Democrats ready final push for healthcare bill (Democrats preparing to use reconciliation)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats prepared to launch a final push on Tuesday to pass healthcare reform without Republicans this month, and predicted it could gain new support from Democrats who opposed it last year.

U.S. House of Representatives Democratic leader Steny Hoyer said he saw the possibility of gaining support for President Barack Obama's sweeping healthcare overhaul from Democrats who voted "no" when the House considered it in November.

"We're talking to everybody," Hoyer said as Democrats prepared to move forward on final passage. "Do I think there is a possibility of some people changing? Yes I do."

Obama is expected to announce on Wednesday his plans for forging ahead with an overhaul of the $2.5 trillion healthcare system, with Democrats preparing to use a procedure called reconciliation that allows Senate approval by a majority vote.

That approach, which can only be used for budget-related measures, would bypass the need for 60 votes to clear procedural hurdles in the 100-member Senate. It requires only a simple Senate majority of 51 votes.

"We're working very hard to get consensus in both houses," Hoyer said of talks among Democrats on the best way forward.

That is precisely why I think this is a massive bait and switch. They are spending so much time speaking about Reconciliation and some new and improved White House plan (which, incidentially, in only meaningful once the Senate bill is approved in the House as is) - no one is thinking about the risk of the President simply signing the existing legislation. Think about it - the Dems in the Senate will be happy (its their bill). Liberal Dems in the House will be happy. Only a few moderates and Stupak types will be unhappy, but get over it (after all, they are all out of jobs by January anyways).

The whole focus of Polosi and the White House (IMHO) is to convince the few holdouts to vote for the Senate version in the House and that it will be fixed to their liking in the Senate via Reconciliation. Oh, they will make a good show to try to cobble something together acceptable for Reconciliation, but when time runs out, the White House will say its back is against the wall and it either signs the Senate bill or nothing. He will sign it.

I further think this talk about tort reform and buying insurance across state lines is also a fake - again, only relevant in Reconciliation - which isn’t going to happen. Introducing these very amendments might be just the thing to make sure Reconciliation becomes impossible.

They’ll promise to fix the abortion issue and a few other Blue Dog issues, but never get around to it.

Reconciliation is a red herring. Focus on the fact two bills have been passed and only need a Presidential signature to become law.

God help us all.

no one is thinking about the risk of the President simply signing the existing legislation.

They have to pass it first. If they knew how to do that, they'd have done it.

Frankly, I don't know where this constant drumbeat of "any minute now!" in the media is supposed to lead. The public wants them to drop it and focus on the economy. The Blue Dogs want to drop it and hope the stench goes away before November. The liberals don't want the Senate bill because there's no government-owned insurance company in it.

In spite of which, Obama and "the leadership" keep planting stories in the media about the imminent Great Victory. Any minute. Real Soon Now. One of these days. They're fixin' to.

If this goes on for another couple of weeks and they come up empty, they are gonna look like fools. And yet they're driving right into it, as fast as they can.

OBAMANOMICS—TRICKLE DOWN DESTRUCTION of the economy

SET THEIR LOCAL AND DC LINES ON FIRE!

PLEASE ASK THEM TO REPEAL THE BIG NEW FEES in TRICARE for Life, the retired Military over 65 secondary health ins. which they passed in a DOD bill. They promised our Military these benefits, and our Military have earned them.

Bambi doesn’t keep his promises...so buyer beware!
Sen Scott Brown’s number is 202-224-4543

Capitol Hill switchboard is 202-224-3121

Lots of local demwit phone numbers on this thread

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2408217/posts

Rename, repackage, rewrite it a tad smaller, and sell another pig in a poke. 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 NEEDS TO BE REPEALED!

OBAMA’s WAR ON SENIORS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2433867/posts/

New Dem mantra: Woof, woof eat dog food granny....ala let them eat cake. http://www.lifenews.com/bio3058.html
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

Health Care Rationing for Seniors Another Problem in New Obama Plan http://www.lifenews.com/bio3058.html
Medicare tax may apply to investment income (ObamaCare tax hike)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2460988/posts

SOCIALIZED MED THREAD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2462143/posts
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

http://www.navytimes.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.

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