Wyden Aide Explains Vote on Public Option

WASHINGTON, DC October 1, 2009 -- Senator Ron Wyden pleased many advocates of healthcare reform when he voted for two amendments that would have put a public option into the reform bill before the Senate Finance Committee. Both those amendments failed because Democrats on the committee opposed them.

For the past several months Wyden’s been making enemies among Oregon liberals who support a public option. The demonstrations outside his office have become almost routine. The nation’s top grassroots organizations such as MoveOn.org, Democracy for America and Healthcare for America Now! have been urging Oregonians to contact him.

Up until this week’s vote, Wyden’s rhetoric hadn’t changed. But on Tuesday, he made it very clear that he supports the public option. 

Wyden’s communications director Jennifer Hoelzer wouldn’t say exactly how much influence the advocacy community had.

“We hear from all of our constituents on many sides,” Hoelzer said.” That’s what makes Oregon so terrific. You have so many people who are so passionate and believe in government. That’s why we’re effective because we have such an educated populous in Oregon.”

Then why wait so long to support the public option?

"Sen. Wyden always keeps his decisions close to his vest," Hoelzer said. "He wants to see the legislation in writing, all the implications.”
 
Hoelzer said the senator’s been putting most of his time and energy into his Free Choice Amendment. So far, the bills working the way through Congress would only give those Americans in small businesses or who buy insurance individually the ability to choose their own health plan. Wyden’s Free Choice Amendment would extend that option to all Americans including those in large employer groups, who make up the bulk of the insured population.

UPDATE: Amendment was blocked and withdrawn.

If employers choose not to use the exchange, they must provide at least two health plan choices for their workers, based on the amendment.

This idea was what gave the Healthy Americans Act, Wyden’s own bill, high marks by the Congressional Budget Office, which scored it budget neutral, saying it would generate savings two years after implementation.

“What generated the most savings was giving people choice," Hoelzer said. "If your insurance company is not working for you, if it’s charging you too much and not covering what you want, you should be able to choose something else. By giving Americans choice, you create a situation where insurers are no longer in charge -- families are. If insurance companies aren't treating people right they need to get on board or they’re going to go out of business.”

Senator Wyden was able to distill the best ideas from the health bill into his Free Choice Amendment, Hoelzer said. But the amendment faces steep opposition from big business groups.

"Obviously the public option has been a really big issue in this debate. People think Americans should have the ability to choose something that isn’t for-profit insurance. The bottom line is people should be free to choose."

The amendment also falls in line with something the White House has been repeating like a broken record -- choice and competition.

“If you like what you have you can keep it, but we firmly believe that if you don’t, if your  insurance company is abusing you, you should be free to choose something else," Hoelzer said. "What's more American than that, choice and competition?”

Following Tuesday’s vote, Wyden issued a blunt statement, which said, “The legislation before us doesn't  offer enough real competition to keep Americans from continuing to be abused by health insurers and held captive by large employers.”

Hoelzer said the Free Choice Amendment is crucial to rectifying the situation.

“This is the one thing we believe that most Americans are going to feel,” she said. “They're going to see that health reform helped me. Right now the concern is after this whole effort, after Americans have seen so many speeches about health reform, if at the end of the day it doesn’t leave them better off,  we’re going to be in real trouble and Senator Wyden senses that."

A vote on Wyden’s Free Choice Amendment is expected by Friday.

To hear an audio version of this story at KBOO radio 90.7 FM click here.