December 17, 2009 3:33 PM

Labor Unions Denounce Senate Health Bill

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Health Care
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Labor leaders from two influential unions today called the Senate health care bill "inadequate," but they stopped short of pulling their support for the bill. Instead, they are pressing the White House and Congress to modify the bill more to make it more like the House health reform package.

After a meeting yesterday with leaders of the Service Employees International Union and a meeting today with its members, SEIU President Andy Stern said the union does not think the Senate is willing or able to make any more progress on its bill. He told reporters on a conference call today that his union is willing to hold its nose and let the Senate pass its bill so it can move to the "conference committee" process, in which it will be merged with the House health care bill.

"Now it is time for a couple of obstructionists to get out of the way," Stern said. "It's time for the Senate to send this bill on to conference where the real work will be done. We've come too far, America's waited too long, to turn back now."

Meanwhile, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka released a statement this afternoon following a meeting yesterday of their union.

"The labor movement has been fighting for health care for nearly 100 years and we are not about to stop fighting now, when it really matters," Trumka said.

Taking a somewhat more aggressive tone than Stern, Trumka called the bill "inadequate."

"For this health care bill to be worthy of the support of working men and women, substantial changes must be made," he said.

Trumka said the AFL-CIO is still fighting for a government-run insurance plan, or "public option," employer contributions and the removal of the "Cadillac" benefits tax.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

Both Trumka and Stern acknowledged the Senate bill has some redeeming qualities. Stern pointed out it would be the largest expansion of coverage since Medicare was established and the largest single expansion of Medicaid.

"We should not disregard what's been done already and ignore the fact there's a chance to do better," he said.

Bills are typically watered down in the conference process, and Stern acknowledged it is unlikely the public option would be revived in the process.

"It's hard to imagine it getting better in conference," he said with respect to the public option debate.

Still, he said the conference bill would likely include some improvements from the House on issues like affordability and how to pay for the measure.

"I honestly think people are going to work really hard on affordability issues," he said.

Rather than continue to negotiate in the Senate, Stern said it is time to "let the chips fall where they may" and move onto conference.

"There is only one truth that is unimpeachable in health care," he said. "The longer we wait the worse it gets."

Add a Comment
by chitown639 December 18, 2009 9:28 AM EST
Forcing everyone to buy health care insurance from the corrupted insurance companies....30 million new customers, what a windfall for the insurance executives!!! This whole thing is turning out to be a scam all along to force millions of Americans to buy the insurance companies products......
Reply to this comment
by stormerF2 December 18, 2009 7:38 AM EST
The Unions have good health care insurance,what are they pushing for a health care bill to pass for? They do not like it,but still support it? That alone sounds fishy to me.Is it they are just desperate to pass a health care bill,any kind of bill just so it gives government more control?
Reply to this comment
by 2012EOD December 18, 2009 5:25 AM EST
When the Union got a better deal than the Bond holders it was all over. Hope and Change?
Reply to this comment
by velma179 December 17, 2009 8:37 PM EST
People who keep saying the Conservative Dems [in the Senate, where the bogus rules make for real problems getting anything done] will go down in the next election should understand two things.

1) Only TWO of them are up for re-election in 2010

2) The states that elected these folks are mostly RED States and the voters there are aware of what their Reps stand for.

(Do you think the people of Nebraska don't know Ben Nelson is a pro-lifer?)
Reply to this comment
by RobAla December 17, 2009 7:33 PM EST
Unions in the past looked out for the common man, but today they finance political machines and their behavior has driven almost all the manufacturing jobs out of the country. They do not speak for me, and any health care bill created by a select few behind closed doors is wrong. This thing needs to be trashed, and addressed at a later date when all Senators are allowed to participate.
Reply to this comment
by johns6797 December 17, 2009 4:05 PM EST
Clearly what the White House and Harry Reid have to do at this point is bring in the unions and the Progressive caucus for a chat and make a deal with them that they will pursue early buy-in Medicare or public option in 2010 and that the f-ed up, stupid a## Senate will do it under reconciliation instead of this 60 votes garbage. If they don't the only survivors next year will be the far-left liberals. The conserva-Dems will all go down in next years election. The other thing that needs to happen; Rahm Emanuel has to go. He clearly didn't want the job and he clearly isn't interested in doing what it takes to get things done. Finally, White House and centrist Dems, quit throwing Howard Dean under the bus. It makes you look like the Redumblicans!
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