If You Are Against the Health Care Bill...

[Joseph Burkeson, CMI]

America is the only western industrial nation where each & every day middle-class Americans are forced into bankruptcy due to medical costs, nowhere else on earth does that happen and it needs to be stopped.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Jim writes:

I think it was Nixon who did that, no?

Nope.

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by jburkeson1

America is the only western industrial nation where each & every day middle-class Americans are forced into bankruptcy due to medical costs, nowhere else on earth does that happen and it needs to be stopped.

Funny thing about a tea bagger businessman...

When a client who owes him money files bankruptcy...what does he do? He passes this expense off on his customers...and then writes off the loss on this taxes. Thus, in effect, he assists the client in using tax dollars to cover his loss while recovering it from future customers.

Compare that to his objections to a reformed health care system.

[Michael Larson]

To Brian

JB How many people with life threatening illness and disease...in the richest country in the world...who are unable to obtain health insurance coverage due to pre-existing conditions....give a flying s h i t about theories and delusions of "wealth confiscation" or fears that some people have about losing some "stuff"?

ML Where did you come up with the idea that your life must be extended at any expense at the cost of everyone else?

BM SO what if your wife had a "premie" that needed 2-3 months of intensive care, could be saved but you're poor and don't have the $$$$$. Should only the newborn of the rich survive??

Have you ever heard of this wonderful product called insurance?

JB Doing the right thing for people without a lobby as strong as the nation's insurance companies takes courage and determination that is rarely seen in the spineless world of politics.

ML Why do you insist on treating health insurance companies different than any other business. They lobby to keep from being destroyed.

BM They lobby so as to maintain the status quo that keeps medical procedure costs high!! Everybody on their side of the equation wins big.

They lobby to stay in business.

I'm glad your happy with your national health care but you know the problems that come with it including ever increases taxes and very real rationing by increased wait times for care

[James H. Bushart]

Looking like it's getting ready to pass on Sunday.

WASHINGTON (CBS) -- Democrats are expected to unveil their final health care legislative package today, following the preparation of a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office that Democrats say pegs their health care plan at a cost of $940 billion over 10 years.

The CBO report should reassure some Democrats on the fence about the bill, since it reportedly estimates the health care plan will cut the federal deficit by $130 billion in its first 10 years and by $1.2 trillion in its second 10 years.

"We are absolutely giddy over the great news" that the bill will reduce the deficit, House Democratic Whip James Clyburn (S.C.) said today, CBS News Capitol Hill Producer Jill Jackson reports.

The CBO also expects the bill to reduce the annual growth in Medicare expenditures by 1.4 percentage points per year, Democrats say, and extend Medicare\'s solvency by at least 9 years. An additional 32 million people should get coverage under the bill, expanding health care coverage to 95 percent of Americans.

Once Democrats unveil their bill today, the countdown to a final House vote on the package will begin. It\'s unlikely the vote will happen before Sunday, since Democrats intend to keep their pledge to wait until a bill has been available online for 72 hours.

That means President Obama may have to either delay his departure for Asia, which is scheduled for Sunday, or sign the bill abroad so that Senate Democrats can proceed with passing the reconciliation "fix it" measure.

The release of the CBO report came down to the wire in part because of continued negotiations over the so-called "Cadillac" tax, or excise tax on pricey insurance plans, Jackson reports.

Labor unions supported the Senate bill after Democrats watered down the tax, which could hit a number of middle-class workers with good health benefits, but the negotiations over the provision continued into last night after the weaker excise tax showed disappointing returns from the CBO.

Democrats worked out a deal to delay the implementation of the Cadillac tax from 2013 to 2018 -- a compromise to appease pro-labor Democrats that would be implemented through the reconciliation bill. However, Republicans plan to give speeches on the Senate floor today explaining why they think delaying the Cadillac tax through the reconciliation measure would violate Senate rules, Politico reports. The GOP reportedly plans to pick apart a number of provisions included in the reconciliation bill.

"Part of convincing House members to vote for the Senate bill is that it can be fixed by reconciliation, and I think that is a highly questionable proposition," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told Politico.

At least one significant proposal -- the president\'s plan to establish federal authority over health insurance rate increases -- has fallen victim to the Senate rules, Huffington Post reports. The plan cannot be included in the reconciliation "fix it" bill, since only provisions that impact the federal budget may be included in reconciliation bills.

With Republicans intent on attacking the reconciliation measure, House Democrats are looking for a signed commitment from at least 51 Senate Democrats that they will, in fact, pass the "fix it" bill, USA Today reports.

"I don\'t think we want to move forward without it," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) reportedly said.

Meanwhile, House Democrats are still working to secure the 216 votes they need to pass any bill, the New York Times reports, though the party gained some momentum yesterday when Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), along with a couple other previously undecided Democrats, announced they would support the Senate bill.

[Michael Larson]

Obama promised it would be posted 72 hours before the vote.

Is it posted yet?

[Michael Larson]

Uh humm

Here is all you need to know about the CBO report.

Although CBO completed a preliminary review of legislative language prior to its release, the agency has not thoroughly examined the reconciliation proposal to verify its consistency with the previous draft. This estimate is therefore preliminary, pending a review of the language of the reconciliation proposal, as well as further review and refinement of the budgetary projections.

Let me translate.

They have no idea how much it will cost.

[James H. Bushart]

C'mon, Mike. Be honest just this once.

Does it REALLY matter to you what it says? REALLY?

Do you plan to agree with and expound upon its good points? LOL

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by jbushart

C'mon, Mike. Be honest just this once.

Does it REALLY matter to you what it says? REALLY?

Do you plan to agree with and expound upon its good points? LOL

Yes it does. Does it matter to you? Be honest now.

And from the Politico:

Democrats wrangled for days with the CBO to get the numbers within their targets. The bill would cost more than the versions that passed the Senate and the House, but Democrats were able to keep the deficit reduction figures at the same levels — a goal that had preoccupied them for much of this week.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz0iXzU9hsT

[Joseph Burkeson, CMI]

Originally Posted by mlarson

Yes it does. Does it matter to you? Be honest now.

And from the Politico:

Democrats wrangled for days with the CBO to get the numbers within their targets. The bill would cost more than the versions that passed the Senate and the House, but Democrats were able to keep the deficit reduction figures at the same levels — a goal that had preoccupied them for much of this week.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz0iXzU9hsT

Better that than pissing money away in Iraq.

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by jburkeson1

Better that than pissing money away in Iraq.

Thank you mr. one note anne.

[Michael Bazzo, CMI]

Originally Posted by mlarson

Thank you mr. one note anne.

Sounds like instead of Joe training the parrot, the parrot trained Joe.

[Joseph Burkeson, CMI]

Originally Posted by mbazzo

Sounds like instead of Joe training the parrot, the parrot trained Joe.

Polly want a cracker? Blow Me!

[Christopher Currins]

Ding....ding....ding..

House Approves Landmark Bill to Extend Health Care to Millions

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Jim writes:

I think it was Nixon who did that, no?

I remember it as Nixon.