Posted on 07/22/2009 6:43:01 AM PDT by MaestroLC
President Obama and fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats in the House reached what one of the Democrats, Rep. Mike Ross, called a "small breakthrough" on one of 10 contentious issues that threatens to torpedo a major health care reform bill.
The Blue Dogs hold a large number of seats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which canceled a vote Tuesday on health care reform legislation. Obama and seven members of the coalition agreed in principle to create what he called an independent Medicare Advisory Council, Ross said.
The Arkansas Democrat thinks the council could help defray health costs and achieve better equity in the legislation.
Ross told FOX News the council would be comprised of public and private citizens. But he conceded that it would take "a number of amendments" to jump start the health care bill now stalled in the House.
The idea could meet a cool reception in the Senate where key Republican senators would prefer congressional oversight of Medicare spending.
Ross pointed to former Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, as what he called the "poster-child" for helping adjust Medicare payments to rural areas. Ross says Stevens secured a 35 percent Medicare increase for Alaska just before he left the Senate early this year.
Blue Dog Democrats have blocked the House Democratic leadership from securing enough votes to approve the bill. Concerns about the legislation's cost, proposed tax increases and the speed that Congress was moving the health care package have forced the president and Democratic leaders to court their votes.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Feh. They will be bought off.
This is an early indication before the wall breaks down and they secure more votes. They want this done before July ends and will do anything to achieve it.
We need a Medicare Council Czar!!!!
Abort the unborn, kill the old, save money to give to our voters.
And we also get some extra money so animals can sue those nasty white guys for damages.
They will just ensure the health plan puts anyone who is not a flaming liberal into an early grave.
He is going to buy them off at any cost...
And before they release the latest budget expenditure results which they've delayed until the August recess.
Yeah just what 0bama’s wants... another “Advisory Council” to bribe/bully/threaten.
Advisory Council will advise the Advisory Council on what the Advisory Council of the Advisory Council should advise the Advisory Council to do.
Except in this case it will be a Kommissar Kouncil.
Keep telling people you cannot trust ANY Democrat that is in the Congress today. On Cap and Trade they paid for their votes by putting money in their campaign coffers.
They vote for this Health Care bill and they are going to be in the unemployment line. Every last one of the so-called fiscal conservative DemocRATs needs shown the door if they compromise on this bill.
If anyone is in their district, make sure your make their Town Hall Meetings, visit their local office, and call their local office over and over again with your disgust at any thought of voting for this horrible bill. Any bill with over 1,000 pages needs thrown in File 13 and start over with a bill everyone can understand.
Medical council, eh? Populated with tax cheats? All receiving the same health care as congress?
Bring it on. I await the upcoming revolution.
According to the article they have been bought off.
Nevermind that their constituencies are screaming about losing their private insurance. Nevermind that 80% of the public wants to finance it only for citizens. Nevermind that Unemployment is going through the roof. Why not kill 15% of the economy that's working?
After all, their Dems...
Could someone explain to me how yet another layer of bureaucracy will bring costs down? Is this something like Uncle Joe’s plan to spend our way out of bankruptcy?
Is anybody trying to track the pork “payoffs” that Zero is handing out? My guess is that he’s writing checks from the TARP or Porkulus checkbooks to sway (e.g. buy) votes in Congress. And that could be illegal!
This could be a huge story if it ever breaks. Of course, only the “new” media will even look into it ...
Yeah, just plug their noses with a little money and they'll swallow anything.
“And before they release the latest budget expenditure results which they’ve delayed until the August recess.”
You’d think would be one government hack that’s also a patriot willing to leak these numbers...Libs like to protect whistleblowers, don’t they?
“They will be bought off.”
Just like Benedict Arlen Specter.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2181685/posts
“Well, of course I am,” Mr. Specter said when asked if he’s worried about the conservative backlash. “But (President) John Kennedy had it right. He said, ‘Sometimes the party asks too much.’ And this is something I think is necessary for the country. It goes beyond politics. It goes beyond the Democratic or Republican position. It’s the right thing for America.”
Mr. Specter said he would have supported the package even if Democrats had not added $6.5 billion in additional money for the National Institutes of Health to the final version of the bill.
Mr. Specter had sought the money for years, and had mentioned that he wanted the money in the bill when he met with President Barack Obama last week.
It is 8:52 CDT. Mark it down now....This is a done deal. This obama guy owns Congress. He owns these lily-livered punks on the Hill. We are at the end of this republic as we know it.
I could also say plug their noses with a little money and they'll feed us anything
IMO, the current DeathCare bill is Hussein’s way of legalizing and condoning concentration camps or extermination of select groups. Congress and Hussein will be exterminating whichever Americans they choose by mandating end of life decisions, mandatory abortions, and denying care to whomever they deem are enemies of the state (quietly of course). Tell it like it is! This time the Jews won’t go alone; millions of Americans will be targeted by the Elitist in power.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.