The Senate continues to work out the details of its health care plan. Their biggest obstacle right now: math. The Senate needs 60 votes to pass anything and if even one Senator changes his or her mind about a provision in the bill then it is back to the drawing board.
Joe Lieberman, the Democrat turned Independent (turned Republican?) changes his mind . . . a lot. As a result, there will not be a public option in the Senate bill. There will not be the public option alternative that Senator Lieberman said he wanted and then said he didn’t (a provision allowing 55 year olds to buy into the Medicare system, which is currently available to people 65 and older). Lots of people are upset about this.
The bill will still have some good things in it, like really important insurance reforms (ending the practice of letting insurance companies discriminate against you for pre-existing conditions or because you’re a woman, for example), caps on the amount of money you have to pay out-of-pocket, and a provision that would allow you to stay on your parents insurance plan until the age of 26. We continue to worry about the affordability of insurance generally – and the inclusion of catastrophic plans that are really insurance in name only – and are fighting to make sure young people get a fair shake in this deal.
The first big cloture vote – remember, the Senate needs 60 votes to stop debating the bill and move to a final vote – could take place on Friday or Saturday. That will be the next big test. After/if the bill is passed by the Senate, the House and Senate will need to reconcile the differences between their two bills and submit a “conference report” to both chambers of Congress for final approval. That won’t happen until January 2011 at the earliest. We’ll continue to fight for the good stuff.
So, lot’s of uncertainty. One thing is for certain: Joe Lieberman is a pain in the a**.
Tags: health care reform, joe lieberman, Senate
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Thomas Bates Bio: Thomas is Rock the Vote's Vice President of Civic Engagement. @BatesThomas Email the author at: blog(at)rockthevote.com |
Joe Lieberman, the Democrat turned Independent (turned Republican?) changes his mind… Oh my God..not the dreaded R-word.. I know RTV would rather pull up the stakes and close shop before they would support a republican or any independent that dissagrees with the DNC.
I am sure Joe supports health care reform as do most people but has a major issue with the proposed solution. Maybe if congress spent as much time on writing/evaluating/debating this bill as our President spent picking out his dog we would not have these issues. I am all in favor of reform but can we please take the time to make sure we do this right vs. the current method of cramming it down our throat before the 2010 elections?
I guess Howard Dean is now an a$$, too, though I won’t hold my breath for RTV to announce this fact.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/16/AR2009121601906_pf.html
BTW, where does RTV stand on 30,000 more young people being sent to Afghanistan? Is that not enough young people to qualify for some type of status? Or does it reflect badly on the new Nobel Peace Prize winner?
This bill is BAD NEWS! How can an organization that claims to be “progressive” get behind this monster, which takes single payer health care off of the table forever? Dennis Kucinich was against it and so should anyone be who isn’t interested in appeasing health insurance companies, which is effectively what this half-a**ed bill is doing. This is corporate appeasement dressed up and caught up in Progressive clothing.
I too am all in favor of health care reform, but this bill is an insurance company dream.
DON’T just trust the direction of the Democratic party. RESEARCH. LISTEN.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/11/9/house_passes_healthcare_bill_with_amendment
Not to mention the anti-abortion legislation that was quietly tossed in.
This bill is a monstrosity… I have been fighting for health care for the last four years. Now that I’m out of college and have a job i truly understand the realities of what they are trying to shove down our throats.
This bill is only about face saving….
Kill the Bill
Now THAT video is funny. It embodies what happens when libs run our educational system that glorifies promiscuity, marxism, and victimhood while rejecting the things that made USA the beacon for individual freedom in the world. So glad I send my kids to private schools instead of our public indoctrination factories..!
Signed
Member of the true counter-culture
How is it that you’re TELLING the youth and providing a SINGLE point of view (YOURS) without providing them any of the facts????
You wonder WHY the youth and others don’t put their trust in government (Now that we should in the first place)??? It’s because you choose to manipulate them.
I thought that the purpose of your group was to “educate” the youth??? Maybe SOMEBODY can explain how you’re educating them WITHOUT actually doing it????
How about teaching them the Constitution and EXPLAINING that CONGRESS HAS NO RIGHT UNDER THE CONSTITUTION to force people into Health Care plans.
How about explaining that while they’re trying to push the age limit of Medicare down to 55…WHEN CONGRESS HAS SAID IT WILL BE BANKRUPT IN YEARS TO COME???????
You wrote “…(a provision allowing 55 year olds to buy into the Medicare system, which is currently available to people 65 and older). Lots of people are upset about this.” THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE!!!!!
No, “lots” of people aren’t upset with this. LOTS of people are upset as well as the youth who SHOULD be upset with this because THEY WILL BE PAYING FOR THE 55-65 year old’s to be IN this plan!!!!!!!
If this is the education that your group claims that they’re doing, it’s a poor attempt at it.
Let’s hope that somebody with a High School education can actually TEACH them about goverrment because it’s not being done here!!!!
It amuses me that the youth vote which mobilized for Obama is about to find out in a very direct way that people get the government they deserve. All the young people who currently choose to not purchase health insurance for themselves will soon be compelled to buy it anyway, because of the so-called “health reform” legislation which Rock the Vote (and not so coincidently Obama) is pushing for. Those young suckers who voted for Obama are going to get a bill to the tune of thousands of dollars per year as reward for their folly.
“ending the practice of letting insurance companies discriminate against you for pre-existing conditions”
Isn’t that basically like letting people take out fire insurance on their homes after it catches on fire? It seems to be a great way to get the insurance companies to go bankrupt… perhaps that’s what they want.
Kicking off 2010′s mixed martial arts is the amazing UFC 108. It’s bound going to be a great event with the main match being Evans vs Silva going head to head. You can watch evans vs silva fight video for FREE in full HD without paying that grotty $55.95 PPV cost.