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AFL-CIO: Baucus bill 'absolutely fails'

By Michael O'Brien - 09/16/09 01:52 PM ET

The healthcare bill released by the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday "absolutely fails" to meet basic reform needs, the president of the AFL-CIO said Wednesday.

"Despite months of painful negotiations, the Senate Finance Committee proposal released today absolutely fails to meet the most basic health care needs of working families and it fails to meet the expectations we have set for our nation," outgoing AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said in a blistering statement.

Organized labor groups have been among the most ardent supporters of healthcare reform, and especially supportive of the inclusion of a public (or "government-run") plan in the bill.

The bill introduced by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) today eschews the public option, establishing non-profit healthcare cooperatives instead.

"The Senate Finance proposal, sadly, is little more than a throwback to the failed policies of the last three decades that advantaged corporations over taxpayers and bestowed special breaks on the wealthy while ignoring the middle class," Sweeney said.

He also called on Democrats to substantially revamp the Finance bill, which has been carefully hashed out in months of debate among the committee's members and the so-called "group of six" bipartisan negotiators.

"We are counting on finance committee Democrats to fix the bill and side with working families, not insurance companies," Sweeney said.

Source:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/59061-afl-cio-baucus-bill-absolutely-fails

Comments (6)

Shock and dismay! AFL-CIO is not happy with this version of the bill. I have not read it, so I can only assume that it just doesn't flow enough money in their direction.BY Sherrie on 09/16/2009 at 17:57
So the AFL-CIO (aka as a criminal organization pretending to be a labor union) is not getting enough of the action. Well that will doom this version of health reform because El Presidente is all about buying the union vote with ever greater entitlements financed by those of us who actually work for a living. Boycott and bankrupt GM and Chrysler! Buy foreign cars and kill the criminal auto workers union.BY Dave McGrath on 09/16/2009 at 19:38
This opinion is held by many factions, not just the AFL-CIO former president. To launch a campaign to boycott American manufacturing at this time, is so unpatriotic. I cannot imagine "real Americans" saying and supporting such an idea.We need to fix the healthcare proposal and help the American people and that needs to be a mission that Congress undertakes.BY Candy on 09/16/2009 at 19:51
Candy,Rest assurred I am a "real American" who loves this country. My point is Americans need to wake up and understand that unions are like a parasite that eventually kills the host. American manufacturing is being crippled by these quasi criminal organizations that destroy the company's ability to compete in the global market. Why do you think all our manufacturing is fleeing overseas? We cannot continue down this road if we plan on being an economic power. My greatest fear is that the current administration in Washington actually supports this decline in American economic power. Watch what happens with the current target…Boeing. Boeing is going to leave the state of Washington because the machinists union is killing their ability to compete with Airbus. The workers in South Carolina recognize the situation and have decertified their union specifically for the purpose of attracting Boeing. The South Carolina workers represent hope for America!BY Dave McGrath on 09/16/2009 at 21:31
Dave,I think you're losing it old buddy. Most Union Workers are real Americans, they Love this country. That's why they're IN a Labor Union . It's part of the American Dream, no different then the colonists who banned together over 200 years ago. Get those Tea Bags out of your mouth and quit Union Hating! Now, as for Airbus, those Union Workers already put 'em out of business!! Boeing ain't going anywhere, they have the best damn workers in the world there. South Carolina workers are… well, they're fine Americans, just not real bright. We tried opening a plant down there. It was non-union, but what we saved we spent double on trying to educate 'em. Sadly, we even had to offer classes to help 'em learn reading and writing. And these were the best people we could find! No, Boeing work is WAY too technical for SC workers, or most American Workers in the south, sadly…BY john on 09/17/2009 at 08:38
John, You are very good at reciting the "union line" regarding the South Carolina workers. Next you will be telling me the parts you are receiving from subcontractors are continuously sub-standard and need re-work by the genius union workers at Boeing. Right John? That is another false allegation advanced by you union drones. You union guys all parrot the same line but everyone knows these arguments are without merit. If you think Boeing is going to build their future on the lazy, overpaid, marginal union worker in the Puget Sound region then you are in flat out denial.BY Dave McGrath on 09/17/2009 at 09:28

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