Wait Until Tuesday for Finance Cmte. Health Bill Vote
EmailSenate Leader Harry Reid announces that Finance Committee will vote on Tuesday.
ABC’s Z. Byron Wolf has more…
This assures that a health reform bill will not be on the Senate floor until the week after next at the earliest. Republicans, for their part, are downplaying the relative low cost and deficit neutrality Baucus bill as “irrelevant,” because, as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor this morning, “it’ll never see the light of day.” And he’s right to a point. The Finance Committee bill will be interwoven by Democrats (and probably some heavy input from the lone Republican who might support a comprehensive reform bill – Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe) with the HELP Committee bill into whatever is considered on the Senate floor. There’s a good chance that the emphasis in whatever Democrats create will be on the Finance Committee bill, however, because it can draw centrist Democrats and perhaps Snowe. Here’s how McConnell described what will happen: “The real bill will be cobbled together in some secret room in the Capitol by a handful of Democratic Senators and the White House.”
Gulf of Mexico to Become Gulf of America? 
Can Mitt Romney Win Conservatives Back?
Why wait? Go ahead and tell them it is of worthiness.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | October 8, 2009, 10:41 am 10:41 am
There is nothing worthy about any bills provisions, I have seen.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | October 8, 2009, 10:42 am 10:42 am
“The real bill will be cobbled together in some secret room in the Capitol by a handful of Democratic Senators and the White House.”
Some secret room? Is it reached by a door in the back of a closet with an elaborate hidden elevator or something?
The final bill will be reached through debate and compromise among the core of people who are not ready to vote for it on title alone, or against it on title alone. This is how government works – heck, it’s how the Constitution was written in what McConnell would probably ominously describe as a “secret room” by a handful of liberal elites.
The final bill will be voted on in public by the duly elected representatives of the people, just like its worked for the past couple hundred years in one of (the in my opinion) best government systems the world has seen.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 8, 2009, 10:49 am 10:49 am
Worse than organized criminals, how the house plans to pass this bill without debate, oversight or input and it will be on Obama’s desk by Thanksgiving without one viewing by the public or any senate committees.—–
Posted by: Ferrari5858 | October 8, 2009, 10:49 am 10:49 am
“Worse than organized criminals, how the house plans to pass…”
Ferrari5858 | Oct 8, 2009 10:49:43 AM
PS This is a Senate bill – read the Constitution some time, there is a difference.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 8, 2009, 10:55 am 10:55 am
Yeah right, then why are they going to sneak it through on a TARP bill. The San Francisco Examiner published an editorial today that exposed the fact that the American people can’t see the bill. “When then-Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama promised not to sign major legislation until it had been posted on the Internet for public reading at least five days, trusting voters took him at his word. Now they know better.
Posted by: Ferrari5858 | October 8, 2009, 11:00 am 11:00 am
No vote until Tuesday. So I suppose everyone demanding bills be posted for 72 hours before even being voted out of committee are satisfied. It’s not like they were just looking for any little reason to sling mud – they really cared about it being posted, right?
It’s been publicly available on America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 on the Finance Committee’s website for a few days now, 262 pages as amended. After the volume of the whining recently I’m sure all those Republicans will take this time to read it through so they are prepared to intelligently review the final few dozen pages of edits sure to come in the next stage.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 8, 2009, 11:04 am 11:04 am
The Senate Finance Committee will finish work on the marking up of Senator Max Baucus’ (D-MT) conceptual framework for legislation. Next, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will take the final product of the Senate Finance Committee and merge it with the product of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee. CNSnews.com has confirmed that “the actual final text of the legislation will be determined by Reid himself, who will consolidate the legislation approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the still-unapproved legislation from the Senate Finance Committee. Reid will be able to draft and insert textual language that was not expressly approved by either committee.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will write the final version of Obamacare to be considered in the Senate with no input from the American people. This is an extremely complex procedure that will not be done in public, or in the form of a hearing, or a public conference committee, and only Senator Harry Reid, some other Senators chosen by Reid and Obama Administration officials will be allowed to read the bill before the Senate debate starts. Merger of the bills – IN PROGRESS. Senator Reid will then move to proceed to H.R. 1586, a bill to impose a tax on bonuses received by certain TARP recipients. A senior aid to Senate Majority Leader Ried has confirmed that he will move to proceed to Senate Calendar Number 36, H.R. 1586, or another House passed tax measure, so the Senate can avoid the Constitutional mandate that tax bills originate in the House. Proceed to tax shell of a bill – CONFIRMED. This scenario would most likely be implemented after the Massachusetts state legislature gives Governor Deval Patrick the power to appoint a new Senator and that Senator is seated by the Senate. The Senate swore in new Massachusetts Senator Paul Kirk on September 25th. Change Law of Massachusetts to allow for interim Senator – COMPLETE. The final step in this plan is for the House to take up Obama care, without amending the legislation, and then sending that bill directly to the President for his signature. Matt Cover at CNSnews.com reports “House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) won’t rule out having the House vote on the Senate health-care bill without making any changes in it, which would allow the bill to go directly to President Barack Obama without having to pass through a House-Senate conference committee and another round of votes in the House and Senate–and a longer period of public scrutiny of what the text of the proposed law actually says.” This scenario is in the process of being implemented and, if successful, it will result in Obamacare being on the President’s desk in time for Thansgiving with minimal participation of the American public.
Posted by: Ferrari5858 | October 8, 2009, 11:06 am 11:06 am
“…it will result in Obamacare being on the President’s desk in time for Thansgiving with minimal participation of the American public.”
Ferrari5858 | Oct 8, 2009 11:06:09 AM
BWHAHAHAHAHA – “minimal participation of the American public.” You need a smaller tinfoil hat if you’ve missed the last several months of extreme public participation in the health care bill. Why don’t you just move right along to working up a big lather over the reconciliation process.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 8, 2009, 11:11 am 11:11 am
Posted by: jhw539 | Oct 8, 2009 10:54:37 AM People have seen versions of health care bills, no one has seen a final bill, or any amendments to that bill, or any CBO report of a final bill. Why would anyone not want to see a bill that has personal ramifications for them? It doesn’t matter what party you are in, you should be allowed to view something that is going to affect you.
Posted by: Ferrari5858 | October 8, 2009, 11:13 am 11:13 am
“no one has seen a final bill, or any amendments to that bill, or any CBO report of a final bill. Why would anyone not want to see a bill that has personal ramifications for them?”
Ferrari5858 | Oct 8, 2009 11:13:13 AM
Every single component of that bill is now publicly available. There will be mixing and matching and number tweaking, but the key features of that bill are there. And if you still haven’t read the Constitution, we have representatives who are explicitly empowered to review and make the laws. If you think those representatives have not heard in detail the public’s opinions on every single feature that will go into the ultimate bill then you are just delusional.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 8, 2009, 11:21 am 11:21 am
If they have to sneak the bill through, what are they HIDING?
Posted by: Jeff | October 8, 2009, 11:28 am 11:28 am
“If they have to sneak the bill through, what are they HIDING?”
Jeff | Oct 8, 2009 11:28:46 AM
Sneak the bill through? Uh, why don’t you download it from the finance committee website, take a day or four to read through it (it’s under 270 pages, double spaced, wide margins), and let us know? The Finance Committee bill has been publicly available since Oct 2 (when it was sent to the CBO for scoring) – almost a week. Or did the two pages of typo corrections posted on the 5th force you to re-read everything?
Posted by: jhw539 | October 8, 2009, 11:34 am 11:34 am
What a joke , they haven’t even analyzed the bill yet. Example, There is a major, potentially catastrophic, flawed premise in healthcare reform legislation.
The flawed premise is that employers who meet a threshold payroll amount actually make enough money to pay for its employees’ insurance. The amount of a company’s payroll has no bearing on whether that company makes a profit. Thousand of businesses go belly up every year, thousands more break even, and thousands more make little profit. Mandating these companies on the cusp to pay a large percentage of its employees’ premiums will bankrupt companies by the thousands. Imagine how many jobs will be lost. Healthcare reform will be a job killer. After running the numbers, my company will go into the red by $150,000 per year—my employees will lose their jobs when I go bankrupt.
Posted by: chas1299 | October 8, 2009, 11:40 am 11:40 am
“What a joke , they haven’t even analyzed the bill yet.”
chas1299 | Oct 8, 2009 11:40:59 AM
The Finance committee has spent the last several months haggling over every last detail and the CBO has indeed performed an analysis. So when you say “they haven’t even analyzed the bill yet,” you are lying. It seems odd to me that you chose to tell a lie rather than just present your argument – is lying really that ingrained on the Right at this point?
And the point you are ranting about IS NOT IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE BILL. You see, the bill is posted. Are you just completely uninformed and making this up out of ignorance, or are you trying the “Big Lie” technique and hoping no one bothers to read THE ACTUAL FINANCE COMMITTEE BILL (heck, just search for the word payroll).
Just another example of the Fear Uncertainty and Doubt tactic where those opposed to health care don’t even bother to acknowledge, never mind debate, reality.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 8, 2009, 11:47 am 11:47 am
Thank you Ferrari5858… you saved me a lot of typing. Your last sentence sums things up nicely.
Posted by: Shane | October 8, 2009, 11:53 am 11:53 am
jhw539—One question for you. Would you sign a binding contract that could directly affect your life that was not the finished version but was a only a draft version and the person who gave you the contract told you there might be a few changes but nothing for you to worry about? Be honest here.
Posted by: sammy | October 8, 2009, 12:34 pm 12:34 pm
“Would you sign a binding contract that could directly affect your life that was not the finished version but was a only a draft version and the person who gave you the contract told you there might be a few changes but nothing for you to worry about? Be honest here.”
sammy | Oct 8, 2009 12:34:10 PM
Uh, I don’t sign draft versions and Congress is not passing a draft bill. The more accurate comparision would would I sign a contract that I had read the entire draft version of, and debated it extensively for months, only on the say so of my paid lawyer who reviewed and participated in the final edits? Yup. No question, that’s standard business practice. You give your input and then heed the advice of your counsel.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 8, 2009, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
“must either cancel their contract, or squeal on their customer to Washington – IF they feel that their customer is accidently or deliberately screwing up the handling of patient information governed under the HIPAA laws.”
sneaky | Oct 8, 2009 12:57:36 PM
Oh the horror – the government is requiring those it does business with to help enforce the laws. And this is such a massive sea change no one would have ever noticed if not for the sharp eyes of the wing nut brigade (even though it has been law for over 9 months now).
I see Republicans are really working their imaginations to work up something for their daily 2 minute hate at this point.
Posted by: jhw539 | October 8, 2009, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
jhw539: You deserve a medal! I’ve read the string and you’ve kept the fear mongers from taking over the board with their gibberish! These idiots have for too long dominated the conversation with their scare tactics and boo-hiss rhetoric. Thank you for your part in reforming health care!!!
Posted by: jks | October 8, 2009, 1:40 pm 1:40 pm
Below, is a reprint what is found in the health care reform bill. As you read this, keep in mind that some of these translations are a bit loose with the interpretations, but have been spot-checked, and they are indeed all contained in the bill in one form or another (shrouded in Doublespeak language, of course). This is 1,018 page bill so there is more that could have been missed. I find pages 29,30,42,50,59,84,95,124,127 disturbing well I find the entire bill disturbing.
• Page 16: States that if you have insurance at the time of the bill becoming law and change, you will be required to take a similar plan. If that is not available, you will be required to take the government option!
• Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!
• Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!
• Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)
• Page 42: The “Health Choices Commissioner” will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None.
• Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.
• Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard.
• Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer.
• Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (example: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)
• Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange.
• Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)
• Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens
• Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan.
• Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter.
• Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No “judicial review” is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed.
• Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages.
• Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives
Posted by: batesba74 | October 8, 2009, 2:12 pm 2:12 pm
The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation. Vladimir
Lenin
Posted by: L Trotsky | October 8, 2009, 3:28 pm 3:28 pm
The White House must have sent out another message for people to “get out there and hit twice as hard.” Wonder which group he asked this time? Acorn? No, they’re busy trying to stay out of jail. NEA? Oops! Can’t ask them from the Whitehouse anymore.
The bill that is online is less than 300 pages. This is NOT the entire bill.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | October 8, 2009, 3:35 pm 3:35 pm
It is not a bill until the official language is out. The devil is in those details. It is a framework only at this time.
Posted by: Retired-Vet | October 8, 2009, 4:31 pm 4:31 pm
Allowing states to opt out of the option is a great idea. Why force health care reform on people who do not want it. If you listen to Grassly Iowans do not want health care reform.
Acting on behalf of the people who voted him into office.Grassly can elect his state not participate in an option.
So can all of the Senators and Congreemen who speak for their voters.
They can all opt out of a public option.
IMO, their re election would be an unlikely happening. Most of the people I speak to are in favor of a public option. everyone realizes no change is deciding to give more power to health care companies. An in action that will eventually bankrupt the county.
I’m in favor of a public option. My problem is my Senators will both opt not to participate. Change is inevitable for America. One point everyone agrees upon is the systemis broken. It appears Republicans really want a status quo. Defeating anything Obama is their optimal goal.
Obviously there will not be death panelsin any bill that passes. End of life conversations are happening as I write this posting. Conversations between patients, family members, and doctors have been happening for years. Asof today insurance companiies do not pay for these ” end of life conversations. These conversations are not designed to determine cost of living versus a patients right to live.
Mostly discussions focus around the quality of life of the sick person.
If the decision is to continue to treat, even if treating is useless, treatment will continue. The patient and the family have the final say.
Dr. Kevorkian had his license suspended for ending lives of terminally ill people who could no longer cope and wanted to die. Anyone who fears a public option will infringe on their continuation of health care for the betterment of cost can relax. It’s not even a consideration. This begs the question of, why do our elected officials amongst others, frighten the uninformed and elderly into believing there is a death panel? It’s a rhetorical question, fear is a very powerful motivator.
Posted by: secreg756 | October 8, 2009, 4:32 pm 4:32 pm
SHEEPLE months ago I suggested a good way to get health care reform done would be to allow states who do not want an otion opt out. Also, Obama is the smartest president I have ever seen.
He’s a thinker and in the end makes a decision based on resources. If Obam were a white man, the Republicans would think the Messiah had arrived. They’d try to pass new laws extending presidential term limits. Unfortunately
for the Republicans Obama is a black man. Their inability to get beyond that is shocking. Siding with corporations
against SHEEPLE. Knowing full well their actions will eventually bankrupt the country. Republicans were touting the CBO as being an independent source of information. Thyat was then. Now they are arguing against the CBO numbers. The lewin Foundation, a fully owned company of United Health Care were not acknoleged by the Republican party. Lewin’s numbers did not support their always shifting positions. If the CBO used Lewins numbers, it would show a nmuch greater decrease in the deficit.
The Republican party has been reduced to what every parent tells their children when they are offered drugs.
” Just say no”
SECREG_756
Posted by: secreg756 | October 8, 2009, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
Obama outsmarted all the pundants and the entire Republican party. I’ve always suggested he would out smart them. The Republican party is made up mostly of old grumpy men. Biggotted men and women who are to old to change their ways. They have sided with the CORPORATE CEO’S who make $57,000 an hour. They’ve turned their backs on WE THE PEOPLE. Continuousy trying to help insurance company CEO’s make more money, over our bones. Every SHEEPLE who is fortunate enough to have health insurnace has had a problem of one sort or another. SHEEPLE love the coverqge. But are not happy as each yeaqr premiums go up, co-pays go up, eductables go up, cost-co-pays for prescriptions go up, more claims get denied, more sick people get dropped, and the CEO of CIGNA makes $57,000 an HOUR. SHEEPLE, for God’s sake. We are in a war with the M.I.C. It’s we THE PEOPLE versus our CORRUPTED officials whose only concern is doing their CORPORTE OBERMEISTERS bidding. After all, GRASSLY, ENZI, BOEHNER, BACKMAN,
BAUCUS, DiMENTED, and Lieberman are wholly owned employees of the health care industry.
SHEEPLE, it’s us, WE THE PEOPLE” versus them, the paid off politicians and the CORPORATE CEO’S they work to please.
Before you take a stand, understand, brotherhood.
SECREG_756
Posted by: secreg756 | October 8, 2009, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
Another red herring. Now the big obstacle seems to be that the public can’t play.
Did any of you read the Bush Tax Cuts legislation? Did any of you read the Iraqi war authorizations? And how much public input was sought for these major pieces of legislation? Nada.
Did any of you even read the health care bills that have already been available, some for months? OF COURSE NOT. And you won’t read the new bills anyway even if you had the chance. You’ll just wait for the foes of reform to tell you what to say next.
Posted by: OB-Wan222 | October 8, 2009, 7:20 pm 7:20 pm
My only contention to a reasonable idea (universal healthcare) is that unreasonable/corrupt/incompetent people will be executing the idea. Five hundred million in interest per day to help reinforce the New Jersey shoreline? Fed Priniciple: The way to treat a bad idea is to make it law and increase the funding next time it comes up for a vote. Dems/Reps are both guilty. Getting corruption out of the system prior to any legislation should be the priority. Otherwise we’re all peeing in one hand and wishing in the other. Nothing will change except the Audacity of False Hope.
Posted by: NewJerseyVet | October 8, 2009, 7:26 pm 7:26 pm
Thank you “jhw539″ for taking the time and making the effort to post intelligent comments to people’s concerns.
Posted by: Irv | October 9, 2009, 3:03 am 3:03 am
If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.
Posted by: WhatChange? | October 9, 2009, 7:08 am 7:08 am
• Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services.*************** What part of that don’t you liberals understand is unConstitutional? You, even as a whole, can’t afford to do this and, now, you will “force” the rest of the country to pay for your desires. Just how do you define freedom?
Posted by: WhatChange? | October 9, 2009, 7:11 am 7:11 am
You say this will be “voted on in public” ???
Thousands of pages of text, all kept secret until minutes before a vote (dems specifically refused to make them public 72 hours before), and you call that voting in public? Not one person voting will have the chance to even read through the entirety of what they are voting on, though most are hypocritical enough to vote in favor anyway.
Posted by: Rose | October 9, 2009, 12:02 pm 12:02 pm
How can any of you be against major health care reform. I have great insurance though expensive – over $1000 per month for me and my wife.
However, I have a relative with breast cancer. She found out after having a real problem. So, our tax dollars will pay her bills. Why? She never went for mamograms, etc., since she had no insurance and she could not get them. So, her recourse is to wait until there is a major problem and go to a community hospital who must treat. She omits prevention to wait for a disaster because that is how it is set up. The bills now will come out of your pockets. Some people listen to fools like Hannity and Limbaugh and never try to think. Such people border on treason and luckily a relative few feed off them.
Posted by: albert | October 9, 2009, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
Each version of the healthcare bill is estimated to cost more than $1 trillion over the next 10 years. Just how are we to believe it can be paid for with a deficit of $1.4 trillion and a national debt forecast to double to some $24 trillion within ten years?
Are we so gullible that we would believe any of these self-serving elitists who are groveling for their place at the trough?
I say the deficit and debt are the CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER to the US and not one in the administration or its congress has offered even a hint of a plan to mitigate the debt!
If they won’t address the debt that means they have no plan! Call them home and replace them with those that care about our future!
Call them home!
Posted by: Ed Taylor | October 12, 2009, 11:51 pm 11:51 pm