together.
It may have been a little more bipartisan than
President Obama wished for... and it may prove once and for all that single
payer is not off the table for the American people, whether they are in Oregon
or California, Pennsylvania or Illinois, Colorado or Missouri, Ohio or Montana,
Utah or Florida, Nevada or New York, Maine or Maryland, Minnesota or
Virginia... or even inside the infamous Beltway where every so often
we see an example of the democratic process at its best.