Posted on 10/02/2009 7:00:25 PM PDT by Steelfish
OCTOBER 3, 2009
Snowe Vote Looms in the Health Battle
JANET ADAMY and GREG HITT
WASHINGTON -- The final hours of the Senate Finance Committee's marathon health debate focused on making its bill affordable for the middle class. Now, the question is whether Democrats did enough to win over Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe, and whether they stayed within the budget limits set by President Barack Obama.
The committee wrapped up its debate just after 2 a.m. EDT Friday. Its vote, set for next week, could be a milestone in Mr. Obama's drive for a health-care bill this year that would cover millions of uninsured Americans.
Democrats enjoy a 13-10 majority on the committee, so passage is likely. But it will be a partial victory unless they win over Ms. Snowe. Late Thursday, as the weary senators trudged through their seventh day of amendments, the Maine Republican made an impassioned argument that the bill shouldn't hit families who are too financially strained to buy coverage.
"Why punish the average family or the individual to pay the onerous penalty?" Ms. Snowe asked. "I just don't get it."
The bill still includes a mandate that most Americans carry health coverage, but it emerged with a slew of modifications that put more money toward helping lower earners buy insurance and lightened the penalties for those who go without coverage.
Early Friday, Ms. Snowe said she was not sure how she would vote. "I've got to review the document and go from there," she said of the revised bill. "There's a lot to think about."
The modifications will add to the cost of the bill, originally estimated at $774 billion over 10 years. The Congressional Budget Office is coming up with a revised figure. Mr. Obama said last month the 10-year price tag should come
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
according to obama no charge at all
So were you serious about Republicans being the party of smaller government? Or were you just posing to get more kudos from your Minion Media buddies?
You haven't shown me any evidence that you are for smaller government-- now would be a good time to do so.
Go ahead, Olympia. Vote yourself out of a job. You’ve over-stayed your welcome.
“Early Friday, Ms. Snowe said she was not sure how she would vote. “I’ve got to review the document and go from there,” she said of the revised bill. “There’s a lot to think about.”
The thought process of a typical “moderate”.
NO BILL. NO BILL. LET IT DIE!!!
My money’s on Snowe becoming very wealthy in some way
and getting lots of goodies for her state.
Just like the Olympics, this has to be a feather in Zero’s cap so
let’s hope the feather goes the way of the Olympics.
Isn’t this the same mumble jumble she gave on crap and trade? Then she voted with the DEMS! I worry she is leaning towards them.
Is Snowe king???
She can get elected over and over in Maine. Looks like they probably wont need her anyway.
HA! Multiply that by at least a factor of 5.
Say what you will, but this bill would already be law if not for her - in other words, no town hall protests, nothing...just over with. In the end, the DEMS will pay a HUGE price for shoving this down our throats. I don’t know how her mind works, but she’s helped our cause TREMENDOUSLY, just by slowing this down by months - and she was one of the only Republicans who had the credibility with the other side to slow this down (I know, credibility with the Dems is nothing to be proud of, but it can be useful).
Let’s all hope for a happy ending now.
They would like to have her vote so that they can say it was bipartisan.
Exactly. I’d rather she lost her seat to a dem. At least you’d know where they stand, and you wouldn’t have to wipe their ass before getting s*** on like with these phony “moderates.”
Trouble is she has five years left unless Maine decides to recall her.
"Why punish the average family or the individual to pay the onerous penalty?" Ms. Snowe asked. "I just don't get it."
First of all, Ms. Snow, it isn’t a “penalty,” it’ a “tax.” From page 38 of Text of the America's Healthy Future Act as Amended (PDF Version):
Excise Tax. The consequence for not maintaining insurance would be an excise tax of $750 per adult in the household. This per adult penalty would be phased in as follows: For 2013, $0; $200 for 2014; $400 for 2015; $600 in 2016 and $750 in 2017.
Second, Excise taxes are taxes on events. Excise taxes are not taxes on a state of being (like property taxes or ad valorem taxes). What is the taxable event that will trigger this $750 per adult tax? What do I have to do to owe the tax? Or more importantly, what must I not do to avoid the tax?
| From the desk of cc2k: |
“originally estimated at $774 billion over 10 years”
Here in Boston the Big Dig was only gonna cost us 6 billion in 2006 dollars . It ended up costing 16 Billion plus and rising.
Yea, I believe Husseins numbers.
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