Keith Ellison

Mr. ELLISON

Mr. ELLISON. Certainly.

Mr. ELLISON. Yes.

Mr. ELLISON. That's right.

Mr. ELLISON. If the gentlelady will yield back, we're wrapping up now. Yet the fact is, as to the House bills, if you look at them together, insurance companies can only charge different premiums based on age, and then it's like 2-1.

Mr. ELLISON. In the House bill.

Mr. ELLISON. The Baucus bill is 5-1.

Mr. ELLISON. 5-1. This is wrong. This is very bad. This is very, very, very bad. The fact is that this is going to be financially devastating for people who aren't yet elderly but who still are up to 60, 58, 59. It's going to hit them very hard if the insurance companies can discriminate like that, and there are far less stringent insurance reforms in the Baucus bill. So, when you look at the Baucus bill, it is an inferior product. The Senate Finance Committee is an inferior product. The Senate Finance Committee bill is an inferior product. That's what it is, and it really is a nonstarter. So we're pulling for people on the Senate Health Committee to make a better bill than that which came out of the Senate Finance Committee. We believe that help is on the way. Health care reform is right around the corner. It's time to raise the voices and to not be shy. The President is running all over the country, talking to people about health care reform. He was in my own town of Minneapolis last Saturday. He did a phenomenal job. When the President mentioned the public option to a capacity crowd in the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota--my city--the crowd roared for 1 minute 40 seconds. They wouldn't even let him continue with his speech. They were just clapping wildly--a deafening noise. That's how much people want the public option.

Mr. ELLISON. So I'll leave the last word to the gentlelady of California.

Mr. ELLISON. So that will close us out. I just want to say thank you, Chairwoman Woolsey, for being here and for always being supportive of our special hour and of our progressive message. The Progressive Caucus is committed to values of shared community, of shared responsibility, of making sure that the least of us are cared for and are looked out for, of making sure that America is a country that supports peace around the world. This is what some of our essential values are: The Progressive Caucus. The progressive message. Thank you very much. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ELLISON

Mr. ELLISON. Madam Speaker, in America today, more than 60 percent of all bankruptcies are related to medical bills. Insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than the money people take home every year. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are denied the health care they need by insurance company bureaucrats, and millions more are holding on by the skin of their teeth to keep what insurance coverage they do have. Yet there are still those who say that there is no problem and that nothing is wrong. I don't know who they've been listening to--maybe to the insurance company CEOs who rake in millions of dollars every year in bonuses alone or maybe to the insurance company lobbyists who have flooded Washington with millions of dollars spent on ensuring that health care reform does not happen. Americans want progress. They want a system that delivers quality, affordable health care for them and for their families. By giving them a public option to choose from, we can keep insurance companies honest through competition, and we can provide our Nation's families with the quality health care they deserve.

Mr. ELLISON

Mr. ELLISON. It goes to show Americans are really ready for the kind of change we are talking about right now. It is essential that President Obama debunked myths last night. You know, in this body where we are standing now, which has maybe 20 or 30 people in it, of course, there are a lot of folks in the gallery, the fact is it was packed last night. But each one of the people who was here last night to hear the President's speech heard the President take on those myths head on, and I was very, very proud of the President when he did that. He made it clear that health care reform is not just for the 49 million uninsured, though it is for them too. It is also for the people who have insurance, who have seen their rates double over the last 2 years, who have seen their copays go up, who have seen their deductibles getting higher and higher and higher, so if they do have an accident or need the medical care, that more and more of the money is going to come out of their pocket. He talked about the importance of saying this is something we all need and this is good for everybody. He said, look, if you think you are invincible and are never going to get hurt and you don't have health insurance because you want to, like, save money by doing it, if you do get hurt, and we all know accidents happen every day, then we all are going to cover you because you are going to show up at the emergency room and that is going to come out of our taxes. So he talked about how we are really all in this together, and it is a myth if you think you will be that rugged individual and just go it alone. He didn't take on the myth of the death panels, but I wish that he did. I just want to reiterate that there are no death panels. This is a myth. It is not true. It is just really a simple lie. And the fact is is that what the legislation calls for is to compensate doctors if they have a conversation about end-of-life with their patients. This is an extremely good idea. Why? Because anyone who has found themselves in that very difficult situation, having a loved one on a ventilator, you want to know what your loved one would want you to do. You want to know is there a DNR, is there some sort of will, is there something to help you, give you guidance as to what their wishes would be. So this is just dignity. This is just the way we should treat each other. I wish the President would have had time to really hit that point. But I know he understands that there is no such thing as death panels. So I was happy by and large with the President's speech last night. As Congressman Conyers pointed out, I wasn't happy about everything, but, of course, we understand we have to stay in the game long, not just short. In the final minutes, I am going to hand it to the gentlewoman from California, Congresswoman Woolsey, our fearless leader in the Progressive Caucus, and you can take us out.

Mr. ELLISON. I think those are some essential factors. I think it is important to point out the Progressive Caucus has been crystal clear on what we mean by public option from the very beginning and has simply reiterated the position that we have taken. Again, I simply believe that it is the dogged efforts of your leadership and that of co-Chair Grijalva, together with the Progressive Caucus as we support our leadership in the caucus, together with other members of the Democratic Caucus, together with the progressive community out there, people who signed the petitions that were in the huge stack when they gave them to you, people who amassed all of these documents, which are double-sided, by the way, all of these, 63,692 people sending them to 65 Members of Congress to encourage them to stick with the public option.

Mr. ELLISON. If the gentlelady yields back, let me say we're defining the public option. What is it? What is this thing they're talking about, this public option? And the gentlelady has made a good number of points to show what it is. Let's sharpen the points a little bit.

Mr. ELLISON. Will the gentleman from Michigan yield?

Mr. ELLISON. If the gentlelady will yield, not only have you drawn the line, you've held the line, and we're all grateful for that. Let me yield to the gentleman from Michigan, Congressman Conyers.

Mr. ELLISON. I will yield to the gentlelady.

Mr. ELLISON. If the gentlelady yields back, there's other another thing about the public option that we do need to point out, and that is, it is a vehicle to introduce evidence-based practices that improve the quality of care. The fact is that the private market could only be trusted to do whatever makes it the most money. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that; I mean, that's the country we live in, that's fine. But a public option can take on a public interest and a public spirit, which can then say, You know what? There are certain medical practices that enhance health, that make people more well, that are safer, that are less expensive--just because something costs more money doesn't mean it's better medicine. So it's a way to introduce evidence-based practices like cooperative and coordinated care, medical home, medical bundling, things like that, so that if you're a patient, you're getting a number of people, a number of providers helping to keep you healthy so that you don't end up in a very difficult situation. That's another important aspect of this, because the more we keep people well, the less we have to spend on hospitalizations and other expensive aspects of the system, another key as to why a public option is important. But I just want to ask you all this question: You know, I've been asked--and I'm sure you have, too--Well, are you going to stand in the way of a bill if you don't get your public option? And they ask this question in such a challenging way like, Oh, boy, I don't want to be the one who messes everything up, right? And you kind of feel like on the spot a little bit. Well, my question is, I'd like those people who are against the public option to justify handing over nearly 50 million newcomers into an industry that you're going to mandate that they get health care coverage, but absolutely provide no vehicle to diminish costs, no competition, no choice. Many markets around the country--and the President pointed this out very well--have one provider. Alabama has one provider. Many have two providers or three--no, I'm misusing the word ``provider''--insurance company, because a provider and an insurance company aren't the same thing. These people have market power. And there has been this proposal, Well, let people buy health insurance across State lines. Well, if my State has one insurance company and your State has two, how much choice is that? So the fact is even that is kind of a red herring. I'm not saying it's a bad idea in essence, but it's nowhere near enough. So my question is, if somebody were to tell you, I want you to buy this stool, but it only has two legs. And then they say, by insisting on that third leg on that stool, are you going to allow yourself to not have a stool? Why do you have to have the third leg on that stool? Or better yet, oh, we're going to buy a car, but you insist--and they want to suggest unreasonably so--you demand that there be an engine in the car, right? Like you're being this unreasonable person because you insist that there be an engine in the car or an extra leg on that stool. I mean, a public option does not make the bill perfect; it makes the bill function. And so it's important to really drive this point home because people use terms like, Oh, well, don't make the perfect be the enemy of the good. Well, look, you know, we're not talking about perfect. Perfect would be, in my mind, a single-payer bill. The Conyers bill would be the perfect bill. But the fact is we've compromised already. So this public option does not perfect the health care bill; it makes it work, it makes it function. It is essential to the functioning of the whole package.

Mr. ELLISON. Let me thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, John Conyers. And let me yield now to Congresswoman Woolsey. Congresswoman, how do you react to some of the things that Congressman Conyers shared with us just now? Do you have any thoughts inspired by that?

Mr. ELLISON. If you've ever bought furniture or anything else in a catalogue or if you have ever gone on eBay or anything or shopped or shopped this way, it's going to be like that. But the question is that on this grocery store that we're talking about, this exchange, it's just a market, will you be able to go into a certain aisle and stop and pick up the public option in addition to all of the other private options. That's all it is. I've been somewhat surprised by people who claim to be free marketeers who don't want any competition. It always surprises me when I hear people say competition and choice, and I say, Wait a minute, the public option is just one more choice. What could be wrong with it? It's just one more thing you can get among an array of different choices. Why would you not like it? Another good thing about the public option is that the Congressional Budget Office estimates it will save about $150 billion. One time I said ``million'' by accident. I was quickly corrected. It's ``billion.'' And the President made it clear last night that, hey, it's got to survive based on the premiums it collects. And the public option I don't think is worried about that because, as the gentlelady points out, you don't have to pay a bunch of lobbyists $1.4 million a day. You don't have to buy a bunch of, pay out a bunch of company donations to politicians. You don't have to advertise and try to create demand where there really isn't any. The head of the public option will be the Secretary of Health and Human Services who I think makes about $174,000 a year, quite a bit less than CEOs at some of the insurance companies. The chief executive of Aetna makes, what, $24 million a year. The United Health Group person makes about 3-point-something million. This is just base salary. This isn't even other incentives in their packages. So the public option will be able to offer a good product which people can rely on. You ask people how do they feel about other public options, because, by the way, this will not be the first public option. This is not the only public option in American society. It is not the first public option. Look, Medicare is a public option. Social Security is a public option for income for seniors. The VA is a public option. You don't have to take these services. You can not accept them. They are an option available for you if you want to take it. So people don't even have to take the public option. I've heard some people say that this is going to be a government takeover of health care. Wait a minute, if you don't like the public option, don't get it. Get one of the other products that will be listed on the exchange, and you will be perfectly free to do that. So these are just a few things about the public option that need to be understood. We have just been joined by one of our personal heroes, John Conyers, who never stops fighting. We are talking about the Progressive message tonight. We are talking about health care, the public option. And you, Congressman Conyers, are the original author of H.R. 676, the single- payer bill, which I'm a coauthor on, and Congresswoman Woolsey is as well. We will yield to you. Thank you for coming.

Mr. ELLISON. Here we are again, another Special Order with the Progressive Caucus. It's an honor to be here again here before the people to talk about the issues that concern us. No issue is more prominent today than the issue of health care, and I'm pleased to be able to discuss this critical issue with our co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus, Chairwoman Lynn Woolsey. And I yield to the gentlelady.

Mr. ELLISON. Let me commend you for your leadership. We have sent letter after letter to make sure that the White House knew exactly where we stood. The last letter we sent, I think we had 60 signatures, but that was not the only letter we sent. We have been letting the White House know, letting Democratic leadership know that a public option was essential to reform. And so last night I was very gratified to hear the President not back away from a public option but to embrace the idea. And I will take credit on behalf of the Progressive movement in saying that I think that we helped inform and shape the position that the President ultimately took. The President made a great line, I think you might agree, Congresswoman Woolsey, when he said we don't fear the future; we're here to shape it. That is absolutely true for the Progressive Caucus under your leadership and that of Congressman Grijalva. The Congressional Progressive Caucus has been coming here week after week, but not just coming to the House floor but in the debate. We've been in meetings. We've been writing letters. We've been having communication. Through your advocacy, Congresswoman Woolsey, and that of Congressman Grijalva, we have been very clear that we grasp the magnitude of the moment that we're in. We're not going to make any mistake about the historic nature of this time and that we are grasping that moment and making sure that we set our country on a path to true health care reform, and that starts with a public option, I believe. And I believe yesterday--we can't celebrate because we haven't gotten the ball over the fence yet, but I'm happy with the fact that we have kept the President on course, and I am very encouraged by what happened yesterday. And before I yield back to you, Congresswoman, I want to just share with you something, if I may, and that is this big red box. Do you see this box right here? This box represents 63,692 people who signed a petition saying that they wanted a public option. This is no joke. This is, like, a lot of work, and this is an enormous document right here. All of these people said, Hey, look, you know, if we're going to mandate care for 49 million new people, then how can we mandate care for them if we're going to mandate that they go do business within a monopoly or a duopoly without any way to have competition introduced so that prices can be pushed down. So this huge document, which has signatures from every State in the Union--Congresswoman Woolsey, the first ones up here are Alaska, and if I dip in through a little further, then there's California. And they're even by congressional district. Then we can go further and we're still in here, California, because you guys have got a big State over there. The Congressional District 22. What congressional district is yours?

Mr. ELLISON. Let me tell you, we've got a bunch of sixes in here.

Mr. ELLISON. We've got sixes for days here. They signed this petition, too. Their names are right here. Then we could even jump back here to my State of Minnesota, which is in here as well, but also Massachusetts and Missouri and New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Tennessee. This is the voice of many, many Americans who understand the time for reform is now. So I thought I would mention that in terms of making sure that the public option remains a critical part of the discussion, maintains its status as a central part of reform. I give credit to the President last night. I give credit to you and Congressman Grijalva for your leadership, but I also give credit to the Progressive movement, because we're all in this same thing together. I yield back to the gentlelady.

Mr. ELLISON. Think not only of the public option but the whole overall package of reform. First of all, if you have health insurance through your job, you will keep that. If you have health insurance through Medicare or Medicaid or the VA, you will keep that. There will be more people added to the program because there are a lot of people who don't have any health care who are indigent who could apply, but there will be money to make sure that those folks get in. Those programs will stay in place as they exist now. But then the new thing will be an exchange, and what is an exchange? It's kind of like a grocery store, but it will be online. You can shop for health care insurance products online, and this will be the exchange.

Mr. ELLISON. I yield to the gentlelady.