Posted on 12/25/2009 1:14:54 PM PST by Born Conservative
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey likened the Senate's passage Thursday of landmark health care reform legislation to the first chapter of a book.
The next, much shorter chapter will be completed possibly as early as January, after Senate and House conferees work out the differences between each chamber's version of the bill and the final legislation is signed into law by President Barack Obama.
But the succeeding chapters of health care reform, much like the history of the Social Security and Medicare programs, could take years, even decades to write, Mr. Casey said.
"Some of the things we thought would work may not, and there will be good and bad as it works out," Mr. Casey, a Hill Section resident, said in a telephone interview shortly after the Senate voted 60-39 along party lines to approve the bill. "We will see changes and additions."
Mr. Casey and the state's other Democratic senator, Arlen Specter of Philadelphia, both voted in favor. Each hailed the legislation, which would provide coverage to 31 million Americans who now lack health insurance, as a historic step forward.
"It's a great achievement, but mostly it's a victory for real people who haven't had insurance. ... It's a very strong bill and it is going to have a positive impact on Americans and on our economy," Mr. Casey said.
Efforts to reach Mr. Specter were unsuccessful. However, in a statement released by his office, Mr. Specter said the legislation will ensure "that quality health care becomes a right in America and not a privilege."
The Senate vote cleared the way for negotiations to begin with the House, which passed its version of the legislation in November.
Mr. Casey acknowledged the bill doesn't include everything he wanted, and both he and Mr. Specter said they still favor the inclusion of the so-called public option, which is in the House bill but not the Senate bill.
Mr. Specter said while the legislation may be improved in conference with the House, it is nonetheless "a significant step forward for incremental reform."
Touching on the same theme as Mr. Casey, Mr. Specter said it took the initial steps of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1964 to set the stage for the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965.
"That precedent could be followed by future health care legislation," he said.
Mr. Casey said he would settle for no public option if that is what is required to get health care reform enacted.
"Covering 31 million people is one of the pillars of this bill even if there is not a public option," he said.
U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-10, Dimock Twp., said in a statement provided by his office that it would be premature to comment on the Senate-passed bill as the legislation will be "significantly changed" during the negotiations between House and Senate leaders.
"As I have said from the beginning, it is critical that health care reform reduces costs, ensures that no American can be denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition and enables people to take their insurance plan with them when they change jobs," he said.
Efforts to reach U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-11, Nanticoke, were unsuccessful.
Re “Health Scare” bill...
Here is what normally happens: we see a bill we hate. We call, email, fax, write. Congress ignores us and passes the bill anyway. We give up the fight, feel dejected for a few hours, then continue on our merry way. We have accepted the inevitable and become obedient sheeple to more, intrusive, abusive big government. After all, they must be smarter than we, the people.
THIS CANNOT HAPPEN THIS TIME!
From now until November 2010, we continue emailing, calling, visiting, faxing, going to town hall meetings, writing. We continue protests in D.C. and all cities across the U.S.A, especially the state capitols. We have to keep the pressure on. Why? Because the American people - you know, “We, the people” - must be awakened. Because it is they who are needed to vote most of this incorrigibly-corrupt Congress.
http://pushbackuntil.com (especially http://pushbackuntil.com/Mandates.htm) specifies what laws we need passed to ensure that our country continues to exist. Because Congress has placed us in such a deep hole fiscally, and it appears that absolutely none of them - do not listen to what they say - is doing anything to solve that problem.
Oh - and we have to have conservatives run for these offices. If we just sit around complaining, we will get what we have been getting for decades. So either run or help someone you know run. Get commitments from those seeking you vote that they will not just go to Congress or your state legislature and
passively watch bills come up for vote - they have to have the courage and determination to methodically and gradually REPEAL big government’s intrusions (social security, cap and trade, Medicare, Medicaid, welfare, mandates on insurance companies, corporate welfare, insane debt, unlimited spending, and so forth). Donate time and money. Talk to your neighbors and friends. Act! And pass on the http://pushbackuntil.com URL so everyone knows the plan and the way to execute that plan.
Kind of like Robespierre, who first celebrated the Reign of Terror, and then WAS guillotined himself.
These guys celebrate the raping of the American people, but WE the PEOPLE will have the last laugh.
To all the loudmouths on the Pennsylvania Board here on FR who said that voting against Santorum would make no difference, here is your sign——idiots.
They won’t get it until we try them for treason, larceny and other things then throw them into prison. Re-election is the least of their worries.
Hey, Arlen, Bob.......buh-bye!
saw it coming. Pa. must be a half-ass political state..Specter is a poor excuse for a Senator or
anything else for that matter....will sell his
sole to the highest bidder....how the hell do voters
pull the lever for the likes of him...also add Boxer
from our state..also add Scumer, and throw in Durban
the guywho demeans our Military people, and of course
he insults the intelligence of the ignorant jerks from
his state....along with the head honcho. JK
Gee and I so fondly remember Jorge W. Bush asying that Specter was a good conservative and helped defeat the conservative that was running against him. Thanks Jorge.
I’m really looking forward to the day when Casey and Specter are history.
They’re a portion of the clowns who told us there was no difference between McCain and Hussein.
Most libtards are idiots when it comes to their “unintended consequences”, just like the morons in government. They only see unicorns and sunshine when they do something and in the end the adults (we conservatives) have to fix the mess. This time, we expect to fix things and make people pay for the damage they caused.
Ahem, the Senate did not pass any “legislation.” Neither did the House.
I totally agree. Santorum has been everywhere attacking Obama and his acolytes in the House and Senate. Santorum could have still been in the Senate doing the same thing. Instead, we have the Idiot Casey. All those Pennsylvania purists who didn’t care if Santorum was re-elected—thanks a lot. Hope you’re enjoying the results of having two moron Democrats representing us.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.