Posted on 02/20/2010 10:50:16 AM PST by advance_copy
Senate Republicans are claiming Democrats lack the votes to pass healthcare reform through reconciliation rules, but their math appears a bit fuzzy.
Senate Republicans on Friday distributed a press release titled “18 Democrats Oppose Health Care Reconciliation” with a breakdown of each senator’s statements on the issue.
Eighteen defections is a significantly higher number than many observers believe is accurate. Healthcare experts say the number is likely closer between 8 and 12.
A Democratic leadership aide said no one knows the real answer because Democrats haven’t whipped the vote count. Democrats are holding off on strategic decisions on how to get health reform passed until after President Barack Obama’s health summit at the White House on Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
The democrats claim that that way the republicans are using the filibuster today is unprecedented. They claim that the republicans pushed through much more under Bush with a smaller majority. In fact the only reason the filibuster is being used so much more in this congress is that the democrats are pushing a hyperpartisan agenda that was never attempted under replublican rule.
Except for the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts (which were a legitimate use of reconciliation) every major bill passed under Bush was bipartisan and had more than 60 vote for cloture and had plenty of Democrat support:
No Child Left Behind
The Patriot Act
The Iraq War use of force resolution
McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform
The Medicare Prescription Drug bill
Sarbanes-Oxley
The Bankruptcy reform bill
Expansion of SCHIP
...
The title used (by The Hill) is deceiving based on what the article actually says. The GOP claims that they don’t know if 18 actually currently opposed reconciliation, that these Dems were just against it at some point in the past. Then when the Hill tried to reach these Senator’s offices (or used more recent statements from these Senators), most of them (I think 14 out of 18) basically said they are not opposed to reconciliation now if that’s what it takes.
I hope the GOP has a good Plan B. Because the threat of losing their seat over a high cost, lower quality of care health rationing bill, does not appear to bother these Dems.
Tennessee has joined several other states in trying to pass a Health Care Freedom Act. NO COLAs for granny, retired Military or retired fed employees. BIG NEW fees for Tricare for Life retired over 65 Military's secondary health ins. (DOD bill already passed, delayed but goes into effect 2011)
New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Obama says slight fix will extend Social Security
http://townhall.com/news/us/2010/02/19/obama_says_slight_fix_will_extend_social_security
TRI CARE FOR LIFE This from a google search:
http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2009/05/tricare-for-life-is-obama-trying-to.html
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
http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/hcva09/hcva110609-1.htm
Bill Would Restrict Veterans’ Health Care Options 11/06/09
Buyer and McKeon Offer Amendments to Protect Veterans and TRICARE Beneficiaries
Congress plans to block Tricare fee increases
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w
By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Oct 7, 2009
Tricare fee increases imposed last week by the Defense Department will be repealed by a provision of the compromise 2010 defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators.
Snip
The fee increases were announced on Sept. 30 and took effect on Oct. 1, but the defense bill, HR 2647, includes a provision barring any fee increases until the start of fiscal 2011.
Snip
Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bill Matz, president of the National Association for Uniformed Services, said the announcement of fee increases was shocking considering that the Obama administration promised earlier this year to hold off on any new fee Tricare fee increases until fiscal 2011.
“President Obama and DoD assured NAUS and the entire military family earlier this year that there would rightly be no increases in any Tricare fees” in fiscal 2010, Matz said. “We took them at their word, and I can’t believe that a co-pay increase like this was allowed to go forward,” he added.
Bambi doesn't keep his promises...so buyer beware
This is really pretty simple:
If the slimy Dems think this will help them in November, they will support. If they think it does not help them, they will not support.
The are RATS, unable to coherently think of what is good for this country, but good for themselves.
bttt
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