by Randy Shannon

Treasurer, PA 4th CD Chapter, Progressive Democrats of America

At the last monthly meeting of the Central Labor Council of Beaver-Lawrence Counties in 2009 a sharp difference was drawn between the corporate and labor views of healthcare reform. On Monday December 21st at 7:35pm, the meeting was called to order by President Dennis Bloom and the regular business was conducted.

Then Labor Council members and guests invited for Holiday festivities after the meeting were addressed by Frank Snyder, the AFL-CIO Representative to Pennsylvania. He brought members up to date on labor’s role and outlook in the battle for healthcare reform. He also passed out a Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the Health Care Bill released on Dec. 17, 2009.

The statement says: “The absolute refusal of Republicans in the Senate to support health care reform and the hijacking of the bill by defenders of the insurance industry has brought us a Senate bill that is inadequate.”

The statement pointed to three changes in the Senate bill that were necessary. A public health insurance option is needed to break the insurance companies’ stranglehold over consumers. Employers must pay their fair share. And taxing the insurance benefits of workers is not the way to pay for reform.

AFL-CIO President Trumka’s statement ends with: “The House bill is the model for genuine health care reform.”

As AFL-CIO Representative Frank Snyder finished speaking, Congressman Jason Altmire came into the meeting. Altmire took the floor and said: “The House health care bill is dead.” He said that the Senate bill is much better than the House bill and that he would like to vote for a health care bill that is more like the Senate bill.

“The Senate did not even consider the House bill worthy. The Senate started with a completely new bill.” A couple Labor Council members questioned Altmire about the affordability of the Senate bill for working people and the excise tax on union workers health insurance. Cong. Altmire said he was sorry for those things but he supported the Senate bill because it did more than the House bill to control costs.

Altmire said that double digit rate increases every year are unsustainable. One would think he was talking about the insurance companies that keep raising rates. But Altmire then said that “the Senate bill contains cost controls to improve quality of care, and that the House bill only has studies to improve quality of care.”

Apparently Cong. Altmire was trying to convince the union representatives that lowering compensation for medical services and increasing hospital efficiency provided in the Senate bill would somehow result in the insurance companies voluntarily reducing their premiums. No wonder many folks sat with their arms crossed and skeptical looks knowing the public option in the House bill most effectively lowers costs and places the tax burden on the wealthy instead of workers.

When Altmire pointed out that he had supported the stimulus bill, the jobs bill, and the Employee Free Choice Act, and that 62 of his 3000 votes had been pro-labor, one member pointed out that Altmire’s vote against reform of the health care system was his most important vote.

The AFL-CIO is urging its members to stay in the fight to the last round which begins today. Its on-line mobilization released the following urgent message:

AFL-CIO Message

Progressives need to push back right now and demand something better. The House and Senate must go to conference to meld the two bills, and the House bill is better on Medicaid expansion, affordability, the anti-trust exemption for insurers, and financing through taxing the wealthy rather than taxing middle-class healthcare benefits. The Progressive Caucus, which is the largest caucus in Congress and has played a critical role in fighting for the public option–has spine. This is a moment to flex and strengthen it.

One month ago, the House of Representatives passed a historic health care bill-one that would make great strides toward the guarantee of quality, affordable health care for everyone in America.

Tomorrow morning, we expect the Senate to pass its health care bill. While the Senate bill includes some reforms, it does not adequately address our health care crisis. Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill will not check costs in the short term, does not ensure that employers pay their fair share and is not financed fairly.

As the House and Senate merge their bills into final legislation, we have one chance to fix health care reform before it is sent to President Obama’s desk for his signature. We need you to remind your senators and representative again what you want from health care reform.

Write your senators and representative today.

The House bill is the right model for reform. It covers more people, takes effect more quickly and is financed more fairly. It’s not right to tax the hard-earned benefits of workers.

Join us and fight on behalf of all working families to demand a final health care bill that can be called genuine reform. 

Happy holidays,

Marc Laitin
AFL-CIO Online Mobilization Coordinator

P.S. We’re nearing the end of this fight, and we must finish reform right. Write your senators and representative today.