The liberal wing of the House Democratic caucus is launching a counter-offensive to efforts by the White House and Senate Democrats to back away from a health care reform bill that includes a strong public option.
Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., who heads the 84-member House Progressive Caucus, said she sent a letter to Heath and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius telling her that her faction will not support a bill that does not include a “robust” government-run plan. If most of the Progressives stick with Woolsey on the threat, the House would be unable to pass a final health care reform bill without a public option, despite signals from the Obama administration that it would accept such a plan.
Sebelius said on Sunday that a public plan was “not the essential element” of health care reform, angering many liberals.
Sebelius suggested the President Obama would be willing to accept a bill that a bipartisan group of Senators is writing that would eschew the public option in favor of the creation of a privately run health insurance co-operative.
“I’m hoping that was not what the president was standing for, that it was just a trial balloon,” Woolsey said.
Woolsey said the letter sent to Sebelius on Monday was also signed by the leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Hispanic Caucus. The groups combined make up more than 120 potential “no” votes.
Pelosi suggested last month that she believed Progressives would vote for a health care reform bill that included a co-op if it meant coverage would be provided for all Americans.
“I think she is underestimating how important competition and lowering the overhead and providing a path toward universal health care is for progressives,” Woolsey said. “There must be a strong, robust public option or we will not vote for this. We are not going to move backward from that, and I believe people are starting to realize how serious we are. We have not changed our tune.”
House Speaker nancy Pelosi has laready dug in on the subject.
UPDATE: The letter can be read here.
