Posted on 03/05/2010 9:30:29 PM PST by neverdem
Chief Congressional Correspondent
House Democratic leaders pledge to hold a vote on health care by their Easter break, which gives lawmakers about three weeks to resolve dozens of disagreements that stand in the way of passing legislation.
"There is all kinds of stuff in the ether," Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., said, referring to the long list of differences Democrats have over how to write the health care bill.
Democrats plan to have the House vote on a Senate-passed version of the plan and then make corrections in a smaller bill that would have to be approved by both chambers.
Democrats so far can't agree on what would go in the smaller bill and there may not be enough support among House Democrats to pass the Senate bill in the first place.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will convince members of her caucus to vote for the bill, but conceded she is unable to persuade members yet because there is no proposal in writing and no accompanying price tag for it.
"When I talk to my members, I have to have two important pieces of information," Pelosi said. "One is, what is the final status of the bill? And two, what is the Senate going to do about it? What are the actions the Senate is going to take? The Senate cannot tell us that until they see the final product as well."
Senate leaders said they are at the mercy of the Congressional Budget Office, which is responsible for scoring any new proposal. But there is no proposal yet, because Democrats cannot agree on a final product.
Despite House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's pledge for a pre-Easter vote, even he said on Thursday there is still a lot to work out first.
"You have to resolve this in a way that gives a comfort level to both sides," Hoyer told The Examiner, referring to differences between the House and Senate. The comfort level, he said, "is missing over here."
While Senate and House Democratic leaders met in the Capitol to hash out a compromise, President Obama continued to play referee at the White House, inviting the liberal and moderate Democratic factions of the House to separate meetings.
On attendee was Ron Kind, D-Wis., who said he and many other moderates want the health care plan to do more to rein in costs and improve Medicare. The Senate bill, he said, "seems inadequate."
Liberals like Weiner actually want to spend more on reform, saying that in the end it will save more money.
"Some of the problems can be easily fixed if the president loses his love affair with a specific number for the bill," Weiner said, referring to the $900 billion spending limit Obama has publicly put on the legislation.
But it may be harder to resolve other, smaller problems that could create big headaches for the leadership, such as the desire by the Hispanic caucus to include Puerto Rico in the health care reform plan.
"There are a lot of people who feel they have been taken for granted here," Weiner said. "It doesn't take much to create a firestorm."
sferrechio@washingtonexaminer.com
What a bunch of clowns.
Poor rats. They all want a bigger payout, but know they can’t because that will kill the bill. I do wonder if the ‘compromise’ will involve a payoff in some other bill.
The Party of Looters only have 8 months left to ransack the place. They better not get too greedy or they wont be able to pass everything.
If the dems have to bribe their own senators and congressmen to vote for a bill that has not been written, it cannot be a good thing.
It’s quite sad that is has come to this. This is what you expect in a banana republic. I know this has been done in the past, but to do it out in public.
Pelosi said she will convince members of her caucus to vote for the bill, but conceded she is unable to persuade members yet because there is no proposal in writing and no accompanying price tag for it. "When I talk to my members, I have to have two important pieces of information," Pelosi said. "One is, what is the final status of the bill? And two, what is the Senate going to do about it? What are the actions the Senate is going to take? The Senate cannot tell us that until they see the final product as well." Senate leaders said they are at the mercy of the Congressional Budget Office, which is responsible for scoring any new proposal. But there is no proposal yet, because Democrats cannot agree on a final product.That means it'll be an up-or-down vote on the original bill, and it will go to the White House for Obama's signature unless it is turned back. Thanks neverdem.
This has been a banana republic since Jan 20, 2009, and the chimps are in charge!
And this talk about a follow up bill to fix what is wrong with the original Senate bill is a ruse. I dont believe Nanny is very likely to get the votes to ram through the Senate monstrosity, but if she does, she and Dirty Harry will then come up with an excuse for not bringing up the followup fix. I figure it will be something like the economy is such a mess we cant work on anything but jobs, jobs, jobs.
I have a theory. I think this “rebirth” of healthcare reform is actually a way to save the democrat majority in the House. Follow me on this:
1. Obama demands they pass healthcare reform through reconciliation.
2. After a few weeks of turmoil, vulnerable blue-dogs in the house revolt and kill the bill
3. Come election time, all democrats who originally voted for the bill but now vote against it (and claim they don’t like the poisonous ways of Washington or whatever excuse) can run for reelection on killing healthcare reform.
4. Vulnerable democrats who voted against bill get reelected.
5. Presto - maintain democrat majority.
This is the proposed path if Pelosi feels even close. It will avoid reconciliation if the House passes the Senate Bill. There is then nothing to be "reconciled." The House democrat majority has to feel that the Senate has pre-agreed to give them a piggy-back follow up bill that will change what they don't like -- and they have to take that on faith.
“You have to resolve this in a way that gives a comfort level to both sides,” Hoyer told The Examiner, referring to differences between the House and Senate. The comfort level, he said, “is missing over here.”
Well, Steny, old man, the comfort level is missing in about two thirds of the country, and yet you congresscritters persist in trying to pass this unwanted, unaffordable, and unconstitutional POS health care bill.
Steny, Steny: Listen to us. First comes elections, then tar/feathers/rails, then the watering of the tree of liberty.
I don’t agree with you but for the sake of argument let’s say you are right. 2010 is a midterm election and represents 2 years of power. This health bill represents a bureaucracy that will control me and you for the rest of our lives. Whatever it takes to kill the bill, I am okay with.
It ain’t dead until congress is recessed and we flip at least 1 in Nov, or we will be fighting this battle for 3 more years!
OBAMANOMICS—TRICKLE DOWN DESTRUCTION of the economy
Bambi doesn’t keep his promises...so buyer beware!
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.
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.
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
Obama: No reduced Medicare benefits in health care reform
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/28/obama.health.care/index.html
Will healthcare reform mean cuts in Medicare for seniors?
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2009/1017/will-healthcare-reform-mean-cuts-in-medicare-for-seniors
Health Reform’s Hidden Victims Young people and seniors would pay a high price for ObamaCare.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574306303720472842.html
SOCIALIZED MED THREAD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2464538/posts
MILITARY & Retired MILITARY
Veterans’ G.I. Bill benefits MIA
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2464680/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
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.
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.
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.
Obamacare call list: Courtsey of TN Eagle Forum:
PLEASE CALL! DC OFFICE LOCAL OFFICE State District
Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 AZ 5th District
Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 AZ 8th District
Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 AZ 1st District
Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 CA 11th District
John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 CO 3rd District
Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 CT 4th District
Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 FL 8th District
Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630-406-1114 IL 14th District
Baron Hill 202 225 5315 812 288 3999 IN 9th District
Mark Schauer (202) 225-6276 (517) 780-9075 MI 7th District
Gary Peters (202) 225-5802 (248) 273-4227 MI 9th District
Dina Titus (202) 225-3252 702-256-DINA (3462) NV 3rd District
Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456 (603) 743-4813 NH 1st District
Tim Bishop (202) 225-3826 (631) 696-6500 NY 1st District
John Hall (202) 225-5441 (845) 225-3641 x49371 NY 19th District
Bill Owens (202) 225-4611 (315) 782-3150 NY 23rd District
Mike Arcuri (202)225-3665 (315)793-8146 NY 24th District
Dan Maffei (202) 225-3701 (315) 423-5657 NY 25th District
Earl Pomeroy (202) 225-2611 (701) 224-0355 ND At-Large District
Steven Driehaus (202) 225-2216 (513) 684-2723 OH 1st District
Mary Jo Kilroy (202) 225-2015 (614) 294-2196 OH 15th District
Zach Space (202) 225-6265 (330) 364-4300 OH 18th District
Kathy Dahlkemper (202) 225-5406 (814) 456-2038 PA 3rd District
Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276 (215) 826-1963 PA 8th District
Christopher Carney (202) 225-3731 (570) 585-9988 PA 10th District
Paul Kanjorski (202) 225-6511 (570) 825-2200 PA 11th District
John Spratt (202) 225-5501 (803)327-1114 SC 5th District
Tom Perriello (202) 225-4711 (276) 656-2291 VA 5th District
Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District
Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District
Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District
Bart Gordon (202) 225-4231 TN
Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735 MI
Keep pushing back, House & Senate Repubs! Don't give up!
I think the public is so angry with the Democratic Congress that they will be voted out in Novemeber regardless of their stance on healthcare.
Sorry - that’s too much of a stretch to believe. Unless you’re a left wing progressive, any other dem smells the blood in the water - I don’t care what they’re promised. And when we replace them and get the majority back, any dem left better be prepared to go to jail for bribery and racketeering.
It’s an interesting theory, but remember, some of these jack@asses are in trouble for voting for cap and tax or just for spending our last dimes. Here in VA, who would have thunk Congressrat-for-Life Rick Boucher could be vulnerable, but he is, because he voted for cap and tax in a district heavily dependent on coal.
I would love to see him go.
Thanks GailA.
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