It’s Back! Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey Plans To Revive The Public Option

By Yashwanth Manjunath

To all those progressives out there frustrated by the watered down, industry-friendly health care bill that President Obama signed into law four months ago, today brings good news. Congresswoman and Co-Chair of the House Progressive Caucus Lynn Woolsey announced the introduction of a bill to give consumers a choice between private health plans and a “robust public option” designed to compete directly with private insurance in the new health insurance exchanges to be set up by the law in 2014.

The robust public option offers lower-cost competition to private insurance companies,” Woolsey told Raw Story. “This will make insurance more affordable for those who do not have it and keep insurance affordable for those who do. We are introducing the public option now so is will be available as a ready-made off set or deficit reducer in this or the next Congress.

Woolsey promised that the fight for the public option was not over after the legislation was signed in March, and it is nice to see a politician on either side of the aisle living up to a promise. Maybe liberal activists who previously threw Woolsey under the bus (*cough* Jane Hamsher) will cut her and the outnumbered progressives in Congress a little more slack. The public option consistently polled very well in all parts of the country with both Democrats and Independents, so this revival of the popular health care provision could be just what the Democrats need to energize voters for the Midterm elections this November.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.