Free Republic

Health Care Bills Passes the US House CSPAN ^ Posted on Saturday, November 07, 2009 11:07:41 PM by jern Just had the 218th vote, which is what they need to psas th ebill Live Thread: House of Representatives Votes on Obamacare 11-07-09 U.S. House of Representatives ^ | 11/07/09 Posted on Saturday, November 07, 2009 12:35:32 PM by pillut48 Pelosi has the votes The Politico ^ | November 7, 2009 | Ben Smith Posted on Saturday, November 07, 2009 9:23:21 PM by 2ndDivisionVet POLITICO reports: Hours before an expected vote on a sweeping health care bill, House Democrats believe they've...

Just had the 218th vote, which is what they need to psas th ebill

With only a 2.3% profit margin, how many Insurance Companies will stop writing Individual Health Care Insurance Policies when faced with competing against a Government Option?? I predict 90%.

It has come to this, America. Democrats have decided that if you don't agree with their policies, you are to be fined. And if you don't pay the fine, you are a criminal and will be sentenced to jail. That's right, Democrats are criminalizing dissent. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has decided to leave language in her heatlhcare bill that criminalizes and prescribes jail time for any American that does not want to buy private healthcare insurance. Think of this, America. I am telling you that the U.S. Congress has decided to force you to buy the product of...

Senator Gregg stated, “The CBO estimate released last night finally sheds light on the smoke and mirrors game the majority has been playing with the cost of their health care reform proposal. Over the first 10 years, this legislation builds in gross new spending of $1.7 trillion – and most of the new spending doesn’t even start until 2014. Once that spending is fully phased in, the House Democratic bill rings up at more than $3 trillion over ten years. “Additionally, this bill cuts critical Medicare and Medicaid funding by $628 billion, accounts for nearly $1.2 trillion in tax and...

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is prepared to jail any American who does not buy a qualifying health insurance plan if the healthcare bill she sponsored (H.R. 3962, as amended) is passed into law. On November 6, Congressman Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, released a letter he received from the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) in response to his inquiry as to potential penalties for failing to comply with mandates set forth in the so-called “Affordable Health Care for America Act.” The information set out in the response should be shocking,...

Like many Americans, I’m very concerned about the efforts underway to rush through the 2,000 page Pelosi health care bill this weekend. Why the rush? That’s a lot of pages to read. Why not give everyone the chance to read it and debate it? How much will this bill cost us? It’s unclear because the figures coming out of Washington keep changing – and always in the direction of costing more, not less. The latest numbers show it will cost more than a trillion dollars over the decade, but when has a government program ever come in on or under...

Some AMA members are outraged that the group's trustees made the endorsement without the formal approval of the organization's House of Delegates. The American Medical Association's much-touted endorsement of the House health care reform bill has triggered a revolt among some members who want the endorsement withdrawn. Some members are outraged that the group's trustees made the endorsement without the formal approval of the organization's House of Delegates. On Monday, delegates will vote on a resolution offered by some members that, if approved, will withdraw the AMA’s endorsement of the bill. President Obama cited the endorsement of the influential AMA,...

MUCH OF the criticism of the health-care measure before the House of Representatives is overwrought. Another part is simply wrong. Unfortunately, that does not mean that this is a good bill. As we have said, it does not do enough to control costs, and it is not funded in a sustainable way... As an example of the hyperbole, take the ludicrous assertion by Minority Leader John A. Boehner that the Democratic measure "is the greatest threat to freedom that I've seen in the 19 years I've been in Washington." Come on. The proposal has been endorsed by the American Medical...

Will Preventive Care Control Costs? (or Will Free Health Care pay for itself?) Mises Institute ^ | November 04, 2009 | Eric M. Staib Posted on Thursday, November 05, 2009 11:01:46 PM by sickoflibs In an attempt to control the aggregate healthcare costs that will be shouldered by taxpayers under his proposed system, President Obama has pushed increased reliance on preventive care for all eligible Americans. His argument is that, because preventive care is normally much less expensive than later surgeries, increased use of these earlier, preemptive treatments will entail radical cost savings. As with many of the president's healthcare...

The health bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is bringing to a vote (H.R. 3962) is 1,990 pages. Here are some of the details you need to know. What the government will require you to do: Sec. 202 (p. 91-92) of the bill requires you to enroll in a "qualified plan." If you get your insurance at work, your employer will have a "grace period" to switch you to a "qualified plan," meaning a plan designed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. If you buy your own insurance, there's no grace period. You'll have to enroll in...

on Voight: Democrats’ ‘Oppressive’ Health Care Bill Will ‘Decimate’ the U.S. Economy Friday, November 06, 2009 By Nicholas Ballasy, Video Reporter (CNSNews.com) - Thousands of Americans opposed to the Democrats’ health care plan marched on Capitol Hill Thursday urging lawmakers to “kill the bill.” Among the speakers at the rally was Hollywood actor Jon Voight who told CNSNews.com he does not believe the Constitution authorizes Congress to require individuals to purchase health insurance. He also said there are “a lot of things that are unconstitutional” going on in Congress. CNSNews.com asked Voight, “Does the Constitution authorize Congress to be able...

Today, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000...

Today at 2pm the House Rules Committee will meet to consider the rule for H.R. 3962 , the Affordable Health Care for America Act. As of this morning 104 amendments had been filed with the Rules Committee for consideration. Republican’s have filed 87 amendments and Democrats have filed 17. The debate in the Rules Committee and a final vote could continue well into this evening.The rule being debated today will not only cover HR 3962 but will also apply to HR 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, also known as the Doc Fix. This is a procedural gimmick that...

The voters be damned: That seems to be Speaker Nancy Pelosi's attitude in the wake of big Democratic losses on Tuesday. "House Democratic leaders, undeterred by delays in the Senate or this week's Republican electoral triumphs, plan to call a vote Saturday on the most sweeping overhaul of U.S. health-care policy in four decades," Bloomberg reports: The House will move on the $1.05 trillion legislation that would cover 36 million uninsured people and create a government plan to compete with private insurers even after the election of Republican governors in New Jersey and Virginia. President Barack Obama will go to...

<p>Below is a list of selected Democrats and their positions on the House healthcare reform bill based on media accounts, press releases and spokesmen for the lawmakers.</p>

Concerns over the hot-button issues of abortion and immigration threatened to delay a House vote on health-care reform until early next week, and Democratic leaders were struggling to contain the uprisings within their caucus. Although confident of victory, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders were working to limit defections to the roughly 25 Democrats viewed as "hard no" votes. There will be 258 Democrats in the House by the time the vote takes place, but to secure the 218 votes needed for passage -- and with prospects dim for Republican converts -- Pelosi can afford to lose no...

While roaming the grounds of the US Capitol yesterday, Kristinn Taylor obtained a list of possible democrat defectors of the now infamous “Healthcare” bill. Kristinn was asked to post this list of wobbly democrats on FreeRepublic in an effort to mobilize our forces and overwhelm these members with phone calls and e-mails asking them to vote NO on the socialization of our healthcare. We also learned that Nancy Pelosi had just scheduled the vote for tomorrow; Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 6:00 PM. For all those who were unable to answer the call to surround the Capitol yesterday, here is...

The federal government would be banned from funding sex change operations and other services for transgender individuals if social conservative activists get their way. There’s no sponsor yet for an amendment to the health care overhaul – and it may remain in the dustbin of unrealized wedge issues – but culture warriors are shopping the proposal to Republican senators. The language is written: “None of the funds authorized or appropriated under this act (or an amendment made by this Act) shall be used to cover any part or portion of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of”...

Obamacare could have the unintended consequence of raising health insurance premiums and causing a decline in the number of people with insurance. Here's why: A key feature of the House and Senate health bills would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to anyone with preexisting conditions. The new coverage would start immediately, and the premium could not reflect the individual's health condition. This well-intentioned feature would provide a strong incentive for someone who is healthy to drop his or her health insurance, saving the substantial premium costs. After all, if serious illness hit this person or a family, he could...

A few days ago, the left-wing activist group MoveOn.org began sending out emails seeking contributions to fund primary challenges against any Democratic senator who does not fully support "health care reform with a public option."

"STORM THE HILL" SWITCHBOARD CALL NOW (202) 224-3121 TO KILL THE BILL Telephone Tea Party ^ | 10-05-09 | Joinedafterattack Posted on Thursday, November 05, 2009 2:01:44 PM by joinedafterattack CALL NOW, CALL OFTEN, CALL THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grayson Reads The 'Number Of Dead' In Each Republican's District Due To No Health Care.[VIDEOS] Storyballoon.org/videos ^ | 11/05/09 | JasonSB Posted on Thursday, November 05, 2009 5:38:26 AM by Story Balloon Alan Grayson decided it was time grandstand again on House floor. This time he used his magic math to read the number of people who are dead in Republican districts due...

AARP applauds the House of Representatives for moving health care reform forward with the introduction of the Affordable Health Care for America Act... Toll-Free Nationwide: 1-888-OUR-AARP(1-888-687-2277) Toll-Free TTY: 1-877-434-7598 Toll-Free Spanish: 1-877-MAS-DE50(1-877-627-3350) International Calls: 1-202-434-3525

Speaker Pelosi’s Government-Run Health Plan Will Require a Monthly Abortion Premium Health care reform should not be used as an opportunity to use federal funds to pay for elective abortions. Health reform should be an opportunity to protect human life - not end it. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi’s 2,032-page government takeover of health care does just that. On line 17, p. 110, section 222 under “Abortions for which Public Funding is Allowed” the Health and Human Services Secretary is given the authority to determine when abortion is allowed under the government-run plan. The Speaker’s plan also requires that at least one...

Though Republicans oppose the so-called "public option," Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., is proposing the requirement to draw attention to the plan's alleged flaws. Republican Rep. Joe Wilson proposed an amendment Wednesday that would force all members of Congress to receive health insurance coverage through the government-run plan proposed in the House's reform bill. Though Republicans oppose the so-called "public option," the South Carolina gadfly -- who gained notoriety for shouting "you lie" at President Obama during his address to Congress two months ago -- is proposing the requirement to draw attention to what he sees as the plan's flaws. "They...

A divided party: Progressives threaten Democratic lawmakers (over Obamacare) Washington Examiner ^ | 11/3/2009 | Byron York Posted on Wednesday, November 04, 2009 8:54:06 AM by markomalley MoveOn.org is sending out emails today seeking more contributions for its campaign to defeat any Democratic senator who does not fully support Obamacare. Yesterday the left-wing activist group asked members to contribute "to a primary challenge against any Democratic senator who helps Republicans block an up-or-down vote on health care reform." Today, MoveOn reports that it has received $2 million in pledges in less than 24 hours. "It's a clear sign of how...

(snip) The GOP wins in New Jersey and Virginia are breeding a new competition among Republicans to take part of the credit. Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, potential rivals for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, both tried to bask in glow."We worked extremely hard on behalf of Bob McDonnell and the entire Republican ticket in Virginia, and helped him close strong with a full day of campaigning in the final week; in New Jersey, we endorsed Chris Christie early and made sure he had the resources to be competitive against his better-financed opponent," Romney told supporters of his Free &...

What a great election yesterday! It's exhilarating to wake up to headlines of conservative victories in the battleground elections in Virginia and New Jersey. The American people have sent a very strong message to the liberals in Washington, DC that big government is not the answer, and that conservatism is still alive and well. We worked extremely hard on behalf of Bob McDonnell and the entire Republican ticket in Virginia, and helped him close strong with a full day of campaigning in the final week; in New Jersey, we endorsed Chris Christie early and made sure he had the resources...

WASHINGTON - U.S. Democrats pushing for healthcare reform shrugged off their losses in two governors races and said on Wednesday the results made it more imperative to deliver on campaign promises to overhaul a failing system. A reduced Democratic turnout and a drop in support from independent voters fueled Republican wins in Virginia and New Jersey, but Democrats said the outcome would not sidetrack President Barack Obama's top domestic priority -- a sweeping healthcare overhaul. "I would not read too much into it. I saw a depressed Democratic base last night, and what that told me is Democrats need to...

All young Americans need to wake up and pay attention. You are being sold out by the federal government. Your future will be bleak indeed if you do not heed my warning. You are being sold down the river on so many fronts that I cannot list them all in this short article, but I will attempt to give you a small glimpse of what your future holds if you do not stand up. You need to get informed NOW. You need to speak up and let your voices be heard....or become a working slave to support the federal addiction...

http://www.StrikeAgainstSocialism.com Businesses nationwide shut down for one hour the day after the full Senate or the full House of Representatives passes a bill that moves America closer to socialized medicine but before a vote of both chambers on a final bill. This strike is part "trip-wire" and part "shock therapy" to let Washington politicians know we don't want the government to force us into a government-run health care monopoly. During that hour the businesses can call members of Congress and/or protest socialized medicine by holding signs near busy streets. Organizers are seeking business owners to join the strike and offer...

The debate over health care for illegal immigrants continues to percolate in Congress despite the Obama administration’s efforts to put it to rest, with lawmakers in both houses also wrangling over how much coverage to provide for immigrants who have settled in the country legally. Some Republicans favor excluding immigrants who have been legal permanent residents for less than five years, as well as all illegal immigrants. Democrats broadly agree that illegal immigrants should be excluded, but many want all legal permanent residents to be able to participate in proposed health insurance exchanges and receive subsidized coverage if they qualify....

Gibbs Says He Doesn’t Know if White House Has Reviewed Constitutionality of Federal Health Care CNSNews.com ^ | November 02, 2009 | Fred Lucas Posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 6:37:00 AM by Man50D White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said today that he does not know if White House lawyers have reviewed whether it is constitutional for the federal government to order individuals to buy health insurance and said that the White House is not seriously considering the concerns of people such as Sen. Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah) who believe the mandate is not constitutionally justified. How Will Obamacare Affect the...

Even Canada Said These Were Illegal By Michael P. Tremoglie Tea Time Blog H.R. 3962, the Democrats’ health insurance reform bill, to be voted on this week by Congress, contains a provision to establish waiting lists as a mechanism to control costs. Such waiting lists have long been a characteristic – and a bane - of socialized medicine. Indeed, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled them illegal in June 2005. "Access to a waiting list is not access to health care," wrote Canada’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin at the time. Yet, this is exactly what the Democrats’ plan has...

Democratic House leaders have developed a compromise they hope will resolve an intra-caucus dispute about whether the health bill allows tax dollars to subsidize abortions, and they’re surveying abortion-rights opponents in the caucus to gauge support. The language is not yet publicly available, but lawmakers familiar with it say it strengthens an existing provision intended to prevent abortion from getting any federal dollars.

November 3, 2009 2:30 PM Where’s Mitt Romney? Why was the once and no doubt future presidential contender missing from NY-23? By Kathryn Jean Lopez In October, everybody seemed to be doing it — getting into the campaign in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, that is. It was a three-way race among Republican Deirdre Scozzafava, Democrat Bill Owens, and Conservative Doug Hoffman to fill the seat that had been left vacant when President Obama tapped Republican John McHugh as secretary of the Army. Endorsements became such a popular sport for out-of-state Republicans that the special election came to seem a...

Patients who do not get the treatment that they need from the NHS within 18 weeks are to be given the legal right to free private care. The Cabinet agreed this week that the legislation, placing maximum waiting times on the statute book for the first time, should be rushed through Parliament before the next election. Cancer patients, in particular, will receive funding for private treatment if they have not seen an NHS specialist within two weeks of GP referral. Downing Street says that the two legal rights, which will be unveiled in next month’s Queen’s Speech, are designed to...

111, to be exact. Here's the full text if you want to open two windows and view. The House Republican Conference has compiled a list of all the new boards, bureaucracies, commissions, and programs created in H.R. 3962, Speaker Pelosi's government takeover of health care: 1. Retiree Reserve Trust Fund (Section 111(d), p. 61) ...

Keep pounding Blue Dogs over Obamacare http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977880780 ^ Posted on Sunday, November 01, 2009 11:11:18 PM by ttjemery A tax that’s a health risk The Trentonian ^ | 11/2/2009 | Deroy Murdock Posted on Monday, November 02, 2009 5:29:17 AM by markomalley ObamaCare promises to make medicine cheaper by making it costlier. Case in point: The Senate Finance Committee proposes a brand-new tax to be tacked onto the cost of medical devices. Manufacturers of pacemakers, stents, heart valves, artificial hips, motorized wheelchairs, and other therapeutic instruments may have lobbied this tax in half. But whether they endure the $40 billion...

THREE thousand Britons a year die because of a lack of lung cancer treatment, it emerged yesterday. Vital areas of care are "woefully inadequate" and there are shortages of key surgical staff, according to new research. A review has revealed a shambolic postcode lottery where treatment varies from one part of Britain to another. In some areas, fewer than one in TEN patients get any kind of treatment at all and there are "huge variations and vast inequalities" in others, the UK Lung Cancer Coalition reported after a review of services. There are only 44 thoracic surgeons - specialists in...

Alright folks, let's pool our resources and our know how. Do you have the cash and are you willing to donate to help increase body count because you can't be in DC? Do you have a willing participatory spirit but you're broke?(all you'll need is a bus ticket) Do you know of a reputable website that is facilitating this, so as to bring the willing people and the cash together to make it all happen?

Bachmann asks for patriots to call Congress and meet up with her at the Capitol next Thursday at High Noon. Time to mobilize! Stop Socialized Medicine Now!!! It's the 11th hour....Let's pay Nancy Pelosi a House Call... and tell her what she can do with the "Pelosi Health Care Plan"

Ready or not, House Democratic leaders they are pushing for a healthcare vote this week. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is poised to send a bill to the floor Monday in its final form, setting up a vote as early as Thursday. The three-day delay is not for amendments and not even for debate; Thursday is the earliest Pelosi could hold a vote and keep her pledge to allow members and the public three days to study the final legislation. But it’s possible Pelosi won’t have the votes by Thursday, and leaders have already warned their caucus that they could be...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the House version of health care reform legislation last week, but most voters are still opposed to the effort. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s down from 45% a week ago but unchanged from two weeks ago. Fifty-four percent (54%) now oppose the legislative effort, up three points since last week. Seventy-three percent (73%) of liberals support the plan, but just 18% of conservatives agree. Only 23% of all voters Strongly Support the plan while nearly twice...

Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney says the time has come to stop the economic stimulus program, contending that it has not worked as the Obama administration planned. Three days after the Obama White House touted the program as creating or saving some 650,000 jobs, Romney said in a nationally broadcast interview that "the stimulus that the president and the Congress passed is not what's helped the economy." Romney said on CBS's "The Early Show" that the administration's stimulus plan "didn't work" and

Bachmann urges confronting lawmakers on healthcare bill The Hill.com ^ | October 31, 2009 | Bob Cusack Posted on Sunday, November 01, 2009 7:49:56 AM by Man50D Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is urging Americans to come to Washington, D.C., next week to roam the halls of Congress and lobby lawmakers against the House Democrats' healthcare reform plan. The strategy aims at resurrecting the momentum Republicans enjoyed during the August recess, when many critics challenged their members of Congress on healthcare reform. Since then, Democrats have regained their footing and have captured some political momentum to pass a bill. Flex spending...

Health reform: Dems' deep divisions NY Post ^ | October 31, 2009 | MICHAEL TANNER Posted on Saturday, October 31, 2009 6:41:49 AM by Scanian Weary of news stories that legislative support for health-care reform is all but dead, Democratic leaders have been seizing every handy podium to declare that "the votes are almost there," "there is 90 percent agreement" on a proposal, "we are now prepared to move forward" and so on. In fact, even among Dems, there's nothing close to agreement on the major issues that have held up reform so far. Here's a primer on where the...

THE government has been forced to rewrite its advice on breast cancer screening after research showed that thousands of women have been misled into having unnecessary surgery. Women invited for screening by the National Health Service will be told that some of the cancers detected will be dormant and may never spread to other tissue. Research published this year showed that for every 2,000 women screened regularly for a decade, one life would be saved but 10 healthy women would be treated unnecessarily. The information now given to women has been criticised for advertising only the benefits and not the...

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney may have worked with Democratic candidate Stephen Pagliuca, but he’s supporting fellow Republican Scott Brown in this race to succeed the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. The 2008 GOP presidential contender is headlining a fundraiser Friday night in Brown’s hometown of Wrentham.

Republicans on Capitol Hill are challenging an assertion by House leaders that their new health-care package comes in under President Obama's spending limit of $900 billion over the next decade. The true cost of the measure, the GOP argues, is more than $1 trillion. A House leadership aide dismissed the charge as "GOP spin." But, in this case, the spin is essentially true. According to a preliminary estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, expanding coverage to an additional 36 million Americans would cost $1.055 trillion over the next decade under the House plan, counting tax breaks for small businesses,...