Posted on 09/06/2009 1:37:59 PM PDT by Libloather
Government Insurance 'Trigger' Draws Bipartisan Criticism in Health Care Debate
FOXNews.com
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Conservatives and liberals alike are puncturing the latest trial balloon in the health care reform debate, finding flaws with a proposal that would keep a government-run health insurance plan on reserve in case private insurance companies don't meet certain benchmarks.
The so-called "trigger" has been floated by Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, a member of the "gang of six" Senate negotiators who are trying to broker a bipartisan compromise. Under such an option, if agreed-upon goals are not met by the insurance industry, then that would pull the trigger on government-run insurance.
It's unclear whether President Obama will address the idea when he delivers a high-stakes health care address to Congress Wednesday night. But even as the White House signals it's open to considering alternatives to a hard-and-fast "public option," administration officials and congressional negotiators are hard-pressed to find an alternative that could win more votes than it loses.
Liberals complained the trigger would likely prevent a public option from ever being implemented. Conservatives complained, to the contrary, that it would act as a surefire public option -- only several years down the road.
"If you say to the government bureaucracy, 'As long as you find it has failed, you get to build a brand-new bureaucracy,' you have a guarantee the trigger's going to go into effect. I mean, you're only delaying for four years what will become a 100-year problem," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told "FOX News Sunday."
Gingrich said Republicans probably would not find the trigger more acceptable than the current plan.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele also described it as a smokescreen last week.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, is no better than the rest of the socialists. When will we purge these traitors to American liberty from the party? Every time they side with the Democrats, all we hear is how a “bipartisan” agreement was reached (as yet another chunk of our liberty is turned over to big government).
NO COMPROMISE, you RINO turncoats!
Oh please. Snowe looks to be chasing a combination Specter/McCain prize. Sell out the American people while looking for congratulatory puff-pieces in the Times.
The time for the voters to “trigger” a mass exodus from the House and Senate is way overdue.
Well if they hold off on their trigger the American public might hold off on their triggers or pitchforks. lol
How about this “health care reform” benchmark:
Get the 20 million++ Mexican and Mesoamerica illegal alien “uninsured” peasants out of the United States by September 2010.
If you don’t, you’re fired.
I have a better idea. If agreed upon goals are not met then every member of Congress is automatically disqualified from holding office in the US. President too.
>>>> The time for the voters to “trigger” a mass exodus from the House and Senate is way overdue. <<<<
A 90 to 95 percent forced “exodus” from Capitol Hill might clean out most of the sociopaths, liars, and thieves who currently find employment there.
And I mean Democrats AND Republicans.
Me too!
You'll have to take that up with the Maine voters.
Just one more incredibly obvious example of Washington “acting stupidly”....
hh
Why does the state of Maine keep re-electing this traitorous so-called Republican Snowe? Don’t get me wrong, I live in a state that keeps re-electing Feinstein and Boxer, two of the biggest statists in the US Senate. But at least they don’t hide their socialist, Marxist beliefs. They are proud of who they are, as despicable as that might be. But Snowe? Why doesn’t she just do the honorable thing and join the other party?
Time to put Snowe out on the ice.
How about trigger that “All of those who are in Congress will be automatically enrolled in the Public Option for life”?
I bet they might be interested in reading the bill before voting on it.
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.