Sen. Alexander: Dems Determined to Pursue “Political Kamikaze” on Health Care
EmailABC News’ David Chalian Reports: The Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference made clear today that the 40 Republicans in the US Senate remain unified in their opposition to the Democratic health care bill that has yet to see the light of day or have a cost associated with it.
“We’re very unified and have been, but the reason we are is we see the Democrats determined to pursue a political kamikaze mission toward a historic mistake,” said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., on ABC News’
“Top Line” today.
The number three man in the GOP leadership in the Senate also stated his party’s intent to continue to use parliamentary procedures to debate the bill even if it becomes clear the Democrats have secured the 60 votes they need to pass the bill.
“Every time the American people have gotten a good look at this bill they’ve not liked it,” said Alexander. “That’s what every poll from Gallup to CNN to Wall Street Journal yesterday showed us. So it’s our duty really to make sure that the American people can see the bill, know what it costs and know how it affects them before we vote on it and to remind the American people there’s absolutely no reason to rush it through,” he added.
When asked if he is concerned moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine might break ranks and support the Democratic health care bill, Sen. Alexander said he couldn’t speak for his colleague but noted she has been leading the charge against the notion that the bill needs to be wrapped up by Christmas.
“Senator Snowe has been the most outspoken senator on either side as saying ‘What’s the rush?’. I mean, she has said-pointed out the benefits in this bill don’t take effect until 2014 so let’s get it right,” he said.
You can watch our entire interview with Sen. Alexander HERE.
We also chatted with Politico’s Chief White House Correspondent Mike Allen about President Obama’s travels to Copenhagen and the ability for the president and his party to seal the deal on health care before their self-imposed Christmas deadline.
Mr. Allen also offered up a sneak peek at his health care post-mortem: “I think as we look back on this, we’ll say that the White House was overly optimistic in some of their assumptions and being able to count on Sen. Snowe was one of them,” he said.
You can watch our entire interview with Politico’s Mike Allen HERE.
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What is the rush? We want to know what the bill entails. No one knows all the details. Maybe the two or three behind closed doors. Over 2,000 pages and we don’t even know the cost yet. I doubt if it is deficit neutral! I think this is an ego trip for Obama, wanting this to get done before the end of the year so he can say I DID SOMETHING the first year. The healthcare bill is nothing more than another massive unlimited welfare program that the taxpayers have to pay. The goverment pays for the healthcare for all the people that won’t work, don’t work and wouldn’t work if you gave them a job! Who do you think pays the goverment for these handouts? The taxpayers who work and HAVE WORKED all their lives and paid in to medicare and paid for their insurance. The welfare and food stamp people live off the backs of the workers!
Posted by: TXAR.55 | December 18, 2009, 2:57 pm 2:57 pm
I ask this everywhere – so I’ll ask it here too. Why is everyone rushing to have this bill signed by Jan 1, 2010, if it won’t take effect until Jan 1, 2014?
Surely 4 years are not needed to enact this bill once it is passed into law. If 4 years are really needed – then the changes that it entails are way too convoluted to properly implement anyway.
It just seems to me that it is all about politics and very little about real reform. I sincerely wish that they would shut politics out of this bill – and put together a series of smaller bills to be passed throughout 2010. Each one will contain an element of incremental reform. This way, we can have some sorely needed change now (like removal of the pre-exisiting illness conditions – a point that everyone agrees on) – and we can have change later too.
The only difference between doing it piecemeal and a gargantuan 2000 page bill is that it is not a “sweeping reform act” that someone or group of people can claim credit for. This is not about the President, or any individual in Congress. It is not about the future of any one political party.
Is this about claiming credit, or helping the American people with what has become a major problem in their lives?
Posted by: JonF | December 18, 2009, 3:00 pm 3:00 pm
I have already communicated to our Democratic senator that he is not getting my vote next election as he has in the past. He has always stated that he is proud to be blue in a red state and usually votes closer to the center. This red state crossed over to blue (1st time in decades)by about 1% of the popular vote. I guarantee that the vote would not be the same if counted today. These same voters are going to be putting him out of office in the next election. Our electorate voted blue because of two cities, the rest of the state was red. These two cities are not going to hold our clown in office and will not have the same voter turnout again. The newness and “historic” opportunity has passed.
Posted by: Not fooled | December 18, 2009, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
Whatever it is won’t be implemented for five years so the costs won’t seem so objectionable. We’ll be taxed as if it’s in effect for five years before it goes into effect. Then we’ll be taxed at a higher rate for the next five years. Ten years of taxes will be applied to five years of benefits and then the bubble bursts and our taxes will skyrocket to keep it in effect. Fellow taxpayers, we are in deep tapioca if anything is passed, especially after whatever is passed goes behind closed doors to committee for amendments.
Posted by: mmonroeliveson | December 18, 2009, 3:11 pm 3:11 pm
The GOP, on the other hand , Can only Obstruct and stall– Its no wonder the Dems are ignoring them completely.
Posted by: brian | December 18, 2009, 3:42 pm 3:42 pm
This health insurance legislation is a socialist move that will further deny all citizens of freedoms and cause major increases in taxation for all wage earners from minimum wage to millionaires. Nowhere in the original Constitution is there any inkling that the Federal Government will provide anything except the individual’s ability to live free from its heavy hand. Socialist decisions by the Supreme courts since the first half of the 20th century have brought us to this point. They have led some of our citizens to believe that they have some right to something that some other citizen has worked hard to get. If ANY kind of health insurance legislation passes we are on that raft being drawn into the whirlpool of self destruction. We have always taken care of fellow citizens in need. We have however never been forced by our Federal Government to make that decision for us. That is the difference between a Democratic Republic fed by a free market capitalistic society and a government run socialist republic. There are few among us that would disagree that our healthcare distribution system is broke. However there are too many that fail to understand that the Federal Governments rules and regulations have caused most of the problems the current system has. So what is the big rush? What is it that this administration and the legislators need to get passed before the end of this year? It is the opportunity to take us down a dark road from which there will be little chance of escape. I do not know why these elected officials are leading us down this path but it scares the hell out of me. They say it is to stop the continued escalating government costs of healthcare. This excuse just makes no sense, as if you again look at our Constitution nowhere is this function given to the Federal Government.
Posted by: pbaz | December 18, 2009, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
If the bill is political suicide for the Dems., why is the GOP fighting so hard to kill it?
Posted by: progressnow | December 18, 2009, 5:30 pm 5:30 pm
Republicans are morally and intellectually bankrupt.
Are Republicans capable of anything except hurting the U.S.? Clearly, their 8 years of greed, malfeasance, corruption, and incompetence continues as obstructionists to progress in America.
Clearly, Republicans are power-hungry fear mongers who would rather see this country destroyed rather than have Republicans out of power. Republicans have done more harm to this country than Islamic Terrorists ever could. Why do Republicans insist on doing Osama bin Laden’s work for him?
Posted by: Doppelganger | December 18, 2009, 5:30 pm 5:30 pm
What is the rush? What a joke that is. We are about to go bankrupt because of health care…Bush knew it and so did every president since Eisenhower. But, they prefered to play it safe and not do what needs doing. I read the bill myself (I’m a grandmother) on the internet. It is long but not small print by any means. If we have congress members who can’t read it – FIRE THEM. The GOP is a joke at this point. They walk in goose step and never turn their heads. Frankly, if they would get their heads out of their collective rears…they would find the smell they complain about is in their ranks. My God, when are we finally going to end this craziness and make health care affordable. It is a total disgrace that this country has sick people going bankrupt and insurance companies dropping the sickest to save money. Some of you people are so brainwashed by faux and the lobby money, that you don’t ask…who is getting all that money being spent to fight reform…?
Posted by: gretchenmom | December 18, 2009, 6:38 pm 6:38 pm
Is it about healthcare, or is it about Obama’s narcissistic ego? Obamacare wouldn’t even kick in until 2014 so what’s the rush, why ruin our Christmas? Quick, another poll so we can see how fast Obama is sinking!
Posted by: Ed Taylor | December 18, 2009, 7:39 pm 7:39 pm
Lamar Alexander you hypocrit. The only reason your “base” doesn’t like the health care reform bill is that they are only listening to your Party who recently met with 100 lobbyists last week who want the “bill killed”. I would also suggest that you start getting your “poll numbers” from somewhere other than right wing pundits and organizations who side with the big corporations. I know that the average American has no idea of the money spent by the rich health and insurance organizations to lie, misinform and deceive the public. You hypocrit. You know the average person has not had time to “look” at this bill to develop their beliefs. They have just been made to fear the worst by ilk like you and your “gang of 40″. The only thing that bothers me is the obvious attitude of the “average Americans who have” and them not caring about the many who “don’t have”. But misinformers like you, Lamar, will always find your way into politics. And that is what always stymies progress.
Posted by: CND FOX | December 18, 2009, 8:12 pm 8:12 pm
What is the rush? What a joke that is. We are about to go bankrupt because of health care…Bush knew it and so did every president since Eisenhower. But, they prefered to play it safe and not do what needs doing.
Posted by: gretchenmom | Dec 18, 2009 6:38:57 PM
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Since gretchenmom has had the time to read the entire bill on the internet, perhaps you could also give us the cost estimate that goes along with the bill as well. Seems according to the article below that NOBODY knows the cost at this point. THAT very fact, to me and alot of other folks, is reason to hold up this healthcare bill a little longer. What happened to the hope and change and transparency? Is it also in the “back room” where everything else is being “worked on”?
Many people are aware of the basics of this bill. The PROBLEM is the financials of it. Until some TRUTH can come out about that… I hope they hold it up til the cows come home.
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ABC News’ Z. Byron Wolf reports: It is unlikely that we will see a CBO cost estimate of Senate Democrats’ health reform compromise today, according to Hill staffers.
Reid is supposed to file cloture on the compromise amendment in the 7 a.m. hour tomorrow morning.
You may have to strike backroom deals on Capitol Hill to get anything of substance passed, but the optics of transparency are not good when Americans will leave work Friday not knowing exactly what is in the Senate Democrats’ health reform plan and they’ll get to work Monday after the compromise language’s fate is sealed with a 1 a.m. cloture vote.
Posted by: Shoe | December 18, 2009, 9:00 pm 9:00 pm
gretchenmom – Since you seem to be so knowledgeable let me ask a couple of questions.
1. Medicare has unfunded libilities in excess of 29 Trillion dollars and Social Security has unfunded libilities in excess of 5 Trillion dollars. The debt of the federal government is now in excess of 12 Trillion dollars and this bill is estimated to probably cost in excess of 2 Trillion dollars if it passes.
Where do you suppose that this money is all going to come from?
2. The US Constitution grants 17 and only 17 enumerated powers to Congress. All other powers are regulated to the states.
Where in the Constitution is Congress granted the power to provide/fund health care/insurance for the citizens?
Posted by: Sandcrab1612 | December 18, 2009, 10:52 pm 10:52 pm
Now that the bill has been so watered down and changed, it now will only deliver 30 million people to the insurance companies and you will pay the premium set by the insurance company or be fined or go to jail. Even Howard Dean former head of the democratic party has called for Killing this monstrosity.
Posted by: earl | December 19, 2009, 6:34 am 6:34 am
Look, this stupid bill will pass. Ben Nelson will cave. Then, the taxes will begin in 2 weeks, benefits in 4 years.
Young folks…either buy or be fined. Also, young folks’ premiums will increase because of the stupid “age sharing” thing..young pay more, old folks pay less.
Wow, what a trade-off.
What to do next? Wait until Nov and then start the repeal process.
Young folks, get your lawyers in place. Our government is a limited Federal government. I seriously doubt the Dems can legally force you to be separated from your money.
Posted by: seadog | December 19, 2009, 9:16 am 9:16 am
Sandcrab1612 – I don’t know where you got your figures of trillions of dollars but the figure is actually $848 billion over 10 years. And the wonderful part is that 31 million Americans who are now uninsured will have insurance. Also, you did not mention the fact that it will actually cut the deficit by $130 billion in the first decade and another $650 billion in the second decade. Which says to me that it will pay for itself. My figures come from the non-partisan CBO (Congressional Budget Office). Where did you get your numbers- faux news?
Posted by: Gretchenmom | December 19, 2009, 9:30 am 9:30 am
What is the rush? Many people out there have lost jobs and need health care Now. Many have been thrown off their health care because of conditions beyond their control that is why the rush. As soon as people can get it we can start hoping for reductions in premiums. Of course the republicans don’t want it…they side in with the insurance companies and will lose some lobbyiests. They also don’t want it for a selfish reason…they still want Obama to fail and he will not. They can try all the tactics they want, but this is so important that most senators know this and want some kind of reform. It is not going to be perfect at first, but no new plans are but it will be adjusted as problems ensue.
Posted by: Talmag | December 19, 2009, 11:29 am 11:29 am
Gretchenmom – The figures I reference are on the conservitive side for Medicare and Social security. The figures represent whst the government has promised in benifits (liability to the government) to those who have paid into the funds but the truth is the money paid in has been used by the idiots in Congress to pay for other program, hence the term unfunded liability. The Treasury department has on their website the debt of the federal government to the penny and it is infact over the figure I stated.
The CBO has yet to give a true score on this monstrosity but if they perform top their normal standard and Congress performs to its normal standard the final bill will be a figure in exces of 2 Trillion dollars. When Medicare was created in 1965, benefits were relatively limited and retirees paid a substantial percentage of the costs of their own care. In 1965, Congressional actuaries (CBO) expected Medicare to cost $3.1 billion by 1970. In 1969, that estimate was revised to $5 billion, and it actually came in at $6.8 billion.
Some of the smoke and mirrors being used by the idiots in Congress is to collect revenue for this piece of crap for ten years but only payout for six years and say it paid for itself. The CBO has actually said that if they were to look at the following years the bill would increase the debt, they are only required to score the bill for the ten year period after it is passed. They have reduced costs in one area of the bill but then gone and put those exact same costs back into another bill so that the costs are hidden and they can claim a reduction in costs when they are infact paying them somewher else in another bill.
The revenue that the US Treasury collects only does not approach the amount required, for 2008 the revenue was 2.7 Trillion dollars and the expenditure was 3.6 Trillion dollars. For 2008 the increase in revenue was 1% from the previous year while expeditures increased by 25% over the same time frame. I fully expect 2009 to reflect the same picture if not worse as this administration has broken all records in spending.
The government CANNOT continue to spend money that it does not have so once again where is the government going to get all of this revenue that is required to cover the debt they owe? Can you run your household by spending at this rate compared to the income you earn without having the fear of being in jail or bankrupt and on the street? No, you practice finacial resposibility and if you can’t afford something you look for a cheaper alterative or wait until you can. Why should the government continue to operate in this obviously irresponsible manner.
Also as to my second question, the US Constitution grants 17 and only 17 enumerated powers to Congress. All other powers are regulated to the states. Where in the Constitution is Congress granted the power to provide/fund health care/insurance for the citizens?
Our Congressmen took an oath of office to uphold the Constitution and from what I have seen they are in the process of trashing this great document. There is nothing in the Constitution giving them the power to provide/fund health care/insurance for the citizens, if they want that power then the Article 5 of the Constitution provides the method for them to obtain this power and it is not through the courts as many on the left think. The Constitution is a living document because our founding fathers made the provision of Article 5 to make changes through time as they became required.
Posted by: Sandcrab1612 | December 19, 2009, 12:15 pm 12:15 pm
I doubt very much that the founding Fathers knew there would be a health care crisis. (At the time they would have brought in a few leeches to solve the problem.) But they wisely created a Supreme Court – to cover future issues that were unknown at the time. You are correct, the Constitution is a “living” document and, as such, must be read in the context of an ever changing world. If the country needs health care than the Constitution is flexible enough to accomodate that idea or any idea that is for the common good – unless of course, it is expressly forbidden. I don’t like ammending the Constitution for every issue that comes down the pike, as most issues can be interpreted by the Supreme Court. The exception is to prevent states from setting up their own laws on things like equal rights for minorities and women. I live in the South and can definitely see that happening here unless the Ammendment did not exist. Personally, I think people use the Constitution in the way that makes the point they want to make -based on their belief system. Thank God, our Founding Fathers were smart enough to recognize that fact and address it in Article III.
Posted by: Gretchenmom | December 19, 2009, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
This health care reform bill is nothing more than a power grab for a government’s structure, for the beginning of the fundamental change from our present free market and capitalist system to one of a fascist socialist form of big government, by the government for the people?
A power grab being constructed in the middle of darkness, behind closed doors and private deals and payoffs being directed from a corrupt Chicago gang of political insiders and unelected czars from within the white house itself.
It contains clauses which are clearly unconstitutional and contrary to the very oath of office these politicians from all parties and independents alike took and swore to uphold. Not in a free country and nor in the peoples constitution does it give government the right to force or demand citizens buy health care or any other service that the government deems appropriate, or be jailed for failure to do so!
Senators and Congress members all are governing like diminutive Kings and Queens. Unfortunately, should Senator Joe Lieberman, a Jews independent member of Congress sitting with the democrats, along with any other Senator who might succumb to back room deals and does not continue to uphold the wishes of the majority of the people, which presently stands at 61% against this structural reform of Americas health care system, Joe and others, by accepting such 30 pieces of silver will become a member of this gang of sixty.
History will record this gang of sixty Senators as the treasonous bunch of politicians who themselves succumbed to accepting 30 silver pieces and blindly following the orders of paid political special interest groups, unions and lobbyists, indirect opposition to the voters and in violation of the constitution they all have sworn to uphold, but apparently have not read.
Any final passage of this structural reform health care bill will be the end of the start of this administrations illegal and unconstitutional attempt, to fundamental change and circumcise and castrate the Constitution of the United States of America. God help us all.
PS. The Federal government was already bankrupt before this draconian piece of legislation was introduced and will make a bad situation even worse!
Posted by: peterclarke | December 19, 2009, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm
peterclarke…I noticed in your eloquent diatribe that you never mention how health care costs have continually escalated so much in the past 20 years that some 30 million fellow Americans cannot afford it. You never mention how through “free unregulated enterprise” philosophy that a rich elite has grown even more rich because some of them control this “golden goose setup”. You never mention how the middle class position in society has grow stagnant and is now on the decline. And you never mention how the percentage of poor getting poorer has risen dramatically. Could it be that you are more interested in your “have position” and your own personal iinterpetation of the Constition than you are your fellow human beings? Just wondering.
Posted by: CND FOX | December 19, 2009, 6:28 pm 6:28 pm
Even when the Senate bill passes, the House bill cannot be reconciled with it.
The two bills are matter and anti-matter, public option and no public option.
They will destroy each other when they meet.
Posted by: Joe White | December 19, 2009, 9:39 pm 9:39 pm
It amazes me that these GOP sheep keep spouting, “Whats the Rush” but supported a multi Billion dollar War that there un-intellectual idol G Dubya’ Bush rush into?
Posted by: Jeff Yoder | December 19, 2009, 10:46 pm 10:46 pm