Keith Ellison

Mr. ELLISON

Mr. ELLISON. You're right. Sixty-four percent of Americans said it is. Thirty-three said it's not. I think most people running for office would like to have those kinds of numbers. Could I ask another question for anybody?

Mr. ELLISON. Well, the answer is, when it says, which comes closest to your view, 65 percent said the United States should have a universal health insurance program under which everyone is covered, and only 33 percent said no. And as I said, there's not one person in this body who wouldn't feel pretty good about those numbers. I know some people win by a higher percentage than that, but 65 percent is pretty good for anything. Overwhelming, as you said. So that leads me to a question that I want to offer to all three of you. Do Americans want the change that we're talking about? Or is a public option some kind of a lefty, far-out-there viewpoint that doesn't have any support? Congresswoman Hirono, do you have any points of view on this?

Mr. ELLISON. We have a progressive America out there, and there are certain things they want answered. Another question they had was why do insurance companies have so much input into the health care reform debate; 1,704 people asked that question. Again, why do insurance companies have so much input into the health care reform debate? Do any of one of you want to grab that one?

Mr. ELLISON. That's a very important point. Let me yield to the gentlelady from Hawaii. Congresswoman Hirono, you had talked about the forums that you've had and that others have had, and that makes me kind of think about what Congresswomen Schakowsky and Woolsey are talking about in terms of organizing people. What kind of coalitions do you see gathering at these forums? Are these folks who you didn't expect to see working together in the past but now maybe are? I yield to the gentlelady.

Mr. ELLISON. Right.

Mr. ELLISON. Who do you want to yield to?

Mr. ELLISON. Good evening, Mr. Speaker. I'm about to grab some boards but I will claim the hour, and we'll get started. Well, Mr. Speaker, welcome to the progressive message. This is the hour that the Progressive Caucus comes forward to offer a progressive vision for America where we put down markers, and we signal to the American people that there is a progressive vision, there is a way forward, and that way forward does include principles like generosity, like inclusion, like vision, like openness, like fairness, like sharing, not a vision of fear, not a vision as, Oh, my goodness, what's going to happen, we have to throw someone off the bus, but a vision of saying, You know what, we can include people, we can have peace, we can have a society where people are treated equally and fairly. In fact, a few weeks ago we had a Special Order where the premise was, why the progressives? And we detailed how important it was to take note of the great contributions that progressives have made to America. So, with that, I just want to introduce the wonderful array of leaders we have with us tonight, and I have to start with the co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, the person who's given more 5-minute speeches than anybody ever on the issue of peace, including Iraq but not limited to Iraq, also Afghanistan, demilitarization, the whole nine, none other than our own co-Chair Lynn Woolsey, and I yield to the gentlelady from California.

Mr. ELLISON. And I think that pretty much does it. This has been the Progressive Caucus with the progressive message, and we'll see you next week.

Mr. ELLISON. I do have to say, let's get the last one, because we've got about 30 seconds to go, and I think Congresswoman Hirono is going to get the last word. And this has been the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and you're going to take us out.

Mr. ELLISON. Right.

Mr. ELLISON. Here is an important question people have. Why can't the public have the same insurance that Members of Congress have? And 953 people wanted to know that.

Mr. ELLISON. If the gentlelady would yield back, I just want to remind everybody by saying that, you know, President Obama did say that if we were starting a health care system from scratch he would be pushing single-payer, but we are not. You have people who have vested interests, who have settled expectations, and so if people are committed to the plan they have, they can keep that. But there will be a public option for people who want to do that, and under no circumstances can these insurance companies deny people for preexisting conditions and things like that. Do you want to take another question?

Mr. ELLISON. It sure helps.

Mr. ELLISON. For the record, I will not vote for any health care that does not include a public option. I will not do it. That's a guaranteed ``no'' vote. And I cannot be dissuaded from that. And I also want to say I am a dedicated single-payer advocate. I am going to continue to raise this issue. I have before. But the fact is politics is the art of the possible, and we do have the limitation, as the gentlelady from California mentioned, of not having 100 percent of all the Congress yet being Progressives. And so we have to do what we have to do. And I have absolute faith that with the public option along the lines of Medicaid, Medicare, or the VA, that it will outcompete what these other guys are doing. And if they can't outcompete them, that is fine, but the fact is I believe that they will. Let me yield to the gentlelady. Do you want to respond to this question that 2,275 people asked from www.progressivecongress.org? Do you want to answer that question, what is wrong with just having the single-payer? Or do you want to pass it?

Mr. ELLISON

Mr. ELLISON. If the gentleman would yield for a moment, should Americans not be afraid of some of these terms that are tossed around? Is there nothing to fear? Is that what you're saying? I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. ELLISON. I thank the gentlelady for yielding back. I hope the gentlelady can hang on with us for a little while longer.

Mr. ELLISON. Yes, the gentleman from Washington.

Mr. ELLISON. If the gentleman would yield, would you repeat that?

Mr. ELLISON. Wow.

Mr. ELLISON. Will the gentleman yield for a moment?

Mr. ELLISON. In Minnesota, we have a health care company where a particular executive, who is no longer there, made $100 million every year. If he made $90 million one year, he'd have to chalk that up as a bad year for him. Here is my question: If this hypothetical but real gentleman only made, say, $10 million a year--just $10 million a year--wouldn't there be at least another $80 million to $90 million a year just out of his salary alone to extend coverage to more people?

Mr. ELLISON. Would the gentleman or the gentlelady like to address this issue?

Mr. ELLISON. Would the gentlelady like to weigh in?

Mr. ELLISON. Will the gentlelady yield just for a moment? I just want to ask you a question. I pose this question to both the Members of Congress who are with us tonight. Aren't you talking about socialized medicine? Aren't we supposed to be scared of this? I yield to the gentlelady.

Mr. ELLISON. If the gentlelady would yield back, I just want to pose a question to the gentleman from Washington, Congressman McDermott. Before you make your point, could you just address this issue? I think, as we go through this debate, there will be people who will say that a public option is nothing but socialized medicine. In fact, I've heard this word ``socialist'' thrown around already in this Congress. What do you say to this? I yield to the gentleman.