Health Care Through Reconciliation

Apparently Democratic leadership has decided to try to push this unwanted heath care bill down the throats of the American people using reconciliation. Reconciliation would require the House to pass the exact bill that the Senate passed. This bill could then be signed into law by the President without returning to the Senate for another vote. Then the House could amend the health care bill. The amendments would be attached to a budgetary bill. This second bill would then be passed in the Senate using reconciliation. Only 51 votes would be needed for this process. Reconciliation can only be used for budgetary bills. Health care is not a budgetary bill. The reasoning behind this maneuver must be: If you can’t do it legally, then cheat.

The Senate bill is a monstrosity filled with corrupt deals that were crafted behind closed doors. The quality and cost of the health care you receive depends on where you live. In Florida we retain Medicare Advantage. In Nebraska the state will not have to pay new Medicaid costs. Connecticut and Louisiana received “special” deals. Americans should be treated equally no matter where they live.

The proposed program will be paid for by cutting 500 billion dollars from Medicare as more and more people enter Medicare. Some are even foolish enough to claim that cutting Medicare expenses will save the program. This money is not being saved. The federal government is using this money to pay for health care for others.

The plan is also being paid for by a bevy of new taxes. Congress proposes raising taxes in a recession. This can only prolong and deepen the recession. “Cadillac” plans – most plans received at work – will be taxed at forty percent. We are already drowning in taxes.

The language in the Senate bill will allow tax dollars to be used for abortion. People who believe that abortion is morally wrong should not be forced to pay for abortion for others.

This is the bill that House leadership will ask you to vote for. It is an ugly bill and will greatly exceed its estimated cost of just under a trillion dollars. This bill will affect one-sixth of our economy and the daily lives of all Americans. It should not be passed in such a devious manner.

You will face huge pressure to vote for the Senate health care bill. I hope you are strong enough to stand up to this pressure and stand up for the people you represent.

Signed,
The Electorate

Washington is Still Trying to Push Health Care Down Our Throats

The Administration is crafting a combined health care bill. They state that they will attach this health care bill to a budget bill and use reconciliation to pass the bill in the Senate. They seek to do this since they do not have enough votes to pass this bill any other way. The ends justify the means in their minds. If this is the only way to pass the bill, it should NOT be passed.

Reconciliation is a parliamentary trick – a lawyer’s trick – which allows a bill to pass the Senate with a simple vote of 51. You can not legally create a new all-encompassing program by reconciliation. Reconciliation allows for no debate in the Senate. There will be no cloture vote. It circumvents the intent, if not the letter of the law. Reconciliation is only allowed for budgetary bills. Attaching a health care bill to a budget bill does not make health care a budgetary bill. This would just be another end run around our laws and Constitution.

Health insurance reform can not be passed by reconciliation. No doubt Congress will do this at a latter date. No one would vote against preventing people from being excluded from obtaining insurance because of a pre-existing condition. The new humongous, powerful government health care system would already be enacted. That seems to be what is really important in Washington – not the good or opinions of the people.

If Congress circumvents the will of the people using a cheap trick like reconciliation, the repercussions will be horrific. The people will not tolerate this misuse of power. All and any power that the federal government has comes from the people – not the other way around. If our legislators are unable or unwilling to represent us, we will replace them with legislators who will. November is just over the horizon. If this bill is passed, it can be replaced or can languish unfunded. We want sane, logical health care reform not a large, expensive health care program run by the government.

Signed,
The Electorate

No Reconciliation

Before the scheduled Saturday vote to bring the Health Care Bill to the Senate floor, we need absolute assurances that if this bill is brought to the floor the majority leadership will not seek to pass this bill by reconciliation. If such assurances are not made, then don’t let this bill be sent to the Senate floor.

If this bill were to be passed by reconciliation, the country would be tore apart. The American public is already irate, because they feel legislators are not listening to them. Reconciliation would absolutely drive people up the walls. It would be like holding a lit match to tender. Reconciliation must not be even considered.

Signed,
The Electorate