What will the left do? Probably cave in the Senate, but then what will happen in the House, where the Stupak amendment passed with bipartisan support? Presumably this Senate abortion deal is unacceptable.
Call your legislators, folks!
More: NRO in the wee hours this morning: DeMint: 'A Game of Political Bribes':
More from the liberal WaPo. Senate Debate "surreal". The Dems complain the GOP is trying to slow deliberations (after all, the healthcare part doesn't even go into effect until 2014--but we start paying for it upfront!!! And this has to be stuffed through now???!!!):“We are going to read this bill,” says Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.) in a conversation with National Review Online. “If the Democrats squeal, so be it.”
The rest of the Senate GOP also seems keen for a read-a-thon once (if?) Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) moves forward on health care. “We’re looking to do everything we can within the rules,” says DeMint. “We’ll use the rules that we can to make sure that we have time to understand the bill and communicate it to the American people. Harry Reid and the president are rushing this process because they know the longer this bill hangs out there, the less people like it. I’m pretty sure if this debate goes past Christmas, and senators come back to Washington after facing their voters, then there won’t be many people left who still want to vote for it.”
And don’t buy all of the fascination with moderate Democrats on the fence, he says. “They’ll squawk and then they’ll vote for it,” predicts DeMint. “They’ll squawk like Senator
Landrieu and wait until they get what they want. Senator Landrieu got $300 million for her state. Others will follow her lead. This debate has become a game of political bribes.”“This is Chicago politics,” says DeMint. “We don’t know what’s being said behind the scenes. You can see symptoms of the degradation on the Senate floor, where Senator Lieberman was recently denied a basic courtesy by Senator
Franken . He wanted one more minute to speak and Senator Franken, then acting as the chair, denied him. It's unprecedented. The whole mess just shows you how they’re taking no prisoners and keeping score. They’ve thrown traditional courtesies out the window.”
"This is a far-left bill," said Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah). "Where have Republicans been asked to participate in this?"Latest polls at RCP.
Olympia J. Snowe, the Maine Republican who has been frantically wooed by Democrats, said the legislation is too important to rush. "Why not use January as an opportunity to continue work through these issues?" she asked.
The Senate is self-consciously the "upper chamber" of Congress, and has been often described as the "saucer that cools the tea," a nod to the custom of pouring the hot liquid from the cup into the saucer before imbibing. But lately it's been more like a flying saucer, carrying creatures who are strangely nocturnal and speak a language few earthlings can understand
More. What Nelson got on Medicaid.
More. Nelson claims he reserves right to vote against cloture for later reconciled House/Senate bill if there are material changes.
Ha. Presumably he will hold out his hand again. And we will all pay for these bribes. And our children. And our children's children.
More. Heritage detailed analysis of the bill. Key points. The Senate bill will:
• Cause many Americans to lose their current health insurance. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that up to 10 million Americans would no longer be covered by their employers. Given the bill's incentives for employers to discontinue job-based coverage, independent analysts expect the loss of employer-based coverage to be much higher.FoxNews is reporting Harry Reid is capping insurance company profits--so presumably the left will go along. Another bankrupt industry that will be folded into Big Government at our expense--what TOTAL CRAP. Do you think we will get any kind of decent healthcare out of this?!!! And the cost will be ASTRONOMICAL.
• Bend the cost curve up. According to independent analysts and government actuaries, the bill would substantially increase total health care spending instead of reducing it as promised. Richard Foster, Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), recently judged the projected savings from the Medicare updates as "doubtful" and estimated that the total national spending on health care would increase.
• Impose many new taxes on middle-class Americans. The Senate bill contains over a dozen new taxes, including a 40 percent excise tax on high-priced health plans and special fees and taxes on insurance, drugs, medical devices, and anyone who violates the new mandates.
• Reduce many seniors' access to Medicare benefits and services. The bill would reduce Medicare payments by an estimated $493 billion over 10 years, including payment reductions for Medicare Advantage, hospital care, home health care, and nursing homes.
• Provide federal funding for abortion. Contrary to the President's clear statement to Congress and the nation on health care reform, the Senate bill would provide funding for abortion. The House would prohibit using taxpayers' dollars to finance abortion, but a similar amendment to the Senate bill was tabled without even a floor vote.
More. And despite ClimateGate, we're still going to do this--yes, we're going to borrow more money from China our children will slave to pay for:
skye820 Obama's cold day in Denmark... http://bit.ly/6WcZyX - still promised 100 billion a year to prop up 3rd world dictators 'green' initiative.MOre.
fleckman RT @JoAnneMoretti: @JimDeMint: Where is CBO report on this Amendment.
More.Medicaid forever must be expensive! See Ben Nelson's bribe!.mattklewis RT @JimDeMint We must keep fighting this. Keep calling, emailing, faxing your senator, the vote is scheduled for Monday at 1am.
A CLASS ACT
Dems Said The Class Act “Ponzi Scheme” “Needs To Be Out Of The Bill,” And Voted To Strip It, But It Is Included In Final Health Care Bill
SENATE DEMOCRATS: CLASS Act “A Ponzi Scheme Of The First Order”
SEN. BEN NELSON (D-NE): “The CLASS Act, Which Is The Community Living Assistance Program That The CMS Actuary Said Will Be Financially Upside Down In A Very Short Period Of Time, That Needs To Be Out Of The Bill.” “Well, it has to make -- the Senate will have to make a lot of changes. The public option would have to be changed dramatically or dropped from the bill. The CLASS Act, which is the community living assistance program that the CMS actuary said will be financially upside down in a very short period of time, that needs to be out of the bill.” (Fox News’ “On The Record,” 12/1/09)
SEN. KENT CONRAD (D-ND): “‘A Ponzi Scheme Of The First Order, The Kind Of Thing That Bernie Madoff Would Have Been Proud Of,’ And He Vowed To Block Its Inclusion In The Senate Bill.” (Proposed Long-Term Insurance Program Raises Questions,” The Washington Post, 10/27/09)
SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): “I Am No Fan Of The CLASS Act Myself.” “To be honest, I frankly would like to hear you talk about the CLASS Act because frankly I am no fan of the CLASS Act myself, so you can proceed.” (Sen. Baucus, Floor Remarks, 12/2/09)
SENATORS CONRAD, LIEBERMAN, LINCOLN, LANDRIEU, BAYH WARNER AND NELSON LETTER TO REID OPPOSING CLASS ACT:
“A Group Of Moderate Senators Wrote To Harry Reid Today Asking Him Not To Include The CLASS Act, Which Would Create A Long-Term Insurance Program For The Disabled, In The Merged Bill. Sens. Conrad, Lieberman, Lincoln, Landrieu, Bayh, Warner And Ben Nelson Wrote That They Are Concerned The Provision Would Increase Long-Term Deficits.” (“Mods Say No To CLASS Act,” Politico, 10/28/09)
12 Senate Democrats Voted In Favor Of Removing The CLASS Act From The Bill. (S.Amdt.2901 To H.R.3590, Roll Call Vote #360, Vote Failed 51-47: R: 39-0; D 11-46; I 1-1, 12/4/09)
CBO: CLASS Act Will “Eventually Lead To Net Outlays When Benefits Exceed Premiums”
CBO: CLASS Act Will “Eventually Lead To Net Outlays When Benefits Exceed Premiums.” “As noted earlier, the CLASS program included in the bill would generate net receipts for the government in the initial years when total premiums would exceed total benefit payments, but it would eventually lead to net outlays when benefits exceed premiums. ... In the decade following 2029, the CLASS program would begin to increase budget deficits.” (Douglas Elmendorf, CBO Director, Letter To Rep. Rangel, P.13, 10/29/09)
CMS: CLASS Act Faces “A Significant Risk Of Failure”
CMS: “In 2025 And Later, Projected Benefits Exceed Premium Revenues, Resulting In A Net Federal Cost In The Longer Term. … In general, voluntary, unsubsidized, and non-underwritten insurance programs such as CLASS face a significant risk of failure as a result of adverse selection by participants.” (“Estimated Financial Effect Of The ‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act Of 2009’ (H.R. 3962), As Passed By The House On November 7, 2009,” P.11, CMS, 11/13/09)
WASHINGTON POST: CLASS Act “A New Gimmick… Designed To Pretend That Health Reform Is Fully Paid For”
WASHINGTON POST: “…A New Gimmick Has Been Designed To Pretend That Health Reform Is Fully Paid For. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions adopted a measure, endorsed by the Obama administration, to have the government provide long-term care insurance in which workers would be automatically enrolled unless they opt out.” (“How Not To Fix Health Care,” The Washington Post, 7/10/09)
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