Posted on 12/23/2009 11:54:15 AM PST by ksm1
The Senate's healthcare bill is fatally flawed, a senior Democrat atop a powerful committee said on Wednesday.
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), the chairwoman of the House Rules Committee and co-chairwoman of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, said that the Senate's bill is so flawed that it's unlikely to be resolved in conference with the bill to have passed the House.
"The Senate health care bill is not worthy of the historic vote that the House took a month ago," Slaughter wrote in an opinion piece for CNN's website.
Slaughter argued that while the House bill is far from perfect, the Senate bill's exclusion of a public option, along with abortion funding restrictions and other measures, make the bill undeserving of a vote.
Specifically, Slaughter said, the Senate bill would charge seniors higher premiums, would fail to nix health insurers' antitrust exemption and would not go far enough in extending coverage to people in the U.S.
"Supporters of the weak Senate bill say 'just pass it — any bill is better than no bill,' " Slaughter wrote. "I strongly disagree — a conference report is unlikely to sufficiently bridge the gap between these two very different bills."
The New York Democrat also sounded a note similar to what Republicans have said (though for different reasons): Scrap the current healthcare bill, and start over.
"It's time that we draw the line on this weak bill and ask the Senate to go back to the drawing board," she said. "The American people deserve at least that."
I was wondering when someone was going to post that.
Kill the bill in liberal speak means: what are you going to give me to support it. She’s haggling, arguing her price.
PING to the list.
Dems are already getting a Merry Christmas Welcome back home.
The cracks get bigger.
It’s not a Health Care bill you liars! It’s a destroy America bill and kill off seniors bill.
I agree with you Cicero, this somehow appears fake since this woman clearly had to have voted for the bill. I pray that the infighting and competition becomes so severe that they all end up in a “virtual tower of babel” and get absolutely NOTHING done. What is Obama going to threating to kill everyone’s family? Dissention can be good no??? CO
Coming from and living with Socialist healthcare you are absoslutely correct!! I KNOW, I have seen it. Our system is now moving away from Socialized medicine. It becomes completely overloaded, the doctors and nurses leave, the service is deplorable and on and on. I was a Registered Nurse in the 70’s - it was very good then but then it became overloaded. Yours will be even worse, it’s starting out overloaded. It’s a complete and utter disaster. At least we are now being given the opportunity to pay for private healthcare clinics for MRI’s, minor surgeries, all sorts of things. It at least frees up the local hospitals. But all in all, private insurance is the best. However, I have American cousins who tell me that they pay a huge amount for premiums and they still have huge deductibles. Also, there is the fact that in the event of a catastrophic illness, the insurance runs out???? I would need to see that fixed. This is not an easy problem but it is a problem that a Commie t*rd like Obama is NOT qualified to handle. CO
She means it. She doesn’t think the bill serves the far left well enough. P.O.d about cutting the public option, etc.
There is no reason for rhetoric, espically if you plan to vote for the Bill in the end!
They hold all the power, yet, unlike the Senate, where many Senators don't come up for reelection next year, all of House members do.
There won't be a Bluedog who survives if they vote for this Bill.
On the Left, if they betray their own base, they might defeated by another Democrat in a primary.
I believe the hostility to this Bill is real and all we need is a 5 vote swing in the House to kill it.
My bet is that it doesn't even get out of committee.
The Senate version would never pass the House.
The rhetoric is to placate their base. Listen to what Harkin had to say about this just being the "starter home" to the mansion.
There won't be a Bluedog who survives if they vote for this Bill.
Who really knows? And why would the Blue Dogs, many of whom voted for the stimulus package and cap and trade think that voting for this bill will hurt them any worse than voting against it? Sen Burris said the choice is between hanging together or separately. And the Dem leadership can threaten them by having them challenged in the primary, cutting off campaign money, and changing committee assignments. The Dems control the House 262-178.
I believe the hostility to this Bill is real and all we need is a 5 vote swing in the House to kill it. My bet is that it doesn't even get out of committee. The Senate version would never pass the House.
You are wrong on all counts. The Senate version will be the main one with a few tweaks. Pelosi can get through anything she wants. She will allow some Dems to vote no for their protection and cover. It is all orchestrated behind the scenes. They don't bring anything up for a vote unless they know the votes beforehand.
Obamacare must pass for the Dems. They have too much invested in its passage including the rest of Obama's agenda. Once the framework is passed, the bill can be changed and modified to suit the needs of the base. For the Dems, failure is not an option. With such overwhelming majorities in both Houses, they must pass as much as they can before the midterms. With Obama in the WH, none of this stuff can be repealed or pushed back. The Reps won't have veto proof majorities even under the most rosy scenarios.
The rhetoric is to placate their base. Listen to what Harkin had to say about this just being the "starter home" to the mansion.
Neither the pro-life people or the public-option people are going to be 'placated' by a yes vote on this Bill.
Both groups have strong views on the issue.
There won't be a Bluedog who survives if they vote for this Bill.
Who really knows? And why would the Blue Dogs, many of whom voted for the stimulus package and cap and trade think that voting for this bill will hurt them any worse than voting against it? Sen Burris said the choice is between hanging together or separately. And the Dem leadership can threaten them by having them challenged in the primary, cutting off campaign money, and changing committee assignments. The Dems control the House 262-178.
Well, on one hand, we are told that the Bluedogs were given 'cover' and that is why the first vote was so close, but on the other hand they are going to now vote 'yes' on a Bill that doesn't even contain a strong pro-life provision?
I don't say that Pelosi won't twist arms, but the fact is that the Senate version is not acceptable to to many House members to survive a simple up or down vote.
[ I believe the hostility to this Bill is real and all we need is a 5 vote swing in the House to kill it. My bet is that it doesn't even get out of committee. The Senate version would never pass the House. ]
You are wrong on all counts. The Senate version will be the main one with a few tweaks. Pelosi can get through anything she wants. She will allow some Dems to vote no for their protection and cover. It is all orchestrated behind the scenes. They don't bring anything up for a vote unless they know the votes beforehand.
Well, Pelosi can't get through anything she wants when she is opposed by major sections of her own Party.
And you are correct, nothing will be voted on unless they have the votes, that is why I believe it won't be brought back to voted on in the House, it will die in conference.
And the Senate version if changed at all, can be blocked again in the Senate.
As this Bill gets to be more known, the opposition will increase, not decrease.
Obamacare must pass for the Dems. They have too much invested in its passage including the rest of Obama's agenda. Once the framework is passed, the bill can be changed and modified to suit the needs of the base. For the Dems, failure is not an option. With such overwhelming majorities in both Houses, they must pass as much as they can before the midterms. With Obama in the WH, none of this stuff can be repealed or pushed back. The Reps won't have veto proof majorities even under the most rosy scenarios.
The Democrats will not have the House after 2010 if they pass the Senate version unchanged.
Many House members know that.
Obama isn't growing more popular and each House member knows he is the one who has face the voters wrath in Nov, not Obama.
As this Bill gets pushed back into Feb and March and more details come out, it will break into pieces and die.
The Senate health care bill is dead on arrival in the House of Representatives unless major changes are made, including removal of special “carve outs” for Medicaid funding for certain states and inclusion of language barring taxpayer-funded health plans that cover abortions, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) told CNSNews.com on Tuesday.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414547/posts
No, this Bill is not going past the House.
You think House members want to explain to their voters why they voted for the Senate version with all its special perks and pro-abortion language?
Reid put something together so he could say he got a Bill, he knows it will never survive Committee.
The House Bill barely passed.
We only need a few votes to switch to kill the Senate Bill.
The House members are going to hear from their districts how unpopular this Bill is, even among the Left!
The longer it takes, the more likely it is to die.
Just like the Amnesty Bill, which they hoped to push past the American people and died when it was dragged out.
No, he will claim victory, but in reality, the Bill will never make it out of committee.
Too much opposition to it already-even from Democrats!
Don’t believe this BS. Lieberman made his demands. So did Nelson. Pelosi et al will figure a way out so everyone can save face. This is just Lucy and the football. Hope will rise and then be dashed. It is part of the Dem water torture to weaken the opposition.
You are deluded. The bill will be passed and it will be essentially the Senate version. We need to now concentrate on attacking it and responding to the Dem spin effort, which will do Goebbels proud.
I watched the vote. I know it was close.
I’d love nothing more than for this bill to be killed, but that would be a political miracle. “His” presidency is centered around the passage of this authoritarian legislation is some form.
The more the truth comes out on these BILLS, not 'Bill' the more they will be rejected by the public.
The delay in voting to reconcile will only lead to more pressure on the House Democrats.
If they want this to be their last term, they can vote for the Senate version with it's pro-abortion language.
The Democrats retook the House by running anti-abortion Democrats in conservative districts.
They won't survive voting for the Senate version.
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