Big payoffs to senators on health bill stoke public anger

SF Examiner ^ | 12/23/2009 | Susan Ferrechio

[markomalley]

With the approval rating of Congress sinking in the polls and public opinion of their health care plan going down along with it, Democrats may have done themselves one favor too many this week when they riddled the bill with special deals for individual lawmakers. As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., struggled to pull together his 60 Democratic-controlled votes needed to pass the bill, certain holdout lawmakers were able to carve out extra money, benefits or exemptions that senators from other states didn't get. Reid said the deal making is just part of how legislation gets done in the Senate. "It's not different from other pieces of legislation," Reid said. "We work compromises. That's what legislation is all about, the art of compromise." He added that for those senators who did not carve out something for themselves, "it doesn't speak well of them." Steve Ellis, who spends his days parsing out pork barrel projects from congressional spending bills, said Reid's response ignores public disgust over such back-room deals. "Even if you say this is just the way it works, that doesn't mean the public likes it," said Ellis, who is vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group. "It stinks. And the public recognizes that."   Republicans trumpeted the deals as proof the bill was too unpopular to pass on its own, as evidenced by recent poll numbers showing shrinking public support. "Payoffs, Kickbacks, Sweetheart Deals Abound in Sen. Reid's Government Takeover of Health Care," read the headline on one Senate Republican press release. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the deal making "sleazy." With the Internet and news saturated with accounts of the special deals secured by Nelson and others, it may be even harder than predicted for the Senate and House to return in January to pass a final bill, especially if they get an earful back home. A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that 32 percent of respondents believed the health care plan proposed by President Obama was a good idea, down from 39 percent in September. Congress fared even worse in the same poll, which found that 68 percent of those questioned disapprove of the job lawmakers are doing. Democratic lawmakers nonetheless defended the bill on Tuesday and the special deals within it. Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., all of whom had problems with the reform bill and were threatening to vote "no," changed their minds around the time their states were given hundreds of billions of dollars in federal money to cover the reform bill's proposed expansion of Medicaid. Landrieu said she was simply ensuring that her state received a "correction to a formula that was going to distort our share," of Medicaid dollars. "It was not a condition for my vote," Landrieu said. Nelson said he secured money for Medicaid because he believed the expansion is an unfunded mandate, which he opposes. "Many of my colleagues are already talking about getting the same deal that we have," Nelson said.

The high cost of health legislation Some of the special favors for powerful or hard-to-convince senators in the health bill expected to pass the Senate Thursday. »  Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. -- Up to $300 million in additional federal money to pay for the state of Louisiana's share of the proposed expansion of Medicaid. »  Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. -- A commitment that the federal government will permanently pay for Medicaid expansion in the Cornhusker State at a cost of about $100 million. » Sens. Ben Nelson and Carl Levin, D-Mich. -- A provision that shelters Mutual of Omaha in Nebraska and Blue Cross Blue Shield in Michigan from a proposed $10 billion annual fee on the health insurance industry. » Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. -- Dodd, facing a re-election battle with low poll numbers, inserted a $100 million grant tailored to a proposal for a new hospital at the University of Connecticut Health Center. » Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. -- A 2.2 percent increase in federal coverage of Medicaid expansion, worth about $600 million over a decade. »  Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. -- A special provision that will exempt about 800,000 senior citizens in the Sunshine State from any of the proposed cuts to the Medicaid Advantage program. » Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. -- The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and a chief architect of the health care bill inserted language in the bill to provide services and benefits, including Medicare, for a group of Montana miners exposed to asbestos.

[6ppc]

"Many of my colleagues are already talking about getting the same deal that we have," Nelson said.

Let's see how CBO scores the bill when 30 states pass Medicaid increases back to fedgov.

[Blood of Tyrants]

[MrB]

Their goal is to redefine “rights” as being anything you need, at the expense of others.

My tagline used to be
“You have no ‘rights’ that impose an involuntary burden on another person”

They want to expunge this concept from our society, then they can do anything they want to us.

[markomalley]

Let's see how CBO scores the bill when 30 states pass Medicaid increases back to fedgov.

As if CBO is going to score the reconciliation bill (or any modification to the Senate bill)...

[brownsfan]

“They want to expunge this concept from our society, then they can do anything they want to us.”

I agree. And to expand on it, they want to be the ones to take from the productive and give to the idle. All the while, they will live a very rich and comfortable life on our money. Not constrained by the rules they place on the rest of us.

[paulycy]

I'd like to hear that, too.

[kjo]

Yeah...even if Nelson loses next time...he’ll wind up with some plush job as a lobbyist for a medical company that signed on with the bill.

The system is deeply corrupt. Broken, through and through.

[az_gila]

“Many of my colleagues are already talking about getting the same deal that we have,” Nelson said.

Let's see how CBO scores the bill when 30 states pass Medicaid increases back to fedgov.

---

Especially since the states bribed so far have been relatively small states. Just add the large (D) states on the same sweet deal and the $$$ will go through the roof. Even the CBO won't be able to cover it up.

[GailA]

Ask them why they HATE Seniors, Veterans and retired Military!

local contact and fax numbers for Senators (demwits)

Email them but the Phone is the best route.

Remind them that obamanationcare effects EVERY ONE!

VA cuts, retired Military..Tri Care for Life (nearly $5,000 in new fees) 8% cut in Medicare, increased premiums, 15% cut to nursing homes and for Pete's sake why are we creating a new tax on special needs kids?

bill would REDUCE SENIOR Medicare

Health-Care Reform 2009

Report: Bill would reduce senior care Medicare cuts approved by House may affect access to providers

Lori Montgomery

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 15, 2009

A plan to slash more than $500 billion from future Medicare spending -- one of the biggest sources of funding for President Obama's proposed overhaul of the nation's health-care system -- would sharply reduce benefits for some senior citizens and could jeopardize access to care for millions of others, according to a government evaluation released Saturday.

The report, requested by House Republicans, found that Medicare cuts contained in the health package approved by the House on Nov. 7 are likely to prove so costly to hospitals and nursing homes that they could stop taking Medicare altogether.

AND if you are Retired Military on Tri Care for Life, which many Millions are, you are in for a nearly $5,000 NEW fee along with the increased premiums for the REDUCED Medicare benefits.

bill would Introduce NEW nearly $5,000 fee to TRL

This option would help reduce the costs of TFL, as well as costs for Medicare, by introducing minimum out-of pocket requirements for beneficiaries. Under this option, TFL would not cover any of the first $525 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities for calendar year 2011 and would limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $4,725 in Medicare cost sharing that the beneficiary incurred. (Because all further cost sharing would be covered by TFL, enrollees could not pay more than $2,888 in cost sharing in that year.)
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9925/12-18-HealthOptions.pdf

November 6, 2009 | Rep Buyer abd Rep McKeon bill would cut VA benefits http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/hcva09/hcva110609-1.htm

Bill Would Restrict Veterans’ Health Care Options

Buyer and McKeon Offer Amendments to Protect Veterans and TRICARE Beneficiaries

[WOBBLY BOB]

“The whole idea of our government is this: If enough people get together and act in concert, they can take something and not pay for it.” — P.J. O’Rourke - A Parliament of Whores

Politics should be limited in scope to ware, protection of property, and the occasional precautionary beheading of a member of the ruling class.” — P.J. O’Rourke

“When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.” — P.J. O’ROURKE

[DeaconRed]

"Maybe so. I just go by what I see."

You need to get out more. . . . Trust me there are a lot of us that have had enough of this bunch of CROOKS.
I still think we will kick a field goal at the last minute, but a part of me wants it to pass and let the IDIOTS see what they voted for.

Hang in there it ain't over by a long shot. . . . . even if it passes.

[1066AD]

Steyn on Rush said Kerry got a bunch of money fpr his state ($500mill ?)

[Fresh Wind]

The more layers you peel from the onion, the more reason you have to cry.

[DeaconRed]

PJ is DA MAN. . . . .

[brownsfan]

“You need to get out more. . . . “

Problem is, I’m in the blue part of Ohio, northeast Ohio. Getting out more would just depress me. I’m safer here. :)

[My Favorite Headache]

Why on Earth are we letting 60 scumbags rule 318 million people? THIS IS INSANITY. I say it’s time for the next option.

[Fighter@heart]

Very well put. Concise & to the point. See ya at “the next option!”