Filed under: 2010 Election, Government, Health Care, Progressives, Senate | Tags: Colorado, Congress, Courage, Democrats, Health, Health Care Reform, Michael Bennett
Freshman Senator Michael Bennett says he’s willing to lose his seat if it means passing health care reform:
Honestly, it’s shocking how often people claim that some Democrats just can’t support reform because then they might lose re-election.
That’s the justification a lot of conservative Democrats are giving for opposing health care reform, and everyone accepts it. But why? Why is a politician losing their seat considered to be the most unacceptable outcome here?
Just how cowardly are some of these politicians that they would rather keep our broken health care system–a system that results in at least 45,000 unnecessary deaths a year–in order to keep their jobs? Health care reform is, without hyperbole, an issue of life or death–people are dying because of our broken health care system.
And yet, reform is teetering on the brink because some conservadems can’t stand the thought of losing their seats–as if any of them would struggle to make ends meet in the private sector.
That’s why people like Sen. Bennett are worthy of praise–they’re willing to do what’s best for the American people, even if it costs them their job. Real health care reform is worth losing a handful of seats; I only wish there were more politicians willing to put the American people ahead of their own careers.
Filed under: Breaking, Conservatives, Government, Health Care, Progressives, Senate | Tags: Congress, Democrats, Filibuster, George Voinovich, Health, Health Care Reform, Ohio, Republicans
On a 60-39 party-line vote, Senate Democrats overcame the GOP’s filibuster of health care reform.
Now the bill will be brought to the floor for consideration. After that, the Democrats will need to marshal another 60 votes to end debate, and then 51 votes for passage.
Still trying to figure out who the 1 non-voting Republican was…
UPDATE: TPM says it was Ohio Senator George Voinovich, who previously announced that he will not run for re-election in 2010 and will therefore retire in early 2011.
Filed under: Breaking, Conservatives, Government, Health Care, Senate | Tags: Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, Congress, Democrats, Filiibuster, Health, Health Care Reform, Joe Lieberman, Mary Landrieu
It looks like Senate health care reform is a go.
All 4 of the conservative holdouts have announced that they will vote to begin debate.
A few weeks ago, Sen. Lieberman indicated his willingness to filibuster the bill but said he would vote to allow debate.
Yesterday, Nebraska’s Ben Nelson said he too would vote to bring the bill up for consideration.
Earlier today, Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu agreed. And just a few moments ago, Arkansas’ Blanche Lincoln jumped onboard.
So now the Democrats have the 60 votes they need to clear the first procedural hurdle on health care reform.
Of course, they have to overcome another 60-vote hurdle in order to end debate, and then they’ll need 51 votes for passage, and then there’ the matter of the conference report…
But hey, it’s a start. And maybe when health care reform is all said and done, some intrepid Senators can get to work on loosening some of those archaic Senate rules…
Filed under: Breaking, Economics, Government, Health Care, Progressives, Rights, Senate | Tags: Abortion, Ben Nelson, Budget, CBO, Choice, Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Deficit, Harry Reid, Health, Health Care Reform, Joe Lieberman, Mary Landrieu, public option, Stupak, Taxes
Tonight, the Senate Democratic leadership revealed their version of the health care reform bill.
The Congressional Budget Office has already scored the legislation. Their findings:
- It will cost $849 bn over the first decade.
- It will reduce the deficit by $127 bn in the first decade and by $650 bn in the following decade.
Here are more details about the bill:
- It contains the public option with a state-by-state opt-out provision.
- It establishes health insurance exchanges.
- It rejects the anti-choice Stupak amendment by stipulating that at least one plan in the health insurance exchange must offer abortion coverage and one plan must not.
- It authorizes the HHS Secretary to audit those plans to ensure federal funds are not being used for abortion.
- It taxes ‘Cadillac’ insurance plans but gives exceptions to high cost-of-living states and to workers in high-risk jobs, such as coal miners.
- It will cover 94% of Americans, including 31 million of the currently-uninsured.
- It achieves nearly $1 trillion in cost savings within the health care system.
It’s not a perfect piece of legislation, but considering the circumstances Harry Reid pretty much hit one out of the park here.
I expect the bill to do well–it contains significant health care reform but grants enough concessions to win over conservatives like Ben Nelson and Mary Landrieu. And the fact that it reduces the deficit significantly over the next 20 years should win over the newly-minted deficit hawks like Joe Lieberman (who only seem to care about the debt when a Democrat is in office).
Reid is to file for cloture tomorrow, meaning that this bill could be brought up to a vote as early as Saturday.
Filed under: Conservatives, Health Care, House, IOKIYAR, Scandal | Tags: Health, Abortion, Hypocrisy, Rights, RNC, Republican National Committee, Choice, Michael Steele, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Stupak Amendment, Cigna, Stupak
Surprise surprise, more Republican hypocrisy:
Federal Election Commission Records show the RNC purchases its insurance from Cigna. Two sales agents for the company said that the RNC’s policy covers elective abortion.
Informed of the coverage, RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho told POLITICO that the policy pre-dates the tenure of current RNC Chairman Michael Steele.
“The current policy has been in effect since 1991, and we are taking steps to address the issue,” Gitcho said.
[...]
According to several Cigna employees, the insurer offers its customers the opportunity to opt out of abortion coverage — and the RNC did not choose to opt out.
[Emphasis mine]
There is no way this is just an oversight–the RNC’s health plan has been unchanged for 18 years, and at any point during that time they simply could have opted-out of abortion coverage.
Filed under: Conservatives, Corruption, Government, International, Iraq, Scandal | Tags: ACORN, Blackwater, Blackwater USA, Blackwater Worldwide, Choice, Corruption, Crime, Department of State, Double Standards, Iraq, Military Contractor, Military Contractors, State Department, Stupak Amendment, Xe
Infamous military contractor Blackwater Worldwide (also known as Blackwater USA and now Xe) has previously been accused of corruption, murder and illegal arms smuggling.
Well, now you can add bribery to that list:
Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to former company officials.
Filed under: 2009 Election, 2010 Election, Conservatives, Government, Governors, House, Progressives, Senate | Tags: 2009, 2010, Charlie Crist, Congress, FL-SEN, Florida, Kendrick Meek, Marco Rubio, Mel Martinez, New York, NY-23
Undaunted by their epic failure in NY-23, conservatives are looking to scozzafava Florida’s 2010 Senate election.
Incumbent Republican Senator Mel Martinez is retiring that year, leaving his seat open. The Democratic candidate will be (in all likelihood) Congressman Kendrick Meek; the GOP primary will be between Governor Charlie Crist and FL House Speaker Marco Rubio.
Even though Gov. Crist is a pretty strong favorite to win both the GOP primary and the general election, the right has decided that they will do everything they can to keep him from winning the Republican nomination.
Filed under: Conservatives, Government, Health Care, Right-Wing Noise Machine | Tags: 10th Amendment, 9th Amendment, Constituiton, General Welfare Clause, Health, Health Care Reform, Supreme Court, Thomas Jefferson, United States Constitution
I think one of the more creative (though still invalid) right-wing argument against health care reform is that it would be unconstitutional. Which part of the constitution, they ask, allows Congress to establish something like the public option?
Article I, Section VIII. The opening part, to be exact:
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States…









