U.S. Rep. McDermott in West Seattle: Health reform WILL pass

More than 60 people were at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center last night for U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott‘s “winter 2010 community meeting.” The big topic was the same as it’s been for months – health-care reform (McDermott, you may recall, also happens to be a doctor) – which he’s been involved with for years.

He said he remains optimistic a health-care-reform bill will be passed, but whatever is finally approved, won’t necessarily be “final” – his example was Medicare, first passed in 1965, worked on every year since then. McDermott said he would like to see the 1945 act creating state insurance commissioners repealed; his view is that one central set of controls would represent a more efficient system. Asked about voter anger, McDermott suggested that the most infuriating thing for a voter is to see her/his representatives do nothing – those are the people, he says, who will get voted out. On another hot topic, he said he supports ending the filibuster rules in the U.S. Senate that so often slow progress there to a standstill. Last but by no means least, he believes legislation will be introduced within a few months to negate the U.S. Supreme Court‘s ruling on “corporate personhood.” Got something to say to Rep. McDermott? His contact info is here. Meantime, three more elected officials who represent you are having a Town Hall meeting tomorrow – the 34th District legislative trio, State Sen. Joe McDermott (no relation to Jim), Rep. Eileen Cody, and Rep. Sharon Nelson. They’ll be at High Point Community Center, 11 am tomorrow (Saturday).

9 Replies to "U.S. Rep. McDermott in West Seattle: Health reform WILL pass"

  • J February 19, 2010 (10:03 am)

    Thank you, Jim McDermott; we appreciate your hard work! Time will prove you correct–single-payer healthcare is just a fairer and more efficient system, and that will eventually be clear to enough people to get it passed. Sadly, it might take too much time for most of us.

  • W February 19, 2010 (12:04 pm)

    Blinded by your radical far-left ideology, you just don’t get it. The majority don’t want socialistic medicine, or government takeover & control of their healthcare.

  • chris shirling February 19, 2010 (12:04 pm)

    We don’t have the money and our representatives in Washington including Jim McDermott have proven they put politics over sound financial judgement.

    I wonder if he runs his personal finances as loosely as he does the federal budget.

  • Ex-Westwood Resident February 19, 2010 (12:39 pm)

    Chris,
    He doesn’t have to worry about finances. If he needs money he just dips into his campaign fund for anything, esp. fines. Just look how he paid the fine levied against him because of him ILLEGALLY releasing ILLEGALLY WIRE TAPPED phone conversations. The fine had grown to OVER $1,000,000 by the time the USSC upheld ALL the lower courts rulings that Jimmy Boy was in DIRECT violation of the US Constitution, yet not ONE RED CENT came from Jimmy. It ALL was paid by campaign funds.

  • mark February 19, 2010 (12:47 pm)

    The majority actually does want healthcare reform, I am not sure I have ever seen a socialist or government control option. Not by Jim and not the current administration. Personally, I want the Socialist option for healthcare, but I am not in the majority on that one.

  • Bill B. February 19, 2010 (2:47 pm)

    When will Seattle wake up and vote this guy out of office?

  • Smitty February 19, 2010 (3:20 pm)

    Bill, you’ve got it all wrong.

    When a Democrat WINS the people are “enlightened, educated and finally get it”.

    When a Democrat loses the people are “ignorant, blinded by Fox News and racist”.

    That’s what Katie Couric told me anyway.

  • PCB\'s Dad February 19, 2010 (7:38 pm)

    This is the first commment I’ve posted on a newspaper site. As Dan Schorr pointed out on NPR today, perhaps we need a new electorate. The ignorant comments above, requiring no skill beyond typing, summarize the reason our country is failing. There are no other reasons.

  • Smitty February 20, 2010 (7:19 am)

    PCB nailed it!

    The electorate was smart when they elected Clinton – just plain stupid when they elected Bush (twice) – smart when they elected Obama – and now stupid again!

    I betcha Dan Schorr and NPR never called the electorate stupid in 92, 96 or 2008! Funny how that works.

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