House Health Deal Cuts Costs, Lifting Block On Key Bill

IBD Editorials ^ | July 29, 2009 | DAVID HOGBERG AND SEAN HIGGINS

[Kaslin]

Democrats' health care push cleared a major hurdle in the House Wednesday as Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., reached a deal with moderate Blue Dogs.

Seven Blue Dog Democrats had threatened to block the bill if various conditions were not met. Waxman, the White House and the Blue Dogs, led by Mike Ross of Arkansas, came to an agreement to let Energy and Commerce pass the bill on Friday.

But hours later, his panel halted work again after liberals objected to weakening the public health option, Roll Call reported.

The full House won't vote on the final measure, which has already passed two other key panels, until after the August recess.

Meanwhile, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said a bipartisan group from his Finance committee has lowered the cost of its bill to just $900 billion over 10 years.

Conservative and liberal activists are sure to target Blue Dogs when they return to their districts.

Republicans were already on the attack.

"It is a raw deal for the American people, and sadly, it proves once again that the so-called 'Blue Dogs' have no bite when they're forced to choose between their constituents and the radical leadership of their party," said House minority leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "The Blue Dogs involved in the 'deal' agreed to keep a job-killing employer mandate and a job-killing small-business tax, as well as provisions establishing a government czar to make medical decisions that should only be made by patients and their doctors."

[Kaslin]

[fatnotlazy]

Traitors all.

We don’t need health care reform.

[Murp]

I promise. Mike Ross is “dead meat”. The people of Arkansas are not stupid, and he is a “dead man walking”. If I were him I would stay in Washington after the recess.

[basil]

As one of those “old people”, over the age of 60, I’m outraged that no one has mentioned removing the part of the bill that tells us it’s our duty to suck it up and just die.

[Pikachu_Dad]

I knew they were going to roll. I wonder how much pork they sold out for?

These jokers are just playing stupid games with us!

[PhiKapMom]

“It is a raw deal for the American people, and sadly, it proves once again that the so-called ‘Blue Dogs’ have no bite when they’re forced to choose between their constituents and the radical leadership of their party,” said House minority leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. “The Blue Dogs involved in the ‘deal’ agreed to keep a job-killing employer mandate and a job-killing small-business tax, as well as provisions establishing a government czar to make medical decisions that should only be made by patients and their doctors.” John Boehner

This is exactly what Cong Ralph Hall, R-TX, who used to be a Dem predicted. He even said their fiscal voting records were not that conservative. Sure enough Cong Hall was correct.

[PhiKapMom]

Watch the FEC reports for this quarter and see how much was deposited in their campaign accounts.

[nomad]

You post a lot of threads on this issue,thanks.Its a very worthy one.Its been said that most of what Barky and company is doing can be repealed/revoked, assuming we can get conservatives into office again,but Barkycare will,like the other socialist programs,be all but impossible to root out once it sinks it`s poisonous tentacles into our national landscape.As I previously mentioned on another of your threads,will you go to http://recessrally.com and consider pushing for a nation wide locally based series of rallies to fight this?