Rep. Bob Filner (CA-51) draws a line in the sand

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democracyforamerica
August 05, 2009

Rep. Filner pledges to vote against any healthcare legislation without a strong public option TRANSCRIPT: Hi my name is Bob Filner, Congressman from San Diego California, California 51st Congres...

Rep. Filner pledges to vote against any healthcare legislation without a strong public option

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi my name is Bob Filner, Congressman from San Diego California, California 51st Congressional District which includes all of the border with Mexico. I thank you for this opportunity of telling you why I am in favor of a robust public health insurance option, similar to Medicare, being offered alongside all of the private plans that are open in America. In fact I think a bumper sticker we should have is Medicare for All. This will increase Americas choices for health care coverage. It will be open to everyone regardless of income, health status, race, employment or gender. It will provide affordable high quality and accessible health care for all Americans. Ad they will be able to choose what doctor to go to. This does not eliminate choice, this promotes choice in fact for all Americans. We will have competition with private plans and lower insurance costs for everyone.

I think its very ironic that the people who are against the public plan say it will destroy the private plans. These are same people who say government cant do anything. Now all of the sudden government is going to have such an efficient system that will put these guys out of business. I think thats a pretty ironic statement. So we want a public plan that makes sure everybody, everybody gets coverage for their health insurance. That will bring down the costs for the whole society. When people have insurance they will be able to get preventive care, they will able to get things like dietary information, they will be able to stay with a primary physician and stay out of the emergency room, which is really want increases costs for everyone. In my district in California there are 150,000 uninsured individuals, 21 % of my district and 97 % of them will be covered under the plans that have been discussed in Congress. If we do that, that is almost 130,000 more people who will be covered in my district. So for me its a no-brainer. We have to have a public option so that the people who are uninsured have high quality options, affordable options, and they will be able in fact to lower the cost for all Americans in the health care system.

I have heard some compromises being put together which says we will not have a public plan unless there is a certain trigger, a trigger based on the number of people I guess insured and various costs involved. That is a recipe for no public option. We need the guarantee of accessibility on day one. Any trigger as far as I am concerned, kills my support for the bill.

We need to do this now. People say we are rushing it, we have been waiting since 1948 to take health care reform seriously. We cant afford much longer at this rate. We will have choice we will have coverage, we will have higher health for all Americans. So lets get the public health option, and I am not going to vote for any healthcare reform plan that does not include such a public option.

I want to say something of politics for all Democracy for America members. We had a great election last November. We elected a great President, Mr. Obama, we elected Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. But you cant just sit back and wait for us to do the job. The force of reaction, the forces of inertia, the forces of the status quo are very strong. You need to keep active, dont just wait for us to do it. If necessary in the streets we have to demand health care reform because the folks against it are going to put everything they have against it, because they lose their profits, its that simple. Its time for DFA to be back into action and on the streets.

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karen4215 (3 months ago) Show Hide

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Glad you are robustly supporting a public option and very glad to have you as my Represetative in Washington, D.C.

synapsecracklepop (3 months ago) Show Hide

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Rep Filner - If there is no cap on profits and no Public Option; but there IS a mandate - There will be an open vein on our necks and an historic cash windfall for the same corporations that created this nightmare.

dancer2die4 (3 months ago) Show Hide

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Bob, I love you. I wish there were more people like you out there doing the will of their constituents. Keep up the good work. I'm proud to have you as my representative!

MyDistrict51 (4 months ago) Show Hide

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sinksink (4 months ago) Show Hide

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glad to see my congressman is supporting this :)

maxinewatersno (4 months ago) Show Hide

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The house package takes five billion from medicare so it will be broke in less than the ten years you predict. What? You didn't read the CBO report?

johnnyoso (4 months ago) Show Hide

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Bob,

Thanks for taking a stand for the people. Big monied special interest are fighting what should be a common service in the world's richest country. Yes we can. Happy Birthday.

dammitxdexter (4 months ago) Show Hide

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Awesome, Bob. Glad you've been and are still my congressman.

burntonion05 (4 months ago) Show Hide

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Repubs destroyed our economy and now they want to keep us from health care reform? I say we stand up and fight.

youbestbequiet (5 months ago) Show Hide

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Rep. Bob Filner (CA-51) draws a line in the sand

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