SACRAMENTO—At an informational hearing today on Governor Schwarzenegger's health care plan, Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) said he and his Democratic colleagues continue to be committed to working with the Governor and Republican legislators to pass comprehensive health care legislation this year to provide affordable, quality health care to millions of Californians.

“We have the intellectual wherewithal in this room today to once and for all do what many have attempted to do in the past, but have failed time and time again -- and that is to reform California's broken health care system,” Speaker Núñez declared. “Now I realize that if you look at the Governor's plan, on the Democratic side, there's some criticisms. If you look at the Governor's plan on the Republican side, there's probably more criticisms. But I'm not looking to see the Governor's plan today carved up like a Jack-o-Lantern.”

Audio of the Speaker’s opening statement and additional audio from a Q&A session immediately following his presentation are below.

On the Governor’s health care proposal, Núñez said:

“I would ask you to keep in mind that there is a fair amount to praise in the Governor's plan. And in certain areas where we disagree, the Governor has made some movement. Perhaps not enough movement yet, but he should get acknowledgement that he has made some movement. In fact, I would say that some of the Governor's more progressive proposals haven't even been made by Democratic governors around the country.”

On the need to focus on the poor, underinsured, and children, Núñez said:

“We need to be thoughtful, we need to address our fundamental differences, but do it in a way that's constructive, that helps close the differences in a way that's helpful to the people of California. In a way that is helpful to somebody with health care insurance that has a pre-existing condition, and doesn't know whether or not their insurance company is going to drop them from the plan tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, next week, or next month. I want to make sure that we express our fundamental differences in a way that helps poor working Californians who have no health care insurance. I would like for us to have this debate in a way that keeps in mind the more than 780,000 children in the state of California who have no health insurance.”

On closing the gap between the Governor’s plan and Democratic approaches, Núñez said:

“We should express the type of constructive criticism that ultimately would be a step in the direction to close the differences between where we are with respect to AB 8 and the Governor's proposal.  I believe there's still a deal here to be made. A deal that favors the people of California over the politics of division. A deal that ultimately the people of California can be proud of.”

On the need to create a plan that is realistic and affordable, Núñez said:

“We must have a plan that is realistic and specifically ensures affordability for all Californians. It's not realistic to tell every Californian to take up health insurance that they can't afford.”

On the various approaches to funding health care reform, Núñez said:

“We have to ask how realistic it is to get voters to approve a sales tax hike, and whether pinning our hopes on privatizing the lottery is wise, especially when there are viable financing mechanisms, like an employee fee and a hospital fee that are available to us. And I would remind the committee that an employee fee and a hospital fee do not impact the general fund.”

On a single-payer approach to reforming our broken health care system, Núñez said:

“While speaking realistically, I would also note that many of us do not oppose efforts by many in our respective communities throughout California that have advocated in favor of a single-payer plan. But I will tell you, it's not realistic to tell Californians who don't have and can't afford health care to wait and wait and wait and wait until single-payer is passed, without doing anything to fix or improve the current health care system. We need to do something in the meantime. And the reality is that at this point, there will be very little or no public support for financing schemes that have to be in place today to approve a single-payer model.

On AB 8, the Speaker’s health care reform bill that was vetoed by the Governor, Núñez said:

“I believe there was a realistic and achievable, and in some ways very commendable health care plan on the table, AB 8. That was legislation that the Democrats offered that was vetoed by the Governor.”

On the differences between leadership in Sacramento and the Bush administration, Núñez said:

“When you look at what our leadership has been and where our intentions are regarding children's health in California, and then you look at the Bush administration's leadership of S-CHIP, the comparison is pretty telling.”

On the working relationship between legislative leadership and the Governor, Núñez said:

“The Governor, Senator Perata, and I have been spending an enormous amount of time discussing, debating, exchanging ideas with respect to what makes a good health care plan for California.”

Audio:

• Speaker’s opening statement to Assembly Health Committee. (approx. 10 minutes)
• Speaker Q&A with reporters in the hallway outside the hearing room. (approx. 6:30 minutes)
• Speaker responding to question on recent poll regarding Prop 93. (1 minute)
• Speaker Fabian Núñez says any health care reform plan must include two things: it must be realistic and affordable.
• Speaker Fabian Núñez says he wants a constructive debate on health care reform.
• Speaker Fabian Núñez says there seems to be a correlation between health care reform and the holidays.
• Speaker Fabian Núñez says the Governor’s financing ideas may not be realistic.
• Speaker Fabian Núñez says it’s unrealistic to wait for a single payer health care system to be approved.
• Speaker Fabian Núñez says he believes a health care agreement can still be achieved.
• Speaker Fabian Núñez says he wants a health care reform agreement before Thanksgiving and expects a deal in California will spread to other states.