Monday, March 22, 2010

Health Care Reform Passes the House

This was a tough fight, won by the good guys.

45 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

it was won by socialists

it's been fun though

I have a feeling more excitement is coming

March 22, 2010 12:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Former Democratic pollster Pat Caddell this afternoon forcefully asserted that the health-care bill now passed is a “political Jonestown” for House Democrats and that Speaker Pelosi’s insistence on forcing them to vote yes is akin to mass suicide.

March 22, 2010 6:17 AM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

This bill is good for America. NYTimes reports:

"...Six months after the legislation is enacted, many plans would be prohibited from placing lifetime limits on medical coverage, and they could not cancel the policies of people who fall ill. Children with pre-existing conditions could not be denied coverage.

And dependent children up to age 26 would be eligible for coverage under their parents’ plans — instead of the current state-by-state rules that often cut off coverage for children at 18 or 19.

And within three months of the law’s taking effect, people who have been locked out of the insurance market because of a pre-existing condition would be eligible for subsidized coverage through a new high-risk insurance program.

That special coverage would continue until the legislation’s engine kicks into a higher gear in 2014, when coverage would be extended to a wider part of the population through Medicaid and new state-run insurance exchanges.

Those exchanges, or marketplaces, are meant to provide much more competitive, consumer-friendly online shopping centers of private insurance for people who are not able to obtain coverage through an employer.

In 2014, people with pre-existing conditions could no longer be denied insurance, all lifetime and annual limits on coverage would be eliminated and new policies would be required to meet higher benefit standards..."

March 22, 2010 8:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

what's the reason all this kicks in in 2014?

the 3.5% Medicare tax on investment earnings is new and will hinder economic growth

never before has Medicare tax been used for something other than Medicare

March 22, 2010 9:03 AM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

what's the reason all this kicks in in 2014?

Read it again, Anone. Some of the provisions kick in in 3 months, some in 6 months, some on Jan. 1, 2011, some in 2013 and some in 2014.

You really need to work on your reading comprehension problem. It would help if you turned off the all spin FAUX news and watched MSNBC once in a while. Rachel Maddow's researchers are impeccable.

March 22, 2010 9:32 AM  
Anonymous David S. Fishback said...

Listening to the bellocose rantings of Minority Leader Boehner reminded me of how toxic the Republican Party has made our politics.

Thank goodness we have a President who has the temperament to rise above the rancor, while still fighting for policies the country desparately needs.

If Glenn Beck is any reflection of what the GOP is thinking and of the political stand it is making, then what we have is a full frontal attack on the approach our nation took during the New Deal -- a major shift in the use of democratically-elected government to save Capitalism, foster it in ways that worked better for every-day people, while at the same time avoiding the 1930s Syclla and Charybdis of fascism and communism.

A solid majority of American voters elected Barack Obama and a Democratic Congress to do precisely the kind of thing the Congress is now doing. The lies and misrepresentations of the GOP and Dick Armey's Tea-Party "movement" have confused and scared a lot of people. It is now the job of all of use who supported Barack Obama in 2008 to support him as he works to clear up the confusion and keep us on the right track.

March 22, 2010 10:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Read it again, Anone. Some of the provisions kick in in 3 months, some in 6 months, some on Jan. 1, 2011, some in 2013 and some in 2014"

Excuse my imprecision. Why do so many of the provisions kick in in 2014?

I know the answer, btw.

March 22, 2010 10:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sen. John McCain says Democrats who championed the historic health care bill that passed the House haven't heard the last of the issue, predicting reprisals at the polls and in the courts.

Interviewed Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America," McCain repeated House Republican assertions that the transformative legislation amounts to a "government takeover" of health care.

The Arizona Republican declared that Republicans "will challenge it every place we can," and called the measure, approved on a 219-212 vote, "terribly wrong for America." He said he was repulsed by "all this euphoria going on" and argued that "outside the Beltway, the American people are very angry. They don't like it and we're going to repeal this."

March 22, 2010 10:57 AM  
Anonymous David S. Fishback said...

Anon,

I suspect that a lot of provisions do not kick in immediately because the transition period needs to be a long one to avoid disruptions to current arrangements, or to develop the new arrangments in a sound manner (the insurance exchanges, most notably).

But you say you know the answer. Let me guess. Is your answer that there are "time bombs" that will explode in 2014, too late for us to stop the black helicopters from swooping down and killing granny?

March 22, 2010 11:09 AM  
Anonymous cactus juice said...

does anyone now why the subsidies for health insurance don't start until 2014 but the taxes start in 2010?

does anyone know why 250 billion in cuts for reimbursements were included as savings in yesterday's bill when Obama has already promised doctors to restore it?

does anyone know why pro-life Dems settled for an Executive Order from Barack that can be reversed at any time to vote for a bill that will result in health care rationing for cancer patients?

what the?

March 22, 2010 12:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cactus, there was a debate and a vote and your side lost. Your whining is just going to make our side gloat.

March 22, 2010 12:58 PM  
Blogger Priya Lynn said...

Congratulations to my American friends, its about time. Clearly a lot of Americans don't know what's good for them and needed to be forced to take their medicine. Obama will go down in history as one of the all time great Americans.

March 22, 2010 1:06 PM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

The GOP went all out to deliver President Obama a legislative Waterloo, and ultimately came up short.

Now, Vengeance Will Be McCain's! "There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year," McCain said during an interview Monday on an Arizona radio affiliate. "They have poisoned the well in what they've done and how they've done it."

Well, good. After the past 14 months ended up with yesterday's votes, it seems a lack of GOP cooperation is just the ticket to get the job done!

YES WE CAN!

YES WE DID!

March 22, 2010 4:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey! What does everyone think about Dana Beyer's lawsuit (aka get rick quick scam)?! It was front-page news in the Examiner a few days ago, but isn't worthy of a minor mention here....

March 22, 2010 4:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey! What does everyone think about Dana Beyer's lawsuit (aka get rick quick scam)?! It was front-page news in the Examiner a few days ago, but isn't worthy of a minor mention here....

March 22, 2010 5:05 PM  
Blogger JimK said...

Anon, regarding Dana's case, as I recall the Examiner was reporting events from several months ago.

JimK

March 22, 2010 5:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No -- it's a 3/18 article noting that Dana is suing the County for a cool $5 mil.

March 22, 2010 5:20 PM  
Blogger JimK said...

How about a link?

JimK

March 22, 2010 5:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Clearly a lot of Americans don't know what's good for them and needed to be forced to take their medicine."

If only Nancy Pelosi had said this instead of Priya.

It would make a perfect sound bite for the fall elections:

"So the Democrats have a health-care win in the House—a win that could prove mighty Pyrrhic. It will cost them dearly in the midterm elections; and come 2012, the remarkable man who seemed a shoo-in for a second term at the time of his first inauguration, will stand every chance of losing to any half-decent candidate the Republicans can muster. And in truth, this remarkable man, who has collapsed in stature since the day of that first, stirring inauguration, will have wrought his own eclipse.

Americans have witnessed, in the last days, an ugly and extraordinary display of how the practice of democracy can so often overwhelm its theory: They saw, first, how those who claim an exalted moral stature for health-care reform made a naked attempt to dodge a basic constitutional requirement for the passing of a bill. The subversion of the Constitution was abandoned when it became clear that the Supreme Court would not put up with a law that had been “deemed” to have passed.

What Americans saw next was the legislative souk at its most squalid: cajoling, bribing, threatening, wheedling, all designed to bring on board those Democratic congressmen and -women whose votes were needed to attain (or surpass) the number 216, and whose “principles” were getting in the way of a “yes” vote. Hewing to principle is difficult, because it makes party whips angry, spoils dinner parties, and ends careers and friendships. So Kucinich, Stupak & Co. succumbed. To borrow a phrase from Tony Judt, the historian, writing in the latest New York Review of Books: “We… have abandoned politics to those for whom actual power is far more interesting than its metaphorical implications.”

So we’re now on the verge of a tectonic change in the way American society is regulated—a change vigorously opposed by over 55 percent of all Americans. Barack Obama did, of course, promise “change” in his presidential campaign. He just left out the bit about its being change in which those who think they know what’s good for us pass a law that most of us oppose with a passion—a passion born not merely of political opposition, but of a sense that President Obama has dealt the nation a calamitous hand."

March 22, 2010 5:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry I don't know how to embed the link on this site...

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Montgomery-transgender-aide-sues-county-for-_5-million-88221872.html

March 22, 2010 5:43 PM  
Blogger Priya Lynn said...

Aunt Bea, its hilarious that Mccain would say there will be no cooperation for the rest of the year. The Republicans hadn't cooperated at all since the election and never had any intention of cooperating even if the health care reform hadn't passed - this changes nothing in terms of their pig-headedness.

March 22, 2010 8:14 PM  
Blogger JimK said...

Anon, if something happens in that lawsuit we will report it here. From the stories I have seen it doesn't look like anybody has really said anything beyond the fact that a lawsuit has been filed.

JimK

March 22, 2010 8:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

interesting how knowledgeable someone in Canada is about our legislature

just goes to show

"The Republicans hadn't cooperated at all since the election and never had any intention of cooperating even if the health care reform hadn't passed - this changes nothing"

oh, they might have been able to get something if they worked with us

but, you're right about one thing: this bill's passage changes nothing

the Dem majority would have been history either way

the reconciliation bill may never be law

which is better

the new taxes on investment income is a horrendous idea

if you hate successful people, why not tax their spending instead of their investment?

March 22, 2010 9:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is a shame that Dana wants to “milk” MC for money MC doesn’t have. Guess our taxes will go up.

March 22, 2010 10:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is a shame that Dana wants to “milk” MC for money MC doesn’t have. Guess our taxes will go up.

March 22, 2010 10:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

is Dana really suing?

is it about the ruling on her actions during the petition drive?

doesn't TTF always complain about when CRC sued poor, defenseless MCPS?

isn't Dana rich already?

March 22, 2010 11:05 PM  
Anonymous here comes da judge! said...

(Reuters) - Attorneys general in at least 12 states warned on Monday that lawsuits will be filed to stop the federal government's healthcare reform bill from encroaching on states' sovereignty.

The lawsuits were widely expected with announcements coming from the states' top legal officials less than 24 hours after the House of Representatives gave final approval to a sweeping overhaul of healthcare.

State officials are concerned the burden of providing healthcare will fall to them without enough federal support.

Eleven of the attorneys general plan to band together in a collective lawsuit on behalf of Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.

"Congress' attempt to force Michigan families to buy health insurance -- or else -- raises serious constitutional concerns," said Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox. "We will fight to defend the individual rights and freedoms of Michigan citizens against this radical overreach by the federal government."

The state attorneys general say the reforms infringe on state powers under the Constitution's Bill of Rights.

Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, who plans to file a lawsuit in federal court in Richmond, Virginia, said Congress lacks authority under its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce to force people to buy insurance. The bill also conflicts with a state law that says Virginians cannot be required to buy insurance, he added.

"If a person decides not to buy health insurance, that person by definition is not engaging in commerce," Cuccinelli said in recorded comments. "If you are not engaging in commerce, how can the federal government regulate you?"

Forrest McDonald, a retired University of Alabama history professor who has written a book on states' rights, said Congress has no power to make someone buy something.

"You can stretch it all to hell and you're going to find a lot of power, but you can't find the power to make me buy a car or anything," he said.

States have also cited the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, which states that "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states," as proof that the U.S. government cannot set their healthcare laws.

In addition to the pending lawsuits, bills and resolutions have been introduced in at least 36 state legislatures seeking to limit or oppose various aspects of the reform plan through laws or state constitutional amendments, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

So far, two states -- Idaho and Virginia -- have enacted laws, while an Arizona constitutional amendment is seeking voter approval on the November ballot. But the actual enactment of the bill by President Barack Obama could spur more movement on the measures by state lawmakers.

Tea Party groups in Ohio planned to unveil a proposed constitutional amendment later on Monday aimed at shielding the state's residents from "financial burdens and individual mandates" related to the federal healthcare changes.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said the mandate would cost Florida at least $1.6 billion in Medicaid alone.

March 22, 2010 11:13 PM  
Anonymous obama the monarchist said...

The passage last night of Barack Obama’s health care reform bill through the House of Representatives is yet another blow to freedom in America inflicted by the Obama administration. The legislation, which comes at a staggering cost of $940 billion, will hugely add to the already towering national debt, now at over $12 trillion. It is yet another millstone round the necks of the American people, already faced with the highest levels of unemployment in a generation.

It is also a great leap forward by the United States towards a European-style vision of universal health care, which will only lead to soaring costs, higher taxes, and a surge in red tape for small businesses. This reckless legislation dramatically expands the power of the state over the lives of individuals, and could not be further from the vision of America’s founding fathers. It has also been rushed through Congress without proper scrutiny, in the face of overwhelming public opposition, and with not an ounce of bipartisan support.

Above all the health care bill is a thinly disguised vanity project for a president who is committed to transforming the United States from the world’s most successful large-scale free enterprise economy, to a highly interventionist society with a massive role for centralized government. The United States has thrived as a nation for over 230 years precisely because of its love for freedom and its belief in free markets.

What we have just witnessed is a massive slap in the face for limited government and the principle of individual responsibility. Its net result will be the erosion of freedom in America, and a further undermining of the country’s economic competitiveness. This may be a political victory for the president and his supporters in Congress, but it is in reality a defeat for America as a great power, and another Obama-led step towards US decline.

March 22, 2010 11:19 PM  
Anonymous Merle said...

Anon, it appears you completely miss the irony in copying and pasting an article warning that America is going to become just like a European country, written by British journalist (and Heritage Foundation nutcase).

You are a hoot.

March 23, 2010 6:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Merle, did you clear that comment with government regulators before making it?

March 23, 2010 7:54 AM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

Dana wants to “milk” MC for money

Did you read your own Examiner article or is your reading comprehension problem in play again? BTW you make a link here just like anywhere else, you use "the basic HTML." The Examiner reported:

...Beyer already filed a complaint with the county's human rights office, but she said that complaint is being ignored, prompting her to file a lawsuit. She said the $5 million figure, which is split between $1 million for economic damages and $4 million for emotional distress, was meant to get the county's "attention."

"I'm trying to make a point here, I'm not looking for money," she said.

Beyer, who is on voluntary unpaid leave from Trachtenberg's office and is a former eye surgeon, is running for the state House of Delegates...


The article you cited reports that she is not suing for money, she is suing to make a point. Of course, Vigilance readers know you won't let any facts get in the way of your spin.

March 23, 2010 7:58 AM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

oh, they might have been able to get something if they worked with us

Max Baucus worked to craft the Senate bill with the Gang of Six, including 3 GOP members. President Obama held a summit on health care reform and invited ideas from both sides of the aisle. He pointed out the many GOP ideas that are included in the "fix-it" bill every House GOP member voted in lockstep against Sunday evening.

The GOP doesn't want to pass health care reform. They didn't do it for the 8 years of the Bush Administration, and they are still kicking and screaming and trying every tactic in the book to stop what has already been passed, even seeking activist judges to side with them.

We'll see what the voters have to say about all this in November.

March 23, 2010 8:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So if Dana doesn't want money, then why is Dana suing for money?

March 23, 2010 9:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why dont you ask Dana?

March 23, 2010 9:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Duh, "Anonymous":
As posted in Aunt Bea's response to your previous inane remarks:
"...Beyer already filed a complaint with the county's human rights office, but she said that complaint is being ignored, prompting her to file a lawsuit. She said the $5 million figure, which is split between $1 million for economic damages and $4 million for emotional distress, was meant to get the county's "attention."

"I'm trying to make a point here, I'm not looking for money," she said."

March 23, 2010 9:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Reminds me of this country song...

"I've got some
Oceanfront property in Ar-i-zo-na...
From my front porch I can see the sea
I've got some oceanfront property in Ar-i-zo-na

If you buy that I'll throw the Golden Gate in free!

March 23, 2010 9:59 AM  
Anonymous non-political pal said...

seems like Dana and Duchy were getting a lot of attention until Dana was found to be utilizing some controversial tactics during the petition drive

she's on leave from Duchy service?

maybe she's looking for a way to get her campaign attention

two years ago, I saw Dana riding in a rickshaw with Duchy at the Labor Day parade

this year I saw her alone walking back and forth on the sidelines looking very ticked off

politics....can't live with it, can't live without it

March 23, 2010 10:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And you know what, "non-political pal" (aka "Anonymous" of ill-repute)? If you don't like liver, you don't eat it. If you wouldn't like
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid", don't go to see it. No one cares about your opinions on these issues.

Just as NO ONE CARES WHY YOU DON'T LIKE DANA!!

It behooves you to keep your personal opinions to yourself, lest we think you are some sort of uncouth, ill-mannered, boor!
Circe

March 23, 2010 1:30 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't dislike Dana

Dana stopped commenting here when she took the job with Duchy, which is too bad

always had a lot of interesting comments

I hadn't heard she was on unpaid leave though, which another brought up above

was it because the investigators found she violated ethics rules?

March 23, 2010 2:08 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No, it's because she is running for office.

March 23, 2010 3:05 PM  
Anonymous goodness hides behind the gates said...

is she going to lose to that wimpy red-haired guy who kissed up to the teachers' union again?

March 23, 2010 3:43 PM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

I hadn't heard she was on unpaid leave though, which another brought up above

Oh brother Anone, how dumb are you? I quoted the Examiner article you brought to the attention of Vigilance readers yesterday. That's where I found the information that Dana was on unpaid leave.

Reading comprehension takes work, which obviously is not something you are interested in.

March 23, 2010 4:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not the one who brought that up, idiot

March 23, 2010 6:09 PM  
Anonymous Aunt Bea said...

If you want to distinguish yourself from other posters who use the name "Anonymous," then do so. Otherwise all Anonymouses are the same troll.

March 24, 2010 9:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

if you want to be ignorant, inane, go ahead

March 24, 2010 9:46 AM  

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