State’s GOP House members oppose public option

Not a single House Republican from California intends to vote for a health care bill that contains a government-run insurance option, a survey of the state’s 53 members of Congress shows, an ominous sign for congressional leaders trying to fashion a bipartisan compromise.
All 19 of the state’s House Republicans oppose a public option, with most indicating there are no circumstances under which they would vote in favor of a bill that included one, according to the survey by California News Service, a project of the University of California’s Washington Center and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

By contrast, all but two of California’s 34 Democratic House members and both U.S. senators unequivocally support a public option, with most indicating there are no circumstances under which they would vote in favor of a bill without it.

Democratic Reps. Dennis Cardoza of Atwater (Merced County) and Jim Costa of Hanford (Kings County) are the only California members of Congress who have not taken a public position. Both represent Central Valley districts far more conservative than those of most of their Democratic colleagues.

The survey, which included interviews and a review of speeches and other public statements, provides fresh evidence of the partisan divide that has made consensus on health care difficult.

“The partisan divide in California reflects similar divides across the country,” said Larry Berman, a political scientist at UC Davis. “What you see in California is what you will see in delegations everywhere.”

Disagreement over whether to include a public option – which would compete with private insurers – has emerged as the single biggest obstacle to advancing a health care bill to the floor for a vote.

Congressional leaders are trying to blend legislation passed by five committees, four that contain versions of a government-run alternative and one, passed Tuesday by the Senate Finance Committee, that has no public option.

Most Democrats argue that competition will keep the insurance industry honest and premiums low. Republicans warn it will drive private insurers out of business and lead to a government-run health system.

President Obama supports a public option but has said he is open to ideas that might attract broader support and some Republican votes.

California’s partisan divide suggests there is little middle ground. In interviews with House members and their staffs, there was no hint of bipartisan discussions or compromise proposals that might lead to a common agreement.

“Our House bill will have a public option,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, told reporters Thursday. She said the insurance industry’s fierce opposition to competition, which she charged was riddled with misinformation, only stiffens the House’s resolve.

About 7 million Californians lack health insurance, including more than half a million in the Bay Area. It is not clear how many Californians would be eligible for a government-run insurance plan. The plans under discussion would be available only to those without insurance from their employer and would not be available to undocumented immigrants.

Bay Area Democrats are united in their support for a public option and are among its leading proponents. Most are critical of the bill written by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, that contains no public options.

“I don’t think we’ve waited this long and worked this hard for a mediocre bill,” Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, said in an interview. “We expect to see a public option in the final bill.”

Support was strong among five of seven California Blue Dogs, a coalition of fiscally conservative Democrats regarded as the most likely to break from their party’s leadership on the issue. Cardoza and Costa, both Blue Dogs, have issued cautious statements that reveal neither support nor opposition to a public option.

The others expressed no reluctance.

“It is important in order to inject more competition into the market place and drive the price of health care down,” Blue Dog Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, said in an interview. Nearly two-thirds of his constituents support a public option, he said, but added that other moderate Democrats may not have as easy time supporting it.

In the Senate, Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein were among 30 Democrats to sign a letter imploring Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to include a public insurance option in the legislation he brings to the Senate floor.

“The best way to keep costs down for those who have insurance is to have a public option available,” Boxer said.