Posted on 12/24/2009 9:21:15 AM PST by rhema
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.
Faced with the possibility that House Democratic leaders and the White House will try to force the U.S. House to accept “as is” the health care bill that the Senate is poised to pass on Christmas Eve, the pro-life Democrat said the Senate bill differs too much from the version passed by the House to be accepted.
“If they expect the House to accept the Senate bill, it’s going to go down in flames,” Stupak told CNSNews.com in an interview.
CNSNews.com asked Stupak: “Are you prepared to vote for a bill that looks more like the Senate bill – and Senator Nelson’s language on abortion – than the House bill, with your language?”
“No, absolutely not,” said the Democratic congressman, whose district encompasses all of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and roughly one-quarter of the territory in the remainder of Michigan.
“The Senate bill will not receive support in the House,” Stupak said. “If they tell us we have to take that bill without changes, it will not survive the House. Regardless of the abortion language, there are just too many objectionable items in there that at least I see, and in talking with maybe a half-dozen other members, they sort of see the same thing.”
Stupak, like many in Congress, takes strong exception to the fact that, under the Senate plan, certain states would receive special “carve outs” for increased funding for Medicare/Medicaid.
“That’s not what it’s all about,” he said. “This is about health care, this is providing health care for all Americans – it’s not to see who can strike the best deal for their state. This is the wrong piece of legislation to try to do carve outs, or get an exception for your state and the rest of the country is supposed to pick up the tab. That’s not what health care is all about. That’s not the policy, that’s not the principle behind the bill.
In exchange for their votes for the Senate bill, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) reportedly obtained $100 million in additional Medicaid benefits for Nebraska and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) obtained $300 million in additional aid for Louisiana.
In addition, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) managed to obtain a carve-out for 800,000 Floridians, who will keep their Medicare Advantage plans, while those in other parts of the country are slated to lose their Medicare Advantage plans under the bill’s targeted cuts.
Stupak was incensed at the special deals.
“All the rest of us that live in states that did not receive that exception, why would we [be] inclined to give Nebraska or Florida or Louisiana a special break underneath the bill and expect the rest of us to pay for it?”
Beyond the carve-outs, Stupak pointed out that seniors “take some cuts in the Senate bill that are not found in the House bill [that] members are not going to accept” -- and that the bill would tax people who have “decent” health insurance programs.
“Aren’t you really going to force more people off health insurance?” Stupak said.
He added: “If you just take a look at my three main constituencies – Right to Life, labor unions, and senior citizens – the Senate bill is contrary to all their interests,” Stupak said.
“I’d have no real desire to vote for this bill the way its being outlined in the media," he said. "I know the bill’s not finalized yet, but if that holds true, if they expect the House to accept the Senate bill, it’s going to go down in flames.”
Stupak, who succeeded last month in getting 64 House Democrats to join him in attaching his pro-life amendment to the House version of the health care bill, also firmly rejected language in the Senate bill regarding abortion.
The “Stupak amendment,” as his provision is known, would prohibit the federal government from allocating taxpayer money to pay for any part of any health insurance plan that covers abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger.
But the abortion language in the Senate bill secured by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), which attempts to segregate taxpayer money from paying for health plans that provide abortion, does not contain an outright ban on taxpayer money going to fund abortion.
Stupak, however, added: “Even if they fixed the abortion language, if it’s the Senate language, I have to vote for – I’m not voting for it.”
This is a joke, right?
This is just another kitty for them to dip into every year....
On this one single issue, I don't think he will cave!
Note to BART: You will pass this bill and you will be happy with it and smile in the group picture,
Regards,
Nancy P.
Ok, as long as we are contemplating last minute, please-God-let-it-not-happen scenarios, how about this:
Obambi doesn’t press for the final bill until Feb as it has been reported so the senate and house bills are pretty much out there for public discernment. There is a MASSIVE (we can only hope) “resistance” by the people to these bills for then next two months and the “mods” cave and Nance doesn’t have the votes...whaddaya think? My otherwise mild spouse wants to storm Webb and Warner at any “town hall” they have in the near future - I’m sure that is a common emotion...
I heard somebody say a few days back that what we should do is organize Town Meetings...with the Congresscritters in absentia..IOW..dare them to show up and defend their votes..it would make for good media..
Maybe he won’t, but the other lap dogs will.
Liar
Please review recent history with Bishop Thomas Tobin, Providence diocese vs. Patrick Kennedy.
I am hoping for more Bishops to be as outspoken.
Deacon Francis
I'll be there on 4/15.
BUT, unless my fellow protesters are ready and willing to get (very) belligerent and confrontational , it's the last time for me.
We are witnessing a virtual coup, a deliberate & calculated plan to enslave us into serfdom forever. We do not have time to apply the type of pressure you are describing. Our side must escalate this fast and hard. Again, this is unlike any "legislation" in our history. It is a takeover, plain and simple.
They may, but I don’t doubt Stupak on this issue.
I wouldn’t vote for the RAT bastard but he is firm on pro life issues.
I’ll go after him hammer and tongs. Link?
Love it! Sounds good and will propose to the local Rep party head - first resort - and see if they bite...
National marches won’t help. No one sees those outside the paid bureaucrats in DC who get entertained by them. Then a two second blurb on the news about it, sandwiched in between a story on Britney Spears and one about Obama’s dog.
Again, the focus on the marches needs to be outside the home offices of these House members who are fence sitters.
That way the local TV in each of these markets will cover it and it turns up the heat significantly on each Congressman.
Local-—think local house members who are on the fence.
I hope you’re right. This is a house afire, and if somebody has a bucket of water (and, as you point out, a long and excellent firefighting record) I’m not going to stop, dig in my heels, and argue about what party they’re in.
“...Democrat Predicts Senate Health Care Bill Will ‘Go Down in Flames’ in House, Unless Changes”
Translation: Pimp My Ride!
We came back from visiting my in-laws the other day, they live in the Western U.P. southeast of Iron Mountain. According to them, he's not called "Bart Stupid" for nothing. In the end, they expect him to cave.
...if we had a nickel for every time some politician promised that this HCR garbage was going to fail, we could pay for Obama’s debt....
Nothing more than the early stages of bargaining. The Senate payoffs have wet a lot of appetites. These people are venal beyond the average voter’s imagination or understanding.
On this issue he has stood firm on the pro life side.
Michigan is a funny state, except the SE ( detoilet, ann arbor, etc) it is more conservative than most any in the nation on most social issues.
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