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Posted on 09/16/2009 9:34:07 AM PDT by Steelfish
Obama’s Pledges Complicate Health Legislation
All eyes are on the upcoming Senate Finance Committee bill
Sept . 15, 2009 WASHINGTON - Taken off guard, Democrats at work on health care legislation are grappling with President Barack Obama's nationally televised insistence on immediate access to insurance for those with pre-existing medical conditions, as well as richer Medicare prescription drug benefits than originally envisioned.
Additionally, Obama's pledge to hold the overall cost of legislation to about $900 billion over a decade has spread concern among House Democrats, who have long contemplated a costlier measure.
Yet another late complication, according to several Democrats, is the president's statement that he will not sign a bill "if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. And to prove that I'm serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don't materialize."
The $900 billion target is "very difficult," Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, told reporters. "This is reducing coverage for poor and working people." He spoke of other "restrictions the president has given in his speech."
Obama outlined his conditions in last week's speech as Democrats point toward votes in the House and Senate this fall.
After months of bipartisan negotiations, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Finance Committee, told associates during the day he intends to unveil a detailed outline of legislation on Wednesday and convene the panel next week to vote on it.
Despite numerous gestures to Republicans, there were clear indications that Baucus had fallen short in his quest to assemble a coalition of senators from both parties behind his plan.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
The Union monologue was the give away....Every place that has a Union will drop health insurance for their employees...the only option ?? People will have to sign up for the “Public option”....
Obama has to know he’s playing with unicorns now.
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Hey! Bambi Won. He has a majority. All he has to do is pass a law that says free health care for every one can’t cost any more.
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