Democrats strike health care deal

Spencer Collins · #1 (**permalink**) 12-19-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Senate Democrats reached a deal with Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) Friday night to move forward with a health care reform bill, clearing the way for a series of votes on the landmark legislation next week, said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y).

“There were many times they thought they couldn't come to an agreement,” Schumer said. “We are now for the first time really feeling good. I think every Democrat realized whatever his or her views, we had to get this done.”

But Schumer made clear the negotiations, which centered on abortion funding and Medicaid expansion were touch and go. “There were several times in that room where we thought we wouldn't have a deal," he said.

And in fact, Nelson left the Capitol about 10 p.m. Friday telling reporters there wasn’t deal – at least not a final one — and that all sides had to sleep on it.

The compromise gets Reid to the 60 votes he needs to move ahead with health reform, but it’s going to be a long weekend. The first vote right now is set for 1 a.m. Monday – after a reading of the so-called manager’s amendment released this morning. The final vote, under the current calendar, would take place at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

The bill would call for the creation of national health insurance exchange that would allow people to shop for insurance, subsidies to help low-income people buy insurance and an expansion of Medicaid. It does not include the government-run health insurance option that Nelson and other moderates objected to – and its absence has drawn fire from liberal critics who say the bill doesn’t amount to true reform.

One of the biggest hurdles to passing a health reform bill was satisfying Nelson's demand that restrictions on the federal funding of abortion be tightened. And in the manager's amendment Reid threaded the needle on the issue and won Nelson's support for the bill.

To that end, Reid included a provision that allows states to prohibit abortion coverage in the insurance exchanges the bill creates. It's basically a state opt-out, which largely allows Democrats to sidestep the tricky issue by pushing it onto the states.

The amendment also requires that health plans that provide abortion services segregate the premiums from any federal subsidies into separate accounts so that federal funds don't pay for abortion services. Similar proposals have come under fire from pro-life groups who call the maneuver a shell game. They argue that because the insurance plans offered through the exchange are eligible for federal subsidies, taxpayer money is still paying for the coverage of abortion.

And while it still might not satisfy pro-life groups, the important point for Democrats today is that it wins Nelson's vote, which they need to pass a bill.

Reid needed to get a deal in place so he can begin the procedural steps necessary to pass the health care bill by Christmas Eve. Senate Republicans have already asked for a full reading of the amendment, which could take several hours, depending on its length.

Democrats strike health care deal - - POLITICO.com

Progress on the abortion issue but the soap opera continues.

Tumbleweed · #2 (**permalink**) 12-19-2009, 10:38 AM

The final draft of the bill will have been watered down so much by the time it crosses the presidents desk a lot of people will be wondering what all the partisan bickering really accomplished.

The GOP has shown us that they had no intention of agreeing to any proposals made by Democrats, and that party loyalty trumps a bi-partisan solution to health care reform.

The Democrats on the other hand remind of a little kid who throws a tantrum. If they put as much effort into health care reform as they did showing us how pathetic they can be if they don't get their own way, this bill would have been signed before they decided to pull the real reform measures out of the bill.

The notion that getting something is better than nothing leaves me wondering, for who?

cnredd · #3 (**permalink**) 12-19-2009, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed

The final draft of the bill will have been watered down so much by the time it crosses the presidents desk a lot of people will be wondering what all the partisan bickering really accomplished.

Partisan?...Everything I heard was either Democrat vs. Democrat or Democrat vs. the Independant that caucuses with Democrats...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed

The GOP has shown us that they had no intention of agreeing to any proposals made by Democrats, and that party loyalty trumps a bi-partisan solution to health care reform.

The Dems have shown they have no intention of even bringing any of the 30+ proposals the GOP created to the floo for discussion let alone a vote, and have also shown they want to overhaul 1/6th of the country's economy even though a majority (57%/34%) of the country disagree with it...

Think about this for a second...

When the Republicans controlled the Senate, they NEVER had more than 55 senators...That means they had to have AT LEAST 5 Democrats on board in order to pass a bill...

Meanwhile the Democrats, who currently have a majority of 60, are willing to push things that are so rediculous that they can't even get ONE SENATOR from the other side of the aisle to support it...

Yet you blame the other side...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed

The Democrats on the other hand remind of a little kid who throws a tantrum. If they put as much effort into health care reform as they did showing us how pathetic they can be if they don't get their own way, this bill would have been signed before they decided to pull the real reform measures out of the bill.

I know it must be hard to accept that their are Democrats who still have principles and have no intention of abandoning them for the party...

The GOP honors them...Their own wish them dead...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed

The notion that getting something is better than nothing leaves me wondering, for who?

Obama...

He needs to pass SOMETHING so he can spend the rest of his presidency (nay, his life) saying "Hey!...I passed SOMETHING!!!!"...

cnredd · #4 (**permalink**) 12-19-2009, 02:20 PM

From the original post's article...

Quote:

Nelson also won his own version of Sen. Mary Landrieu's much-derided "Louisiana Purchase." In Nelson's case, the federal government will permanently pick up all the cost of new Medicaid enrollees in Nebraska, rather than splitting the tab with the state, as is usually done. Nelson’s Nebraska is the only state singled out for such treatment – a $45 million cost to federal taxpayers that shows the power of a single senator in this debate.

In other words, the Democrat had to be BRIBED by the Democratic leadership in order to get the vote (as was done in the House)...But that's OK...It's only taxpayer money...not like it's important or anything...

Like the way your leadership in Congress works yet?...Ain't it great when the ends justify the means?...

GottaGo · #5 (**permalink**) 12-19-2009, 05:33 PM

Again, as I have posted before:

This is NOT healthcare reform... it does NOTHING to address healthcare. The ONLY thing it does is make insurance mandatory.

It does not address litigation, spiraling drug costs or defensive medicine. Nothing. Nada, zip, zilch.

this travesty will be visited upon the American people against their will. Hold onto your wallets, the show has just begun.

saltwn · #6 (**permalink**) 12-19-2009, 07:16 PM

Although a Republican Senator from OK demanded the reading of the amended bill (the reading was shown on CSpan from early this a.m. till about 1:30 MST), we got through that delay tactic and here's a peak at what is still in the bill:

Quote:

...most Americans would have to have health insurance, while private insurers would be banned from refusing to provide insurance because applicants had pre-existing medical conditions.

Insurance would be made more affordable with subsidies available to help those in lower income bands, the Democrats say.
BBC News - US Senate Democrats secure key healthcare vote
People would also be able to take part in new insurance market places and be able to choose to buy government-sold insurance from 2014, a provision intended to help regulate the prices charged by private companies.

Large companies would be required by law to provide coverage to staff...

Even without some of the favorite amendments, it's still better than what we live under presently.

nursej007 · #7 (**permalink**) 12-19-2009, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GottaGo

Again, as I have posted before:

This is NOT healthcare reform... it does NOTHING to address healthcare. The ONLY thing it does is make insurance mandatory.

It does not address litigation, spiraling drug costs or defensive medicine. Nothing. Nada, zip, zilch.

this travesty will be visited upon the American people against their will. Hold onto your wallets, the show has just begun.

As details come out, this "joke" foisted on the American people will become even less and less funny.

GottaGo · #8 (**permalink**) 12-20-2009, 08:22 AM

And I still try to understand how the people putting this in place think they will retain their jobs?

I don't know about anyone else, but I won't be voting for anyone who had a hand in this, regardless of party affiliation.

MrLiberty · #9 (**permalink**) 12-21-2009, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GottaGo

And I still try to understand how the people putting this in place think they will retain their jobs?

I don't know about anyone else, but I won't be voting for anyone who had a hand in this, regardless of party affiliation.

The delusional dems have convinced themselves that this is what the people want, poll numbers be damned.

saltwn · #10 (**permalink**) 12-21-2009, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GottaGo

And I still try to understand how the people putting this in place think they will retain their jobs?

I don't know about anyone else, but I won't be voting for anyone who had a hand in this, regardless of party affiliation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrLiberty

The delusional dems have convinced themselves that this is what the people want, poll numbers be damned.

Perhaps they sacrifice for the good of the people...

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