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State-Controlled Health Care Bill Fails in California Assembly
A collective sigh emanated throughout the Capitol this afternoon
By Katy Grimes, January 31, 2022 4:59 pm
Monday’s legislative deadline for passage of California’s proposed Single Payer state-controlled health care, Assembly Bill 1400, came and went. It did not make it to the finish line despite threats progressive activists made to moderate lawmakers. As Fox 40 reported last week, “Progressives threaten to pull endorsements from California lawmakers who reject single-payer health care bill.”
One of the biggest pushers of AB 1400, was Amar Shergill, Chairman of the California Democrat Party Progressive Caucus: “Any Assembly member that thinks they can ignore the party, ignore labor, ignore people, vote against us and then still get the endorsement might find they have a tougher reelection battle than they thought,” Shergill told Fox 40.
His tune changed when he got word that the bill was dead in the water.
“Just hearing that #CalCare #AB1400 will not be going up for a vote today. More to come but this is so disheartening. We needed a vote.”
Just hearing that #CalCare #AB1400 will not be going up for a vote today. More to come but this is so disheartening. We needed a vote.
— CADem Progressive Caucus Chair (@AmarShergillCA) January 31, 2022
Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron issued a statement immediately following the failure of Democrats health care takeover:
“Some Democrats finally stood up to their radical base and joined with Republicans to put an end to this foolhardy plan. Better late than never. The fact that a proposal for a government takeover of our state’s entire health care system even made it this far shows just how out of touch the Democratic party is from the needs of everyday Californians. Even though this plan is dead for now, every Democrat who supported it will have to answer for their effort to end Medicare, kick 20 million Californians off their existing plans, require the largest tax increase in state history and put bureaucrats in charge of health care.
“Thank you to the 4,900 hardworking Californians who signed our petition to stop this bill. Your voices were heard and made a difference.”
Not much more needs to be said. Waldron addressed just how out of touch so many Democrats are today with the lives and values of their constituents. AB 1400 proved it.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D- Lakewood) released the following statement following Assemblymember Ash Kalra’s (D-San Jose) decision not to bring AB 1400, the single-payer healthcare proposal, up for a vote in the Assembly today:
“The shortage of votes needed to pass this bill out of the Assembly indicates the immense difficulty of implementing single-payer healthcare in California. Nevertheless, I’m deeply disappointed that the author did not bring this bill up for a vote today. I support single-payer and fully intended to vote yes on this bill. With time, we will have better and more successful legislation to bring us closer to this goal. I expect more and more of my colleagues to sign on, so we can make California a health care justice leader. Every Californian deserves quality health care without facing economic nightmares.”
Not everyone sighed with relief.
With all due respect, we need to know EXACTLY WHAT FUCKING HAPPENED HERE Assemblymembers @Ash_Kalra, @alex_lee & @SantiagoAD53
WE NEED NAMES & SPECIFICS
DO NOT PROTECT ANYONE. Enemies OR "ALLIES". Especially not Speaker @Rendon63rd
Respectfully cc @AmarShergillCA, @fightdenial
— Trisha (@Trisha_Tahmasbi) February 1, 2022
For background, Assembly Bill 1400, the “Guaranteed Health Care for All” state-run healthcare bill, which has been kicking around the Assembly for several years now, was heard and passed in the Assembly Rules Committee, earlier this month, but without a funding mechanism for the more than $400 billion proposal, the handwriting was on the wall. AB 14oo never should have been passed out of the Rules Committee because of that.
The Tax Foundation reported “this will increase taxes by $12,250 per household, roughly doubling the state’s already high tax collections, to fund a first-in-the-nation single-payer health-care system.”
Not now.
Well, it is an election year.
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Great news! YES!
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With all due respect, 🙂 maybe Trisha Tahmasbi, field representative for Asm Alberto O. Torrico, 20th Assembly District, needs to take a deep breath or two before she tweets.
Ms. Tahmasbi is “former” field rep: fmr #CALeg Chief of Staff • Egalitarian • Get Profit OUT of Healthcare • Primary the Neoliberals and Fake Progressives • Fight for the Underdog.
And yes, every one of her Tweets were in all CAPS, including this one:
WE NEED A GODDAMN VOTE TO HOLD THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE. (Fisted hand emoji)
Wow, Katy, thanks for fleshing out Ms. Tahmasbi’s resume and other activities —– and sharing with us one of her other (gasp) Tweets. She sounds downright revolutionary! This is quite an insight into what is going on in today’s state legislature.
Thanks Katy for the background info.
Maybe Ms. Tahmasbi would like a permanent beach vacay in Cuba. She will get exactly what she is asking for, communistic healthcare.
FANTASTIC!!!!! It obverted a disaster for at least another year – as they never give up to get their tyranny
Dear Ms. Tahmasbi,
I will tell ya what happened, you got slapped down. Even your fellow democrats do not like to be threatened! That is what the F@#$ happenned????
Thanks for showing your true colors.
,
This just shows how mentally and emotionally UNSTABLE many in Democrat “leadership”(?) are….
Deeply, deeply concerning….
Hooray! For now…… these people have lunatic policies that are completely out of touch with rationally minded tax paying citizens
Finally a WIN for Californians, well those who pay taxes. Im sure the troll is sad.
The fact that a proposal for a government takeover of our state’s entire health care system even made it this far shows just how out of touch the Democratic party is from the needs of everyday Californians
You mean Mexicans right. There are no more California’s.
“Ignore labor”? Sure, but call it by its real name.
Make that “labor” as in the California nurses unions, who apparently want to be just as powerful and control the other half of the the state’s tax dollar, just like Prop 98 guaranteed the teachers union control over 50% of the state’s general revenue funds.
Medical industrial complex (nurse unions) is as destructive) as the educational industrial complex (teachers unions) and right up there with the “homeless”-industrial complex (SEIU).
EXACTLY
Yes, you hit the nail on the head!
The government can’t run the postal system effectively, and though that’s the federal government, what makes the state of CA government think they can run the healthcare system?! It’s obvious that would be an epic disaster on so many levels! Thank God this ridiculous bill did not pass!
Do now we know who our enemies are … tyranny is the democratic passion … control , money and power . Time to bote them out this election coming up …
They will try again…These communists will destroy California.
Hooray Comrades
the State lives on…..imagine EDD and DMV management would have transferred to the CaHealth Kabul…….The Shudder Island horror…..