Feingold Blames Obama For Lack Of Public Option; Vows to Keep Fighting For It

Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold says he’ll vote for the Senate health care bill and says the White House made continuing to fight for it more difficult.

I refused to sign onto a deal to drop the public option from the Senate bill. Unfortunately, the lack of support from the administration made keeping the public option in the bill an uphill struggle. Removing the public option from the Senate bill is the wrong move, and eliminates $25 billion in savings. I will be urging members of the House and Senate who draft the final bill to make sure this essential provision is included.

Feingold explains why he, as a progressive, supports the watered-down bill:

This bill significantly expands coverage and helps protect Wisconsinites from high costs and insurance company abuses, such as denying or restricting coverage based on pre-existing conditions. The bill also improves a flawed Medicare formula that denies Wisconsin fair reimbursement rates, encourages the kind of low-cost, high-value care practiced in our state, increases access to home and community-based long-term care, and reduces federal budget deficits by $132 billion over the next decade.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.