Posted on 07/10/2012 3:06:35 PM PDT by kingattax
The House approved a rule governing debate for the Republicans' Repeal of Obamacare Act on Tuesday.
Members voted 240-182 in favor of the rule, which sets up five hours of debate that will take place Tuesday and Wednesday.
Democrats strongly oppose the bill, a sentiment reflected in the rule vote. Only four Democrats supported the rule, and every voting Republicans favored it. Democrats voting for the rule were Reps. Dan Boren (Okla.), Larry Kissell (N.C.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.) and Mike Ross (Ark.).
The vote came after a debate that seemed to raise the question of why five hours of debate is needed at all.
Democrats reiterated their arguments that the repeal bill, H.R. 6079, will go nowhere after the House, and that the House is therefore wasting its time. They also noted the repeated attempts Republicans have previously made to repeal all or part of the bill.
"Never in the history of this Congress ... has anybody voted this many times on a single issue," Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) said on the House floor. "And why? Because we don't have anything else to do."
"We're not trying to make law here, we're making political points."
But Republicans insisted that repeal is needed because people are losing access to their company-sponsored health plans as companies react to the 2010 healthcare reform law, and that the cost of that law is double what Democrats advertised two years ago. Reacting to the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of the law also seemed foremost in the minds of Republicans.
"I respect their decision, and there's nothing we can do to change that," Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said. "ObamaCare is now the official law of the land.
"However, there is something this body can do to reverse the course and to prevent the job-destroying aspects of this bill from taking effect: a complete repeal of the bill."
Works for me.
She should know, she has been there since the beginning of time the liberal wench. She has been my congresswoman for a decade and has been useless except for getting me on Fox and Friends, Neal Cavuto and Glenn Beck. I think and hope she is toast as it looks like Maggie Brooks (R) just may take her out this year.
I got this email from one of our labor attorneys today.
It looks like the government will be removing employees from our health insurance by offering them Government Insurance. (Medicaid). ( Not to be confused with Government Motors)
This will drive down enrollment and subsequently drive up premiums (along with mandated freebies) forcing our company to abandon its health insurance benefits to its employees.
Immediate Issues
• Preparation and distribution of summaries of benefits and coverage (SBCs)
Reporting the cost of coverage on 2012 Forms Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, employers that provide health benefits to employees will need to take immediate action to comply with the new law beginning in 2012. They also should begin to consider whether it makes sense strategically to continue to offer group health plan coverage to employees in 2014 and beyond.
Join us for a webinar program discussing both the immediate impact and longer-term implications of the Court’s decision.
Immediate Issues
• Preparation and distribution of summaries of benefits and coverage (SBCs)
• Reporting the cost of coverage on 2012 Forms W-2
• Permitted uses of medical loss ratio (MLR) rebates from insurance companies
• New administrative fees payable by health plans to the federal government
• New limits for health care flexible spending accounts for 2013
Strategic Considerations
• Beginning in 2014, all individuals will have an opportunity to purchase individual health insurance from a state exchange. If (as expected) the exchanges provide viable health care coverage alternatives, employers will need to decide, from the financial and human resources perspectives, whether to continue to offer employer-sponsored group health insurance coverage to employees. The Affordable Care Act contains a dizzying array of financial incentives and penalties that are relevant to an employer’s choice.
• Permitted uses of medical loss ratio (MLR) rebates from insurance companies
• New administrative fees payable by health plans to the federal government
• New limits for health care flexible spending accounts for 2013
Beginning in 2014, all individuals will have an opportunity to purchase individual health insurance from a state exchange. If (as expected) the exchanges provide viable health care coverage alternatives, employers will need to decide, from the financial and human resources perspectives, whether to continue to offer employer-sponsored group health insurance coverage to employees. The Affordable Care Act contains a dizzying array of financial incentives and penalties that are relevant to an employer’s choice.
President’s $8 Billion Coincidence
Forward this to every senior you know and ask them to pass this along.
Very important they all know what is going to happen.....
Remember what FDR said, “There are no coincidences in politics...”
Hopefully, Kissell’s and McIntyre’s vote will not give them “cover” for being re-elected and possibly resulting in voters who vote for them also voting a straight Dem ticket in the Fall.
The Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act was never declared unconstitutional. Nevertheless, confronted by the wrath of angry seniors, Congress had the good sense to recognize they’d goofed, so they repealed the law in its entirety. http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/9/3/75.full.pdf
The lesson is clear: when members of Congress feel sufficient wrath from voters, they do the right thing.
What’s the verdict?
I think there is another reason, or at least result, of this bill and vote.
I’ve seen many conservatives on this site criticize the GOP as weak or the same as Dems.. the tweedle-dee, tweedle-dum song.
How many know the House has voted to repeal Obamacare? Before today? After today?
It helps to remind folks that winning the House did matter in 2010, if we had won the Senate, Obamacare would have died long ago. And if we win it this time, it will be gone.
Ron H. wrote:
Strictly symbolic, otherwise a meaningless gesture. Too little, too late.
This can be added to the impressive number of budget proposals and deficit reducing measures that Prince Harry has pushed aside and ignored. The pile won’t reflect well in the Dims.
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