Senate Dems Want Obamacare Waivers

RUSH: This story isn't getting a lot of play, but it should be. Many powerful Democrats, even some of the most liberal among them, are supporting what amounts to dismantling of Obamacare, and they are using Republican language to make their case. These Democrats are attempting to repeal some of the funding mechanisms as well as the cost containment measures that were purportedly inherent in the law.

This is a piece by Dr. Susan Berry at Breitbart.com. "With some of their most influential constituent groups facing onerous tax increases that are slated to help fund the law’s mandates and regulations, Senators like Al Franken (D-MN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), John Kerry (D-MA)," who served in Vietnam, "Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and others -- all of whom voted in favor of the law -- are aiming to delay or outright repeal parts of Obamacare."

All told, there are 16 Democrats. Powerful Democrats are trying to defund Obamacare because it's gonna hit their constituents like a load of bricks, and it's gonna harm their reelection chances if they happen.

RUSH: Back to this story on the Senate Democrats urging the undoing of Obamacare. This really, really is a big story. It's not getting any play at all in the mainstream media. But one of the reasons this is happening is that in these states, medical device makers, for example, in blue states are gonna see their taxes go up. Their businesses are gonna be penalized. Brand-new fees, brand-new charges. And all of these Democrats that are now urging the undoing of the funding mechanism for all this, they knew exactly what was happening beforehand. They voted for this knowing exactly where this was going to take them. And now that they got it passed, now that they were loyal Democrats and now that they did what they had to do to support the president, now it's time to try to undo this.

Get this passage: "It turns out Senators Franken and Klobuchar have been enlightened of these facts by medical device companies in their home state of Minnesota," which I think is one of the largest medical device manufacturing states the country. Franken and Klobuchar "have joined 16 other Democrat Senators who now share the same view. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, these Senators have asked for a delay in the medical device tax, but they are actually aiming for a full repeal of this part of the law. The delay/repeal bug appears to have bitten members of the health care industry as well, including some doctors, hospitals, and drug companies who originally supported ObamaCare because of the fact that it is chock full of subsidies for many of these health care sectors."

It was why GE supports the government. They were getting subsidies to do windmills and stuff, $800 billion here, $700 billion there, sub-200 billion over here. The same thing Obama was promising various doctors, hospitals, medical groups, exemptions if they would support his plan overall, and of course people, rather than put the country first, put their self-interest first, and in this case it was selfishness, not self-interest. And they went ahead and they said, "Look, if the rest of the country is going over the tubes but I can keep myself from going over the tubes, I'll do it." And that's what happened. Now they want out of it, knowing full well what they supported. In a way, this is outrageous. Not just these senators, but there were some doctors, there were some hospitals. Remember the AMA early on was all for Obamacare? 'Cause everybody was trying to suck up to Obama.

Some were scared of Obama, didn't want to get on his bad side. They knew what kind of guy he is. Didn't want to be punished. That's a large part of it, by the way. That's a very big part of it. When you have statist type leaders like Obama who are willing to use the federal government to punish, you don't want to risk it. You don't even want to get on his bad side. So if he wants Obamacare and it's gonna destroy the health care system, but you get an exemption carved out, you'll do it in order to keep the government off your back. And that's exactly the threat that Obama used. Okay, so now, they supported it because they were gonna get their carve-outs, their exceptions, their subsidies. Now all of a sudden it's 18 senators and some of these doctors and hospitals and medical groups who all of a sudden now, after it's passed, and after John Roberts contorted himself like a pretzel to find this stupid law constitutional, now they want out of it.

Gutless wonders, every damn one of them. Where were they knowing full well where this was going? Where were they before this thing passed? Where was of their guts, where was their courage to stand up and oppose it? They knew full well this day was coming. These people did not have to pass the bill to find out what was in it. Everybody knew what was in this. It was just an easy cop-out to say "I don't know what's in it." It was a cop-out to say, "Well, I'm supporting my president." It's a cop-out, "I'm staying loyal to my party." It's a cop-out, "I want insurance for 30 million people that are not covered." Whatever silly excuse they used to justify their support of this thing.

They're worthless now. But, now, here's the thing. I don't know whether they're gonna be able to succeed. There's 18 senators who want to defund this. Because all politics is local in this case, and now it's gonna hurt their constituents, and now that might mean it's gonna hurt their reelection, and it's gonna hurt their state economies. But all of this, I contend, was known before these people all got on board this monstrosity.

"The Independent Payment Advisory Panel," this is the death panel, "The Independent Payment Advisory Panel, the board of unelected officials that will determine which medical treatments and procedures are too costly for some patients, is supposed to impose cost controls on federal medical spending. Threatened by these cost-containment provisions, these members of the health care industry are now intent on eliminating this panel." They want to eliminate the death panel.

Again, it's the Independent Payment Advisory Panel. This is the bunch that determines who gets paid, how much they get paid, who gets treated, how much is going to be spent on the treatment, and who doesn't get treated and instead who gets the pill. And now after it's been found constitutional by a gutless Supreme Court chief justice, after it's been found constitutional, everybody being harmed by it now comes forward -- quietly, by the way -- because you're not gonna see much of this in the Drive-By Media.

This is still in the Never Surrender Crowd media (led by me, of course) and they're working under the covers, behind the scenes to try to prevent this debacle from happening. And as Dr. Susan Berry concludes in her piece here, "It appears many of the groups that originally supported Obamacare want to be able to have their cake and eat it, too, and Senate Democrats seem poised to allow them to do just that.

"The question is, without these sources of funding for all the Obamacare mandates, and without cost-containment ... how will the law be implemented at all?" See, let's review very quickly. The medical professionals -- the doctors, the hospitals, drug companies -- and the senators, they want this independent payment panel disbanded. Well, that's the bunch that determines what gets spent and what doesn't! They determine who gets what and who doesn't get what.

They want to disband that panel, and they want to be exempted (in this case) from the new taxes on the medical devices and whatever other things. I don't know what Schumer wants his people protected from, but in Minnesota it's medical device manufacturers. So they want Obamacare to stay in force for everybody else, but they want the mechanism to penalize their constituents ripped out of the law.

So the question is, "Well, if you rip the funding mechanism out of the law, and then you take this independent payment advisory panel and you rip them out of the law...?" That's cost containment, ostensibly. That's the bunch that determines what we're gonna spend and what we're not gonna spend. So that's cost containment. You take those two things out, how can you implement the law at all?

That's where this is headed. Now, don't misunderstand. I don't expect this not to be implemented. I'm not pointing this out for that reason. I'm just tell you, there's 16 senators and a bunch of these people (all of them just couldn't wait to vote for this thing) who now want to be exempted from it, folks. They're not going to the mat to keep you exempted. They want their own constituents and themselves exempted. That's what "having their cake and eating it, too," means.

RUSH: Yeah, so suddenly all these Democrats want waivers from Obamacare, and they want funding mechanisms wiped out of the legislation. Elizabeth Warren, for example, gave her whole-hearted approval to Obamacare. Now she is one of the senators that wants to take that back. She's an Indian giver. Yes, I intended to say that, Snerdley. Elizabeth Warren is a heap big squaw Indian giver.

Try this. "Aetna CEO: Obamacare Likely to Double Small Business, Individual Insurance Premiums -- Health insurance premiums may as much as double for some small businesses and individual buyers in the US when the Affordable Care Act's major provisions start in 2014, Aetna Inc.'s chief executive officer said." I had some people over for dinner last night.

Among them was the chairman of a major American corporation who almost started crying telling me what Obamacare was gonna mean for the employees he's going to have to let go in order to provide health care for the employees he has left. He almost started crying. These are people that make $25,000 to $40,000. They're gone. He can't afford to keep them and give everybody health care.

So he's had to make the decision that some people have to go if he's gonna be able to provide health care, according to this law, for his remaining employees. (interruption) Nope. He did not vote Obama. He's not particularly political, either. But he didn't vote for Obama. But this is happening all over the country now, and here come these people who want special consideration, among them 16 US senators (all Democrats) and hospitals and doctors.

RUSH: I mentioned to you Aetna. "Health insurance premiums may as much as double for some small businesses and individual buyers in the US when [Obamacare]’s major provisions start in 2014, Aetna Inc.’s chief executive officer said." Aetna, the third biggest US health insurance company, told analysts yesterday in New York that their premiums are gonna double. Now we have this.

California's Blue Shield is seeking up to 20% increases in their premiums. I thought Obamacare was supposed to reduce premiums. Yeah, that's exactly right. That's the number I heard. Everybody's insurance premium was gonna drop $2500. Now, Aetna, theirs will double. Blue Shield California is set to go up 20%. People are saying, "You people at Blue Shield, you ought to dip into your profits! Well, why...?"

See, and here it starts. Why should there be any profit in the health industry? Why should Aetna make any money? Why should insurance companies profit off enabling people to stay well? "That's exactly right, Mr. Limbaugh. I'm happy to see you coming around. You don't need me to help you so much." This is the voice of Mr. New Castrati. "That's exactly right, Mr. Limbaugh. You're exactly right!

"There shouldn't be any profit in food. Grocery stores ought not be selling food for profit 'cause everybody has to eat. And why should people get rich treating others who are sick, Mr. Limbaugh? Why, that's exactly right." By extension, why should an insurance company make a profit when they're simply availing people access to health care? You can't get health care without insurance. That's law now.

In fact, Obama will fine you if you don't have an insurance policy, and it's gonna start if it hadn't already. Well, it is starting. Some officials want Blue Shield to dip into its profits to avoid hiking the rates. But Blue Shield says (summarized), "No, those reserves are there for emergencies. You know, every business ought to have a rainy day fund, and we have ours. We're not gonna dip into our rainy day fund -- our reserves, our profits -- to lower the premiums. We gotta have a reserve."

"No, no, why do you need that? You don't need any reserving," will be the rejoinder. "Why do you need the extra money? Why don't you just charge what it costs you and therefore it will be cheaper for everybody. Everybody would have cuts in their premiums and be able to afford it and then get health care. The doctors don't make any profit and the hospitals don't make any profit, and the nurses don't make any profit. Nobody. Look, it would be wonderful for everybody."

Now, you laugh, but I'm telling you: This is what's taught. It's not taught that way. The way it's taught is that profit is evil, profit is greed, profit leads to high cost, profit leads to people being left out. You know, profit is under assault from junior high all the way up to the academy, academe. Now, these rate increases from Aetna and California Blue Shield, that's exactly what Obama wants.

It's all part of his plan to get everybody out of private insurance and into Obamacare administered by exchanges at the state level or the federal government. These rate increases are exactly what Obama wants. He's out there... I'll tell you how this is gonna work. It's so simple. Obama doesn't lie. He told you that his plan is gonna result in your premium being reduced $2500.

But poor Obama, he didn't count on these insurance companies being cheaters! Obama didn't count on these people at insurance companies raping you. Obama thought they'd play nice and everybody would go along with the plan, but the insurance companies are simply trying to gouge now. Obama's plan would make everybody's premiums go down $2500. Obama was right! It's these dirty, rotten, private sector companies.

These "corporations" are profiting off of illness and sickness and taking advantage of this new law! Obama was right. Your premium would go down $2500. So you see, the ultimate aim is for all these corporations to be put out of business. The private sector health insurance business is targeted for extinction. Leaving America's patients, all of us, with only one place to go: Government.

Obama said as much in a speech to the Service Employees International Union back in 2007. And yes, we played you all those sound bites during the campaign, and even beforehand, all during the past four years. We played those sound bites during the 2008 campaign. Obama was very up front. He told the union guys, "We can't get to single payer overnight. It's gonna take us ten to 15 years. "But if I work hard, maybe five to ten years." Well, he's being assisted rapidly here. Aetna is doubling premiums. Blue Shield California is up 20%.

Here is an article from NBC on the Democrat effort to avoid the medical device tax. What is interesting is that the Democrats try to claim that they didn’t know the details of this tax until just recently. BS, we all knew about the medical device tax and we also know that the so-called death panels put limits on who will get the devices and which devices they will get. No hip transplants for some seniors and if a cheaper device works almost as good, it is good enough.

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/11/15846903-democrats-seek-delay-in-one-obamacare-tax-increase?lite

Al Franken (D-MN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), John Kerry (D-MA)," who served in Vietnam, "Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and others

All exempt from Commiecare™.

That's the end game. And Obama and the likes...have said it out right.

"Our Rep's" say very little about it......

Which leads me to believe...they are in on the game.

We are screwed.........

What is interesting is that the Democrats try to claim that they didn’t know the details of this tax until just recently.

From the Wall Street Journal, October 26, 2009: Medical Device Lobby Wins Lower Fee in House Bill

House lawmakers will propose a $20 billion fee on medical device makers, while Senate leaders have whittled down their plans to tax the industry to pay for the health overhaul.
The Senate bill assembled by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) is expected to levy a fee of between $15 billion and $20 billion over a decade on device makers, according to an individual familiar with the plan. The plan passed by the Senate Finance Committee earlier this month called for a $40 billion tax over that time, based on the companies' market share. Details were still being worked out Monday.

So who is on the Senate Finance Committee that passed this bill?

Chuck Schumer (signed the letter)
John Kerry (signed the letter)
Debbie Stabenow (signed the letter)
Ben Nelson (signed the letter)

Yeah, sure they didn't know the details.

-PJ

I don't pretend to have the ability to even comprehend all the gobbledygook in Obamacare......I've called this farce of a bill many things but none of the words I've used would be or should be allowed on this site. I HATE the darned thing...always have, always will....and people like Nancey Pelosie should be ASHAMED. Imagine having the gall to tell the American people.....who pay her way, whose voice she's supposed to be......”oh, well we have to vote on it (the bill) before we read it, to know what's in it).
Hey Mrsssss>Pelosie , does this also mean that you didn't know about the $63. per head that every member of Medicare is going to be REQUIRED TO pay EVERY YEAR? I'm sure You didn't know.....sarc.

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Bingo! We have a winner!