Posted on 09/16/2009 7:13:35 AM PDT by harpu
With apologies to E.F. Hutton, when Ron Wyden talks about health care reform, people should listen. When Ron Wyden balks at a Democratic health care reform proposal, people should definitely listen.
The Democratic senator from Oregon has been the Energizer Bunny of health reform for the last five years. This week, he lobbed a big rhetorical stink bomb into the works. Wyden warned publicly that the package being crafted by the Senate Finance Committee would cost lower-income Americans too much and give many people too little choice of insurance plans.
Under the finance committee proposal, individuals would be required to obtain insurance. But to drive down the cost of the package, Montana Democrat Max Baucus' Gang of Six -- a gang that pointedly does not include Wyden -- trimmed the size of the subsidies available for those who could not afford insurance on their own.
Now, a family earning three times the poverty level -- $66,150 for a family of four -- would have to pay up to 13 percent of their income for health insurance. And that's just the premiums -- not counting deductibles, co-payments and out-of-pocket expenses.
"I don't know very many working-class families who you can look in the eyes and say, 'Do you have that kind of money in your checking account?' -- because they don't," Wyden told me.
Those without coverage would face up to a $3,800 fine, unless costs exceeded 10 percent of their income, in which case they would be given an "affordability exemption." In other words, they wouldn't have insurance, but at least they wouldn't be penalized for it.
"Folks are having trouble affording coverage that meets their families' needs now. And they have been hearing from the White House and Congress that they're going to get health care security," Wyden said.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Wayden must one of those liberal raciest ?
Ron Wyden, in person, puts the eeeeew in creepy.
According to Drudge, Senator Rockefeller objects to Baucus and Obama’s plan as well. Rockefeller has been a staunch advocate of universal health care for years. He must have turned racist overnight.
The people in Oregon become outraged and then run for cover! No longer is this going to happen. The conservatives in Oregon are standing up to fight!
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He came to Medford and said about 0bummerCare that,
"everyone is going to have to give up something"
I asked his office what he and other Congresscritters would give up under 0bummerCare.
Answer: NOTHING!!!
"One law for me, another for thee" - Wyden
Oregon has some real doozies, with this guy, DeFazio and that weirdo Blumenauer.
I don’t trust Wyden. What is he up to?
Barf Alert on just the name in title.
I sure hope the Oregon board keeps those of us not able to physically Meet in the loop of upcoming candidates and their positions on issues.
Wyden is a putz. Defazio is a carpetbagger and a full on bolshevik.
Word!
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