Carolyn LaDelle Bennett Excerpted, edited with comment

Change that shortchanges the people of the United States is no change at all. Sleight of hand - wherever and however it occurs, whoever commits the maneuver - maintains the status quo, undermines progress, moves America backward.

Few Members of the U.S. Congress consistently get it right. This one does.

"We have been led to believe that we must make our health care choices only within the current structure of a predatory, for-profit insurance system which makes money not providing health care.

"We cannot fault the insurance companies for being what they are. We can fault legislation in which the government incentivizes the perpetuation, indeed the strengthening, of the for-profit health insurance industry, the very source of the problem. When health insurance companies deny care or raise premiums, co-pays and deductibles they are simply trying to make a profit. That is our system...

"Instead of working toward the elimination of for-profit insurance, H.R. 3962 [the 'Affordable Health Care for America Act'] would put the government in the role of accelerating the privatization of health care. In H.R. 3962, the government is requiring at least 21 million Americans to buy private health insurance from the very industry that causes costs to be so high, which will result in at least $70 billion in new annual revenue, much of which is coming from taxpayers. This inevitably will lead to even more costs, more subsidies, and higher profits for insurance companies — a bailout under a blue cross.

"Unlimited money to blow up things in Iraq and Afghanistan
Relatively little money to build things in the United States"

"The Administration may soon bring to Congress a request for an additional $50 billion for war. I can tell you that a Democratic version of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is no more acceptable than a Republican version of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Why is it we have finite resources for health care but unlimited money for war?

"The inequities in our economy are piling up: trillions for war, trillions for Wall Street and tens of billions for the insurance companies. Banks and other corporations are sitting on piles of cash of taxpayer's money while firing workers, cutting pay and denying small businesses money to survive.

"People are losing their homes, their jobs, their health, their investments, their retirement security; yet there is unlimited money for war, Wall Street and insurance companies, but very little money for jobs on Main Street.

"When we were promised change - we weren't thinking that we give a dollar and get back two cents."

"... America will someday come to recognize the broad social and economic benefits of a not-for-profit, single-payer health care system, which is good for the American people and good for America's businesses with, of course, the notable exceptions being insurance and pharmaceuticals."

Washington, November 6, 2009 – "Kucinich: Why is it we have Finite Resources for Health Care but Unlimited Money for War?" statement on the Floor of the House of Representative by Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich, U.S. House of Representatives, 10th Congressional District, Ohio, http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=153461

Washington, November 7, 2009 – "Kucinich: Why I Voted NO" - statement by Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich, U.S. House of Representatives, 10th Congressional District, Ohio, after voting against 'H.R. 3962 - Affordable Health Care for America Act', http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=153995

"House Passes Landmark Healthcare Bill with Amendment Backed by Anti-Abortion Lawmakers," Democracy Now, November 8, 2009, http://www.democracynow.org/2009/11/9/house_passes_healthcare_bill_with_amendment

Bill to be reconciled in the Senate and returned to the House; then for full vote in House and Senate

H.R.3962 Title: To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] (introduced 10/29/2009) Cosponsors (6); Related Bills: H.RES.903, H.R.2920, H.R.3961

Latest Major Action: 11/7/2009 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 220 - 215 (Roll no. 887), http://thomas.loc.gov/

In the Senate to be voted on and reconciled with House bill:

S.1679 Title: An original bill to make quality, affordable health care available to all Americans, reduce costs, improve health care quality, enhance disease prevention, and strengthen the health care workforce; Sponsor: Senator Harkin, Tom [IA] (introduced 9/17/2009); Cosponsors (None)

Latest Major Action: 9/17/2009 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 161. http://thomas.loc.gov/

S.1796 Title: An original bill to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen Baucus, Max [MT] (introduced 10/19/2009) Cosponsors (None); Related Bills: H.R.3200
Latest Major Action: 10/19/2009 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 184. Senate Reports: 111-89 http://thomas.loc.gov/

Posted by Bennett's Column at 2:11 PM 0 comments
Labels: "change" in the Obama administration, Democrats and Republicans and regression, Dennis Kucinich on war and health care, U.S. war and healthcare

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Dr. Carolyn LaDelle Bennett -author, independent journalist (585-442-8507), blogging at todaysmissingnews: http://todaysmissingnews.blogspot.com
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