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
Showing posts with label senate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label senate. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
American Public Ignored
Two-thirds of the American public opposes the proposed health care legislation. They would rather have no reform than this reform. Yet congressional Democrats are bound and determined to push this unwanted legislation down our throats. If Democrats ignore the wishes of the American public, they will have to pay the political price. Actions do have consequences.
For all practical purposes there is no such thing as a moderate Democrat. Moderate Democrats feel uncomfortable with liberal legislation. They protest it. They are pressured. They are offered special deals for their states or districts. They fold.
Moderate Democrats are actually worse than liberal Democrats. They know what they are doing is wrong, but do it anyway. Moderate Democrats tell their constituents what their stance is on issues when they are running for office. Once they are elected, they vote their party line. Many electoral promises were broken this year.
Senate Democrats used Christmas as a diversion to sneak pass their bill. How despicable is it to use Christmas to gain your own ends? Yes, we were busy, but we were still paying attention to what you were doing. They won the “Grinch” award.
Signed,
The Electorate
For all practical purposes there is no such thing as a moderate Democrat. Moderate Democrats feel uncomfortable with liberal legislation. They protest it. They are pressured. They are offered special deals for their states or districts. They fold.
Moderate Democrats are actually worse than liberal Democrats. They know what they are doing is wrong, but do it anyway. Moderate Democrats tell their constituents what their stance is on issues when they are running for office. Once they are elected, they vote their party line. Many electoral promises were broken this year.
Senate Democrats used Christmas as a diversion to sneak pass their bill. How despicable is it to use Christmas to gain your own ends? Yes, we were busy, but we were still paying attention to what you were doing. They won the “Grinch” award.
Signed,
The Electorate
Friday, December 11, 2009
Senate's New Health Care Proposal
Just when you think that Congress could not devise a worse health care bill, they prove you wrong. Now the Senate proposes expanding Medicare down to the age of fifty-five; expanding Medicaid ( SCHIP has already been expanded); and having the OPM oversee and regulate private insurance companies. How is this not a PUBLIC OPTION? It’s a public option on steroids. The American public does not want a public option in health care reform – Let’s just change the name. The public is stupid. They won’t know what we are doing. This proposal is bad in so many ways.
Medicare is going bankrupt in 5 – 8 years. Yet Congress proposes cutting 500 billion dollars from Medicare as more and more “baby boomers” enter the system. Now Congress proposes adding at least thirty million more people to the system. This can only make the system collapse sooner. Medicare, at best, is a flawed, inferior system. Medicare denies claims at twice the rate of private insurances. Half the doctors in this country currently will not accept Medicare patients, because the reimbursement rate is so low and it takes so long to pay reimbursements. Some areas of the country have no doctors that will accept Medicare. Medical care not accepted is medical service denied. The doctors, who do accept Medicare, will not be able to provide care to the increased number of patients. Care will be rationed. This health care proposal may bankrupt hospitals and doctors. Medicare only provides basic minimum health care to seniors. A secondary insurance is always needed to provide acceptable care.
Medicaid is worse than Medicare and the same arguments apply. States must pay about half the costs of Medicaid making this an unfunded mandate. Even if the federal government would fund it for a few years eventually the burden would fall on the states. When the states fail, they would be bailed out and fall under federal government control.
SCHIP was a travesty. Children from families making over eighty thousand dollars a year are eligible for SCHIP. Anyone who has an income this high does not need government help to pay for their children’s medical care.
The OPM would oversee private insurance. The devil will be in the details. It has been suggested that these private companies must be “not for profit”. What regulations would be forced on insurance companies? Would policies be required to meet minimum and maximum limits? This could stifle the quality and availability of our health insurance. This part of the proposed bill could go wrong in many, many ways.
I am still of the opinion that no health care reform would be preferable to the health care reform being proposed by Congress.
Signed,
The Electorate
Medicare is going bankrupt in 5 – 8 years. Yet Congress proposes cutting 500 billion dollars from Medicare as more and more “baby boomers” enter the system. Now Congress proposes adding at least thirty million more people to the system. This can only make the system collapse sooner. Medicare, at best, is a flawed, inferior system. Medicare denies claims at twice the rate of private insurances. Half the doctors in this country currently will not accept Medicare patients, because the reimbursement rate is so low and it takes so long to pay reimbursements. Some areas of the country have no doctors that will accept Medicare. Medical care not accepted is medical service denied. The doctors, who do accept Medicare, will not be able to provide care to the increased number of patients. Care will be rationed. This health care proposal may bankrupt hospitals and doctors. Medicare only provides basic minimum health care to seniors. A secondary insurance is always needed to provide acceptable care.
Medicaid is worse than Medicare and the same arguments apply. States must pay about half the costs of Medicaid making this an unfunded mandate. Even if the federal government would fund it for a few years eventually the burden would fall on the states. When the states fail, they would be bailed out and fall under federal government control.
SCHIP was a travesty. Children from families making over eighty thousand dollars a year are eligible for SCHIP. Anyone who has an income this high does not need government help to pay for their children’s medical care.
The OPM would oversee private insurance. The devil will be in the details. It has been suggested that these private companies must be “not for profit”. What regulations would be forced on insurance companies? Would policies be required to meet minimum and maximum limits? This could stifle the quality and availability of our health insurance. This part of the proposed bill could go wrong in many, many ways.
I am still of the opinion that no health care reform would be preferable to the health care reform being proposed by Congress.
Signed,
The Electorate
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