Republicans Move Goal Posts On Baucus Health Bill
Republicans Move Goal Posts On Baucus Health Bill
Yesterday, after nine months of bipartisan negotiations, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) released the Senate Finance Committee’s health care bill without attracting any Republican support. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the $774 billion proposal would not add any red ink to the deficit and would actually “result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $49 billion over the 2010-2019 period.” Nevertheless, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) falsely stated on Fox News, “This bill continues to spend trillions of dollars.”
For months, Republicans have complained that Democrats were pushing a partisan government-takeover of health care that would only add to the deficit and bankrupt the nation. They insisted that any health care reform bill must exclude a public option, allow Americans to purchase coverage across state lines, exclude funding for abortion and ensure that illegal immigrants are note eligible for coverage.
But once presented with legislation that met many of these demands, the GOP demurred, refusing to meet Baucus half-way:
REPUBLICANS ASKED FOR – NO PUBLIC OPTION: “I urged the President to take the public option off the table because it’s universally opposed by all Republicans in the Senate…it is a roadblock to building the kind of consensus that we need to move forward.” [Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), 9/13/2009]
BAUCUS BILL – NO PUBLIC OPTION: The Baucus bill replaces the public option with a network of consumer driven cooperatives. As the Congressional Budget Office explains, “The specifications include provisions to establish health care cooperatives that would provide insurance coverage and operate as nonprofit organizations.” [pg. 32-38 in Baucus mark]
REPUBLICANS ASKED FOR – POLICIES ACROSS STATE LINES: “Interstate competition allowing people to buy insurance across state lines.” [Sen. John Thune (R-SD), 9/8/2009]
BAUCUS BILL – POLICIES ACROSS STATE LINES: Starting in 2015, states may form ―health care choice compacts to allow for the purchase of individual health insurance across state lines…. Once compacts have been agreed to, insurers would be allowed to sell policies in any state participating in the compact.” [pg. 12]
REPUBLICANS ASKED FOR – HIGH RISK POOLS: “Senator McCain has a proposal sometimes called high-risk pools at the state level…These are efforts I think we can have bipartisan agreement on and deal with the question of pre-existing conditions.” [Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), 9/10/2009]
BAUCUS BILL – HIGH RISK POOLS: “Within a year of enactment, any uninsured individual who has been denied health care coverage due to a pre-existing condition can enroll in a high-risk pool….The high-risk pool will exist until 2013,” until the Exchange is established. [pg. 2]
REPUBLICANS ASKED FOR – VERIFICATION OF CITIZENSHIP: “Because what the Republicans want was some verification between illegal and documented.” [Michael Steele, 9/10/2009]
BAUCUS BILL – VERIFICATION OF CITIZENSHIP: “In order to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing the state exchanges obtaining federal health care tax credits, the Chairman‘s Mark requires verification of the following personal data…” [pg. 21]
REPUBLICANS ASKED FOR – NO PUBLIC FUNDS FOR ABORTION: “I’m not going to do anything that allows a health care bill to make more abortions permissible. And if I had my way, I would do something to make them less permissible, because I’m pro-life. And I believe that the — life is pretty important.” [Sen. Chuck Grassely (R-IA), 8/6/2009]
BAUCUS BILL – NO PUBLIC FUNDS FOR ABORTION: “No tax credit or cost-sharing credits may be used to pay for abortions.” [pg. 26]
REPUBLICANS ASKED FOR – HIGH DEDUCTIBLE POLICIES: Ways for “individuals and businesses could purchase high deductible policies, create a fund for their first dollar benefits could be greatly expanded.” [Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), 6/28/2009]
BAUCUS BILL – HIGH DEDUCTIBLE POLICIES: A separate ―young invincible policy would be available for those 25 years or younger. This plan would be a catastrophic only policy in which the catastrophic coverage level would be set at the HSA current law limit, but prevention benefits would be exempt from the deductible. [pg. 21]
Republicans, in other words, have moved the goal posts on reform. Despite Baucus’ many concessions, the GOP is still arguing that the proposal “simply leads to more government, more spending and more taxes” and “spends too much.”
“The chairman’s health care proposal (known as the “chairman’s mark”) that was released by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) in advance of next week’s Finance Committee Markup is just more of the same big government policies that have been proposed by this Congress and this administration for months,” Sen. Jim Demint (R-SC) wrote on his website.
12 Responses to “Republicans Move Goal Posts On Baucus Health Bill”
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Yep, for all his Rethug tendencies, Baucus negotiates just as Democrats. Give away all your negotiating points up front and then try to get them back after the fact. The Administration says his bill is moving the ball. It’s called a Safety in football. The opponent gets the score and you get to punt.
September 17th, 2009 at 2:14 pmThis is what the Dems have been doing – rolling over for the republicans, agreeing to amendments to their committee bills (over 160 in one version) and still not getting any support from the right. Why can’t they see this for what it is: a ploy to weaken any bill that comes up for more serious consideration?? We’re going to end up with a piece of crap compromise legislation that won’t have any teeth or regulation or help.
September 17th, 2009 at 3:58 pmHonesty is not your strongest trait Igor. I just saw you on FOX and I have to say, you are probably none to popular with the ladies. Aside from that, intellectually you are clueless. To think you can add 30,000,000 people to our strained healthcare system, which is choked with government regulation as it is and not raise costs? Are you THAT STUPID? I don’t want to pay for healthcare for anyone except MYSELF. This is a free country – remember?
Now run off to the people who own you.
Slave.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:20 pmI wonder if businesses will go crazy when they find out that tucked away on page 208 of the Baucus bill is a paperwork burden requiring all businesses to send forms to the RIS when they do service contracts with corporations. This is frustrating!
http://www.bizzgov.com/corporatereporting.php
September 17th, 2009 at 4:30 pmIts time to re-examine instant citizenship (Anchor babies) which hasn’t been illuminated enough, to growing concern of the American public. For decades now pregnant women have arrived on tourist’s visas, through the fence and even at ports of call. Very aware of our mis-interpreted law governing “birthright citizenship”, that attributes full rights to the Mother of an illegal immigrant. How can Americans benefit from this Health care reform package, when we must subsidize millions of households and not just the original interloper? Outlined in the spring issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is an article that will stun a prudent person. An illegal alien entered the states in 1997 to work as a fruit picker, bringing with him his wife and three children; all illegal aliens.
The lady gave birth to a fourth child, and with that birth the family had an “anchor baby”—an American citizen by birth, who provided the entire family with a free pass to remain in the United States permanently and collect government, subsides. Unfortunately the baby was born prematurely, spent three months in the neonatal incubator, and cost the San Joaquin Hospital more than $300,000. Meanwhile, the oldest daughter married an illegal alien and gave birth to her own anchor baby, and then the wife gave birth to yet another baby. ALL PAID FOR BY—YOU!
This is just one taxpayer example of the ‘Rule of law’ that has cost taxpayers billions of dollars. A nurse admitted last weekend, according to Review-Journal reported that cash-strapped UMC hospital in Nevada is providing more than $20 million a year in emergency dialysis care for uninsured, illegal immigrants. Is American society insane when poverty stricken Americans are turned away, go bankrupt and sometimes die? TAXPAYERS ARE TAXED FOR THIS, BUT NOT FOR OUR OWN PEOPLE? We must insist that a Birthright Citizenship lawsuit be filed with the federal court and its original intent revisited? That E-Verify should be fully funded and a highly skilled MIT team, building on the original Immigration enforcement database to a highest level of security that cannot be compromised by the use of fraudulent documents.
The PC oriented application must be installed permanently on every business computer across this country? ICE should have the manpower to audit every workplace, with the power to arrest and detain employers who snub immigration laws? Repeat offenders should be dealt with harshly, including prison and confiscation of business assets. There should be no mitigating excuses because illegal immigrants are—STEALING JOBS– on any rung of the employment ladder? These employers for years have been an intended magnet for destitute labor in many cases, but have left the burden of paying for schooling for the children, health care and a veiled miscellaneous core of government handouts to US taxpayers. THIS IS NOT ABOUT RACISM, BUT AN ULTIMATE FINANCIAL MATTER OF SURVIVAL FOR US ALL! Coincidentally, I want a government health care, specially for some low income American family members.
Insist your politicians guarantee E-Verify is fully funded and is not scuttled by Sen. Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Janet Napolitano or any other high ranking Democrats. The Washington switchboard has their number at 202-224-3121. Research these laws, true facts and incredulous stats at NUMBERSUSA & JUDICIAL WATCH
September 17th, 2009 at 5:35 pmYes, wasn’t that the plan to begin with…it was to distribute all the wealth of the rich..and you know, Hollywood people have all their lawyers so they don’t get hitched (pay high taxes) so who is left, we, the middle class…so then we barely make it…Well, we can think who??? You guess!!! Tax increase by our lovely government. Thanks a lot.
September 17th, 2009 at 5:52 pm“Very aware of our mis-interpreted law governing “birthright citizenship”, that attributes full rights to the Mother of an illegal immigrant.”
Brittanicus, you’re an ignoramus. Which law attributes “full rights” to the mother of a natural-born citizen? My mother immigrated (legally) and had her first child in America before she had been in the country long enough to get citizenship herself. She did not get any more rights after the birth of that American child than she had before the birth. We’ve kicked the mothers of U.S. citizen children out of the country many times before (remember Elvira Arellano?), and we’ll surely continue to do it.
September 17th, 2009 at 7:03 pmWHEN will Obama finally come to grips with the reality that the right wingers are not the least bit interested in bipartisanship? It’s time to get some political counter-measures.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:27 pmThe sickness speculators who Mad Max sold out to sold him out. That’s not a tragedy to me. That’s a comedy.
Quit Playing Politics
September 17th, 2009 at 11:53 pmMedicare 4 *ALL*!
I particularly disapprove of Clause XVII of the Baucus bill:
“XVII: American citizens are mandated to massage the balls of a health insurance CEO of his or her choosing.”
Someone should offer an amendment here…
September 18th, 2009 at 9:58 amThe State Of “Yes We Can”, Minnesota Knows Better !!
1. As regards a make-believe scheme, the source of funding coming from a middle class is utterly against the commitment of Democratic party.
2. No cost-competitive advantage does not clear the grave concern about the unsustainable cost of overall health care program in the long run.
3. Even with some benefit for primary practitioners, the baseless scheme does not come with fundamental payment reform, or a pay for value reimbursement formula. It means that the insurer-friendly scheme is not cleaning up the concerns over a quality issue and $9trillion of deficit over the next decade.
((Here is some of CBO analysis : While the costs of the financial bailouts and economic stimulus bills are staggering, they are only a fraction of the coming costs from Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that each year Medicaid will expand by 7 percent, Medicare by 6 percent, and Social Security by 5 percent. These programs face a 75-year shortfall of $43 trillion–60 times greater than the gross cost of the $700 billion TARP financial bailout)).
4. For Medicare & Medicaid system to survive from the most wasteful structure on earth, enough savings by ways of fundamental changes need to be secured, in return, the savings thereof suffice to meet the goal of well-planned public option.
((Even with far less visits to docs, which average a half or a third of them in any other free states, Americans pay roughly twice as much per person right now)).
5. For the record, prior to nation-wide deployment of reform, The State Of “Yes We Can”, Minnesota influenced by Mayo clinic spends “20 percent” less per patient than the national average and 31 percent less than in the highest cost state. It highlights that no substantial tax raise is needed at least for sure.
((The $583 billion of revenue package, and the astronomical savings of public option aside, “20%” of $923.5bn (the combined Medicare and Medicaid cost per year, as of July) is around $184.7bn per year and 1.847trillion over the next decade, and this patient-centered value alone could be sufficient to meet the goal of public option)).
6. In brief, the long-awaited and most hopeful health care plan is to meet these criterias : Affordability, Quality, and A Check function against runaway premiums thereof.
Clearly enough, due largely to its lower overhead cost, purchasing power and fundamental payment reform, the well-planned public option would be an even better candidate than the fabricated scheme by THE INDUSTRY in these aforementioned regards.
Now is the moment to turn page to contemporary energy and financial upgrades glossed over in 8 years.
September 19th, 2009 at 5:37 amBaucus catered to Blue Dogs and the for-profit health insurance industry, one of his major funders. Repugnican’ts are the red herring in this foul stew.
September 19th, 2009 at 10:21 am