Health Care Debate in the Balance

Health Care Debate in the Balance

From the blog of Representative Frank Lucas, R-Oklahoma. Carried on the Hill web site, homepages of the

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/66759-pelosis-trillion-dollar-government-takeover-of-healthcare-a-bad-prescription-for-america-rep-frank-lucas

So where is the vote count in the US House of the socialization of 1/6 of US economy by Pelosi and her liberal allies in Congress?   To give you an indication of how tight the vote count is, the newly elected Democrat Bill Owens from District 23 in New York is being sworn in so he can vote with the Dem majority.   But Majority Leader Hoyer may not have the votes.

All 177 House Republicans have long been expected to vote against the bill, meaning that Democrats can lose no more than 40 of their 258 members and still pass their highest legislative priority.

According to the Hill  www.hill.com  “Democratic leaders, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), have given away as many concessions as they could spare in an effort to get to 218 "yes" votes.

And they continued to try to do so even late into the day Friday, as a pocket of pro-life Democrats needed further tweaking of language designed to guarantee that federal funds won’t find their way to insurance plans offering abortion coverage. Into the wee hours of Saturday morning, the Rules committee approved an up-or-down vote on an amendment blocking any money in its healthcare overhaul from funding abortions, risking the votes of members who support abortion rights.”

According to Politico www.politico.com  at least 23 members of the Democrat caucus of 258 plan to vote NO on the health care bill.    If 41 members, plus the total GOP caucus of 177 members vote NO, the Pelosi-Reed-Obama health care bill with not pass the House.  Thus the secondary vote on taxpayer funded abortions, which the original bill had in the draft.    Now the Stupak amendment is being proposed the health care bill to bar Federal funding of elective abortions will be held, in order to keep the fragile majority of Democrats on board.

You may have been surprised by the American Medical Association endorsement of the health care bill?   According to Fox News  www.foxnews.com/politics   it turns out that the AMA took the controversial position without the support of the organizations House of Delegates.    Thus, the rank and file AMA membership is up in revolt and they have moved to have the endorsement voted on and withdrawn.

“The American Medical Association's much-touted endorsement of the House health care reform bill has triggered a revolt among some members who want the endorsement withdrawn.

Some members are outraged that the group's trustees made the endorsement without the formal approval of the organization's House of Delegates.

On Monday, delegates will vote on a resolution offered by some members that, if approved, will withdraw the AMA’s endorsement of the bill.

President Obama cited the endorsement of the influential AMA, along with AARP's, in a surprise appearance Thursday in the White House briefing room as he attempted to beat back criticism that the bill would gut Medicare.”  Fox News Political

On Saturday, the US House (on a party line dominated vote of 242-192 moved the Health Care bill to the full House for floor debate.   A vote could take place by Saturday evening, although some sources indicate it may be early next week before a vote is taken.   The delay is due to serious problems in the 2,000 page bill, that even Democrats are reluctant to support.     We’ll see which Democrats are willing to vote with their constituents and which ones cave to Democrat party pressure.

© 2009, Jasper Welch, Four Corners Media, www.jasperwelch.org  

Alternative to Dems Health Care?

Alternative to Dems Health Care?

With the 2,000+ page Democrat health care bill cruising like the ill fated ship Titanic, the Democrat majority is trying to desperately push the massive bill as though we have no choice in America but their “government first” approach.

Instead, we could be debating the GOP alternative health care bill.  It has private sector incentives, a real reform provision on medical malpractice, reduces the deficit and leaves open personal responsibility for health care.   This compares to the Democrat bill which explodes the Federal deficit, sets the stage for the government take over of health care and makes the private sector (i.e. the private insurance industry) out to be a villain.

Three recent articles and blog posts in Washington DC Examiner are reflective of just how expensive the “government first” approach to health care is, and how the Democrats are struggling to keep 218 members of the Dem caucus (out of 258) voting for the unpopular health care bill.  

 

From the Washington DC Examiner:

“The CBO put the price tag for the GOP plan at $61 billion, a fraction of the $1.05 trillion cost estimate it gave to the House bill that lawmakers are set to vote on this weekend. And the CBO found that the Republican provision to reform medical malpractice liability would result in $41 billion in savings and increase revenues by $13 billion by reducing the cost of private health insurance plans.”

The Congressional Budget Office Wednesday night released its cost analysis of the Republican health care plan and found that it would reduce health care premiums and cut the deficit by $68 billion over ten years. 

The Republican plan does not call for a government insurance plan but rather attempts to reform the system by creating high-risk insurance pools, allowing people to purchase health insurance policies across state lines and instituting medical malpractice reforms. 

"Not only does the GOP plan lower health care costs, but it also increases access to quality care, including for those with pre-existing conditions, at a price our country can afford," House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said.   Source:  DC Examiner, Susan Ferrechio  

            www.washingtonexaminer.com      See blogs section

And now of the Democratic “Hope & Change” health care bill, that is slated to be voted on within the week.  It will raise taxes on ALL Americans, and will overwhelm the Federal budget that is already underwater:

The CBO reports that, in their true first 10 years, the House bill would cost $1.8 trillion, and the Senate bill would cost $1.7 trillion. Pelosi would raise Americans’ taxes by $1.1 trillion over that period, while Reid would hike them by $1 trillion.  So the financial bottom lines are almost the same.

And if we discount the bills' claims to divert hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare (which is already on the edge of insolvency), the CBO says the House bill would raise our national debt by about $650 billion in its real first decade, while the Senate bill would up it by $740 billion.      Mark Hemingon, Beltway Confidential

     www.washingtonexaminer.com    

As Examiner colleague Susan Ferrechio explains the quest for 218 votes from the 258-member Democratic caucus in the House is providing plenty of drama on Capitol Hill: protesters outside, the president doing plenty of arm twisting, warnings to freshman and sophomore members about being fed to the wolves next year if they don’t tow the party line. 

It’s not a bill anyone likes particularly and those from swing district who vote for the plan will have to watch some of the socialistic benefits be erased by the Senate: All of the blame, less of the credit.

Writers Carl Hulse and David Herszenhorn were on the scene and talked to some of the 40 Democrats who will be allowed to vote against the bill. If the Speaker wants to keep her defection list at 40, the opt outs need to not seem to be so happy.     Source:  DC Examiner, Susan Ferrechio  

 www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential  

A point lost to many is that within the majority Democrat caucus, there are a number of recently election (2006 or 2008) Congressmen from moderate to conservative districts that are feeling (and seeing based on Nov 09 mid term elections) the heat from their constituents.    Now the liberal Democratic leadership in Congress is asking them to walk the plank.   Will at least 218 Democrat members walk away from the American people? 

© 2009, Jasper Welch, Four Corners Media, www.jasperwelch.org  

1,900 Pages of Health Care Bureaucracy

In a ceremony at the US Capitol by Speaker Pelosi, that could only be attended by those on the invited guest list, the Democrats unveiled 1,990 pages of legislation intended by the Majority in the Congress to lead to a government take over of health care.     The public option is government healthcare.   Away with private insurance, and private "pay as you go" healthcare with options and welcome to Medicare and Medicaid on steroids.

What is the option?    The Republicans, who have been systematically denied access to the closed door Democrat negotiations among the Pelosi lead Congress, have some ideas.    www.healthcare.gop.gov  
And Minority Leader Boehner (with a video clip) on the 1,900 page health care bill.

The health care bill debate goes to the floor on the Congress.     And the American people should very afraid of the government plans to reduce present program (cost cutting), increase premiums (more coverage to more folks with less money to pay), expand coverage (anyone, including non-residents) and increased government controls (under the guise of streamlining the system).     Let's see what other government success stories we have?    The Post Office?  Nope.   The GSE's (Fanny Mae or Freddie Mac)?  Nope, they went broke.   What about Indian Health Care?  Nope, it is not working very well.   What about Amtrack?   Nope, keeps losing money, even with increased subsidies.

So now the Democrats in Congress want to take over healthcare in the US?     Now is the time for the American people to say:  No, not this time.  

(c) 2009, Jasper Welch, Four Corners Media.  www.jasperwelch.org