Bernie Sanders: The Democrats Need to Commit to Stopping a Filibuster on Health Care Reform
By Heather Thursday Jul 02, 2009 11:00am
David Shuster talks to Sen. Bernie Sanders about his demand that the Democrats in the Senate commit to stopping a filibuster on health care reform. Sanders reiterated his earlier statements as reported by Sam Stein at the HuffPo:
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), called on the White House and Democratic leadership in Congress to ensure that party members agree unanimously to support cloture on legislation that would revamp the nation's health care system. Democratic senators on the fence, he added, could still oppose the bill. But at the very least they should be required to let the legislation come to an up-or-down vote.
"I think that with Al Franken coming on board, you have effectively 60 Democrats in the caucus, 58 and two Independents," Sanders said in an interview with the Huffington Post. "I think the strategy should be to say, it doesn't take 60 votes to pass a piece of legislation. It takes 60 votes to stop a filibuster. I think the strategy should be that every Democrat, no matter whether or not they ultimately end up voting for the final bill, is to say we are going to vote together to stop a Republican filibuster. And if somebody who votes for that ends up saying, 'I'm not gonna vote for this bill, it's too radical, blah, blah, blah, that's fine.'"
"I think the idea of going to conservative Republicans, who are essentially representing the insurance companies and the drug companies, and watering down this bill substantially, rather than demanding we get 60 votes to stop the filibuster, I think that is a very wrong political strategy," Sanders added.
If we only had a few more Bernie Sanders in the Senate, the United States would be a better place to live in. I hope he keeps the pressure on the Democrats to do the right thing.
Login or Register to post comments.
the more I like him and what he says!
No BS from that guy.
...NO BS from BS!!
socialist with no apologies.
My kinda' guy.
I hope he can help pull all 60 Democrats together to stop the Republicans from laying on the ground and holding their breaths.
And to think these are the same morons who are screaming for "democracy" in Iran, yet the American People speak for what we want and they say, "SCREW 'EM!!"
The Republicans must really be tearing their hair out now over Sen. Franken entering "the club".
Ha!!!
I can't wait to hear Sen. Franken on C-SPAN.
Senator Sanders is what a politician who isn't owned by Corporate America looks like. Note that few look like Bernie. Bill Moyers: "Money ruined Democracy".
He bluntly said no single payer yet!
But Public Option is the best at this time because of the power of money.
Even with Obama and 60 Senators, the money still speaks.
And the naysayers abound!
Bernie Sanders is the epitomy of Progressive, for those of you who engage in that argument!
Talk about commitment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caX3KX6U4J4
Also, Dwight Fry's one of the greatest character actors ever.
Saw AC in concert a couple times '71...maybe '72 and '73. My favorite was the concert with the full-size guillotine where they cut AC's head off. The one where they hanged him onstage wasn't bad either.
Ahhhh...those were some good times.
...and make this guy Senate leader. "Spineless" would be caving to the Republicans if he had 99 Democrats in the Senate.
At least he is honest enough to recognize how rotten the Dems are too.
Other than Feingold, I don't know of any other Dem Senator who is not compromised in any major way.
... has already surrendered.
His comment in response to Franken's seating as #60?
"60 votes doesn't matter."
please?
Reid has to go.
He's useless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHk2KC-S5Z0&fe...
...starve to death in the US Senate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/us/politics...
call the whimps on this--over and over---1.800.828.0498
If the Democratic Caucus had half the spine Senator Sanders had.
Why can't all the Dem's stand behind our smart President and start voting, in lockstep, like the Reslugs did for Dumbya everytime.
Rather than try and cajole fellow Democrats to do the right thing...
How many votes do we need to revert back to the old Filibuster rules requiring that the floor not be ceeded during the filibuster?
"You want to filibuster? Bring a cot and a cup to pee in."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPvbHeufC9Q&fe...
Strom Thurmond holds the record for a 24 hour filibuster. Worse case scenario? 40 senators x 24 hours = 40 days of filibuster.
Let's say they start filibustering on Monday morning. By the time the weekend rolls around, late Wednesday afternoon, and other Republican senators return home to deposit briefcases full of bribe money into their bank accounts, or troll for anonymous sex in airport bathrooms, their filibuster plans are going to collapse, fast.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it worked that way.
Once the "filibuster-er" ceded the floor, there would be a call for the vote to be seconded. If you couldn't get a second to agree to vote, there wouldn't be a need for another filibuster because there'd never be a vote anyway.
... they could ride the tide of universal health care, and let the Repugs filibuster it. Let them say out loud they (the GOP) don't give a shit about the millions of uninsured. Then tape the whole filibuster, and you have enough ad material to unseat any republican for the next five election cycles at least.
But then again, this is the Dems we are talking about.
I've seen enough news items about polls that show most voters are in favor of single-payer/universal health care. Maybe Dems should try playing to the voters for a change, instead of the corporations.
...are playing the role their puppet masters tell them to. That is, appearing to be progressive, but "somehow" always screwing it up. They could blame Bush and the Repugs before; but what's their excuse now that they're firmly in control? So to say they're not good at playing politics is a not entirely accurate. The reality is, they don't give two shits about you or I, or your grandmother sick with Leukemia... Third party politicians like Bernie are a breath of fresh air in a congress that smells of fresh manure.
... even Obama seems to always "err" towards the right side of the spectrum, always by "coincidence" I am sure.
"I think the idea of going to conservative Republicans, who are essentially representing the insurance companies and the drug companies,.."
I thought the job of a Senator was to represent the people in their state not rich, fat-cat insurance and drug companies. Wow, I guess you can fool some of the people all the time. It would be nice though if those people being fooled, er, fool me once, er, ahem, don't get fooled again.
It costs so much to run for just one Senate or Representative seat, that politicians are pretty much stuck being dependent on those big donations from corporations and fat cat rich people. Elected officials should be accountable to the majority of voters rather that the biggest corporations in their states.
We always talk about how many millions of dollars politicians spend on 'getting their message out.'
It's only getting worse. The corporations are interested in a pay-to-play internet because it allows them to set up chokepoints.
And we keep seeing rich guys trying to get into office, like Steve Poizner in California. One of his ads claims he was a school teacher ... yeah, he was. For a whole gorram year.
I have a solution!
But it is very long and would take two constitutional amendments and massive legislation. It ain't stopping me!!
1. Everyone from dog catcher to president runs every four years.
2. No one can contribute more than $100 and they have to do it via their income tax return
3. No tv or radio ads until a week before the election. And then they are free and they all get equal time.
4. We all vote on Sunday. If you vote you get a check for $20. If you don't vote you get fined for $20.
5. Candidates can have websites, but they can't ask for money on them.
6. Three terms is the limit for all offices.
And speaking of W, isn't it time he be charged with War Crimes?
Past Time!
You should notice there is no "D" behind his name.
NO kidding? Bernie's an Independ-ant?
Guess that makes you a miscre-ant.
He's a better Democrat/progressive than most D's, and a better person
than all R's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIk11Qu_jtk&fe...
Atom reminds me of Bernie and vice versa. Making the world safe for ants through intelligence and common sense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhvqVqLAdLI
Bernie Sanders is one of the best persons to hit the Senate in a long time, along with Sheldon Whitehouse. Sanders was brilliant here, and Shuster let him talk at length.
Single payer, folks. Can we say it, much less dream it? What does it take to break the thrall of the insurance/pharma cabal? Balls, and 60 largely weak-kneed Senators. Thanks god for Bernie Sanders, at least.
single payers biches!!!!
At least shame them and make them do their jobs fulfilling the will of their boss, the People, not the bribers hurting America.
...for your honesty and dedication to the people of Vermont and your country. If only all our politicians had half as much integrity as you, we'd all be much better off. You make me proud to be a Vermonter.
Yeah, I know.
You were promised that there'd be no math when you signed up but...
58 Dems = ? votes
2 Ind = ? votes*
------------------
60 Sens = ? votes
When the corporate interests are at odds with the public good, will your democracy need to be redefined or will the already watered down bill be further diluted so HMOs will accept it?
I hope it's an interesting battle with reputations damaged, sexual deviancy exposed and unmarked bills in brown bags thrown in just for good measure.
A long hot summer with only reruns on TV would be so boring.
* The I behind Lieberman stands for the pronoun I, as in 'What's in it for me, me, me?'
Isn't a filibuster a nut?
I'd say that's a tough nut to crack
But then I'd have to cross my legs
And like rash limpballs that's getting difficult.
...is a clear and present danger to the political status quo we have worked so hard to achieve. He has WAY too much common sense and he hasn't yet learned how to lie to people. THIS CAN NOT STAND! We have got to get him out of the senate before he starts rubbing off on people. Who's with me?!
Before anyone asks, yes, this is snark.
the Dem's are so predictable it's ludicrous.
...about Sanders is that he's an independent so he can tell the dems to fuck off.
Lewdicrous.
(And I don't mean California)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMdN9FOrJTk
ysb knocks 'em down
n/t
Johnny on the spot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCftkirSpHE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJA2dl5TXc8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8TUwHTfOOU
..I'll have to give a "shout-out" to Sen. Sanders.
And speaking of W, isn't it time he be charged with War Crimes?
I'll have to ask Sen. Sanders about that. Was that gratuitous?
I hope not.
Bernie Sanders is the future of the Democratic Party. All the Progressive presently in the Congress belong to the Demos as a way to counter the Repubs in our winner-take-all political system. Yet, in reality, the Progressives would just assume bolt the Demos leaving the the Democratic Party with Blue-Dogs, and other Corporate-tit-sucking Demos.
There may be a time in the future when the Repub party goes the way of the Whigs and corporate sponsorship goes full time to Blue-Dogs. The Progressive Demos may finally split and form a viable new 2nd party that represents their true Progressive ideals without compromise.
I may be dreaming, and we can only hope. Until then, Bernie can count on me for a campaign contribution.
What they are coming up with in congress is mandatory health insurance. Regardless of a public option or not, the cost will be higher than many can pay. So their answer is to offer supplements to help pay for it for the "poor". This will eradicate Medicaid and people will have to pay for insurance when they still cannot afford it, or face stiff fines. So there will be more people who will not receive health care than we have now.
This is not the answer to the problem. It's creating a whole new debacle. What we need is nationalized health CARE. Not mandatory insurance.
And what about the low cost insurance that poor people will be forced to purchase? Will it cover 100%, or will it leave people with only partial coverage (like 80% or less) in order to make it cheaper? Then will they still be left with huge medical bills to pay? Will prescriptions be covered with only a small copay or will the cost to patients be high? These questions are not being answered.
Everyone on the left is on this bandwagon to go with Obama's version of health care reform, because it's the Democratic option. But it seems that no one is asking the tough questions. We already know that congress is out of touch with what is really going on with individuals and health care. Their answers fall well short of any kind of solution, and will probably make things worse.
We should be pushing for nationalized health care, and not mandatory insurance.
I hope the Dems tell the "loseRs" to shut up now.
he doesn't wag a finger at Senators who accept money from health industry lobbyists but rather wags his finger at the lobbyists.
...is an Independent.
I don't like the senate, a rich man's club that obstructs progress for the most part. That said this is the only senator I like, we need an entire congress of social democrats if we want to lead as the most civilized nation on earth. If not forget it.
I used to like Bernie and was on his mailing list. I had to cancel the other day and get him out of my life after he said on the Ed Show this week that single payer did "not have the votes". This is not what I expect of him and I believe he is being primed to dupe all the single payer advocates.
This is unacceptable, Bernie. I don't care. We WILL NOT support a health care system that is not single payer. If you don't have the votes then GET THEM. What if the civil rights leaders said that? Or the anti-war advocates that ended both Vietnam and, hopefully, Iraq. That is a PISS POOR REASON.
If this health care scam passes it will fail because if a public option is in there it will operate at cross-purposes with the insurance companies. ONe of them will fail. Take a guess.
And another thing, I thought the Big Bammy Liar said that one of the problems to solve is to get the responsibility OFF the employers so that they could offer more jobs instead of pay for healthcare? Now IT WILL BE MANDATED? Just how many body blows is the Big Liar going to inflict on the american worker? It seems he doesn't know what the hell he is saying half the time.
Login or Register to post comments.