Posted on 07/25/2009 12:26:01 PM PDT by tatown
For the second time this month, congressional budget analysts have dealt a blow to the Democrat's health reform efforts, this time by saying a plan touted by the White House as crucial to paying for the bill would actually save almost no money over 10 years.
A key House chairman and moderate House Democrats on Tuesday agreed to a White House-backed proposal that would give an outside panel the power to make cuts to government-financed health care programs. White House budget director Peter Orszag declared the plan "probably the most important piece that can be added" to the House's health care reform legislation.
But on Saturday, the Congressional Budget Office said the proposal to give an independent panel the power to keep Medicare spending in check would only save about $2 billion over 10 years- a drop in the bucket compared to the bill's $1 trillion price tag.
"In CBO's judgment, the probability is high that no savings would be realized ... but there is also a chance that substantial savings might be realized. Looking beyond the 10-year budget window, CBO expects that this proposal would generate larger but still modest savings on the same probabilistic basis," CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf wrote in a letter to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Saturday.
The proposal's meager savings are a blow to Democrats working furiously to bring down costs in order to win support from their party's fiscally conservative Blue Dogs, who have threatened to vote against the bill without significant changes. The proposal was heralded as a breakthrough on Tuesday after Blue Dogs and House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman emerged from the White House with agreement on giving the independent panel, rather than Congress, the ability to rein in Medicare spending.
Saturday's CBO analysis caps a tough week of blown deadlines, partisan bickering and fierce intra-party fighting among Democrats. On Friday, the tension between the Blue Dogs and Waxman exploded when Waxman threatened to bypass his committee and bring the reform bill straight to the House floor without a vote. The move infuriated Blue Dogs who have used their crucial committee votes to leverage changes to the bill.
But by late Friday, Waxman said their colleagues had pulled the two groups "back from the brink" and back to the negotiating table.
Still, Hoyer said there was little chance that that the House would pass a health reform legislation before Friday when lawmakers are expected to leave Washington for summer recess.
This is not about health care! It's about POWER OVER YOU & YOUR FAMILY! Obama is not about to let this chance go to pass REPARATIONS aka 'level the playing field'! No one (but recipients) would be supporting this IF the taxpayer knew the truth.
Obama is a bold face liar and the press knows it. They aren't about to challenge him because they have too much invested in his 'success'.
Just imagine if a conservative tried to pull this kind of power grab! The press would be having large cows trying to stop him.
Why, yes - I do.
He said, "We are SO screwed".
Gee, you don't suppose that might serve as one more big magnet for illegal immigration.
That's probably the overriding purpose of that exemption.
The agenda is bigger than “socialized” medicine...it’s about greater control of our lives...IMO, a totally socialized, non-capitalistic nation.
Seems it’s always about the bigger picture. To some degree Bush did the same thing....insisted we could NOT have border security without total “comprehensive immigration reform” (amnesty).
Has anyone NOT noticed that with both, illegals win.
Facts and hard numbers are a real nuisance! </s>
You would have seen the same thing where Katrina ripped through New Orleans. The rest of the country ended up with many of these people instead (still living off the government).
You can also see them in any town America where generations have lived off welfare. The only 'job' they know is stealing from someone else and if they have to murder you, so be it. In our area it's called "THUNDER ZONE" but don't ask me why. The only product they know how to produce is CRACK COCAINE!
Follow the Mississippi River through Arkansas. They still love Bill Clinton in those areas. Mike Ross (D - ARK) 'represents' many of them too.
I thought I would never agree with Carville on anything, but still “it’s the economy stupid”.
How can this administration promise the world and continue to say we’re broke.
From my reading of the bill, I think there's a good bit of "early termination" already built into the calculations.
HF
You must not know much about the author.
tagline:
The head of the CBO, after testifying to the same effect in front of a House committee, was summoned to the White House, where, presumably, Emanuel threatened him with something or other between simple blackmail and the murder of his wife and children. So this is a pretty big surprise, coming out so soon after the poor guy barely got out of the White House in one piece.
3 areas to focus on current health care delivery:
1. Tort Reform--cap malpractice awards
2. Introduce Competitive Bidding Process for services and materials. The industry's lobbyists shot down that very proposal by the Bush Admin. It must then be the right thing to do.
3. Go After FRAUD. I mean People-in-Jail kind of Go After.
Con you show me that provision in the bill?
Poor Barry isn’t having a good day.
There will be a $2500 per year fine for individuals under the legislation who aren’t enrolled in a plan, collectible by the IRS.
No, I don’t have an excerpt of the wording at my fingertips but perhaps someone else does.
Illegal aliens are of course covered under the bill because anyone residing in the US is “entitled” to this coverage. Their eligibility to be here won’t be made an issue...Obama has made it clear he is for amnesty and would’ve pushed it through by now if he thought he could have.
And he doesn’t mean amnesty the way Bush meant amnesty with a bunch of hoops to jump through but eventual chance at citizenship afterwards, meanwhile somewhat beefing up the border...nooooooo, Obama means free and clear AMNESTY.
No, the bill does not say they won’t be charged the fine. But look at it this way...lots of them are poor and will be entitled to help from others, rather than have the dough to fork over in fines and remain uninsured. So they can qualify for government help to ensure under the public plan and they don’t mind getting it or the plan (they don’t know what all of us here are in for when the system collapses).
Whereas a bunch of us don’t want the plan and/or might not qualify for help to get what we don’t want but are forced to have.
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