House committee to determine rules for voting on health plan

[TomCADem]

Source: Washington Post

The House Rules Committee was gaveled into session Saturday, the next step in the legislative process that will lead to Sunday's debate on a landmark health-care bill. At the same time, Democratic leaders and President Obama mounted a final push to persuade 216 lawmakers to back the measure.

morning of contentious debate. It is likely to meet for several more hours in a cramped room on the third floor of the Capitol. It will decide the terms under which the House will vote on the Senate version of the health legislation as well as a subsequent package of legislative "fixes." The committee -- on which Democrats have a 9 to 4 roster advantage -- is expected to approve a "deem-and-pass" strategy, under which the Senate bill would pass as part of the rule for debate and would not be subject to a separate vote.

Republicans have criticized the plan as a gimmick designed to provide wavering lawmakers with political cover. But Democrats point out that GOP leaders used the same method frequently when they were in power, and say the public will understand that the rule vote is a vote on the Senate bill.

The hearing comes after Democratic leaders persuaded four more House members Friday to support a landmark health-care bill after initially opposing it, but they still need votes from a pivotal bloc of lawmakers who remain concerned that the proposal would open the door for the federal funding of abortions.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/20/AR2010032001196.html

---

Maybe Boehner will figure out how to introduce the filibuster into the House.

[LiberalFighter]

1. Boehner needs to work on his tan more. He seems to be getting paler.

Probably could use some botox in his ass too.

[grahamhgreen]

2. If this passes, we will be killed in the November elections. nt

[TomCADem]

3. We? Here Is John Boehner - HCR "will cost them dearly in the upcoming election."

I guess some DUers are pushing for bipartisan agreement apparently. Here is a Newsmax (conservative) story regarding how Boehner predicts that passing HCR will ruin Democrats chances in the 2010 elections. Afterall, killing HCR in 1993 really helped Democrats in the 1994 elections?

:sarcasm:

http://newsmax.com/Headline/boehner-pelosi-healthcare-vote/2010/03/19/id/353331

[icee]

8. That's a good point. But I think there may be additional talking

points at work in November, depending on how jobs growth and real estate prices do.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. No, if this fails, we'll be killed in November

If it passes, the Democrats' chances of doing well in November will shoot up.

[Champion Jack]

5. Wrong

[icee]

7. You are 100 % correct. But rather than listen to the opinions here,

go out in the street and talk to people. They had a booth set up in Newport Beach this morning along the bike trail. They asked the bikers whether they were for or opposed to Obamacare. It was running 70% to 30% against. Now Newport Beach undoutedly has a lot of old people that will lose their Medicare Avantage. Still, that's a pretty big number against, and I would bet most of those against voted for Obama and the Democrats. Now things may change between now and November, but I envision a Democrat bloodbath unrivaled in Democratic history. I calculate 1/3 of Democrats will not vote; 2/3rds of Indies will vote against Democrats, and Republicans, well, you know what they'll do. And if big employers begin announcements to immediately begin layoffs because of HCR things could get real nasty. Then there are the lawsuits. Now, the upside is...

[truedelphi]

10. I'm still waiting. The upside is...?

Oh that's right - the bill MIGHT BE IMPROVED, like as soon as the lobbyists promise to give the campaign coffers as much money with any needed consumer improvements as they would if there were no improvements.

And I might win the lottery soon too.

[pampango]

11. And the teabaggers in DC will celebrate their victory. If this passes and Obama can roll on

to financial reform, immigration reform, EFCA, and others, we can put the teabaggers and their republican sponsors on the run and get some real momentum for November. If this fails, none of the rest is going to happen and the repubs will really be cruising this fall.

[SandWalker1984]

6. Van Hollen spilled the beans on CNN - not enough votes in Senate for reconcilliation

I saw Rep Chris Van Hollen, Dem from Maryland, on CNN Friday evening in an interview.

Van Hollen admitted to 2 things that are VERY IMPORTANT to know:

1) The House plans to use "deem and pass" on Sunday instead of an up or down vote in passing the Senate HCR bill. (They don't have the guts to vote for this corporate profits protection bill in the sunshine.)

2) Van Hollen admitted to Blitzer that they do not have a guaranteed 51 votes in the Senate to pass a reconcillation bill.


THEY DON'T HAVE THE VOTES OR A GUARANTEE THAT A RECONCILLATION BILL WILL BE PASSED if they "deem and pass" the Senate bill.

If the House passes this without a Senate guarantee of votes, then WHAT YOU SEE IN THE SENATE BILL IS WHAT YOU WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH.


The Senate bill already has had stripped out of it all of the important reasons for health care reform in the 1st place:

1) They gave up single-payer before the debate even started, then even a weak public option.

2) They gave up anti-trust legislation.

3) They gave up regulation of the premiums thru a Rate Authority or Review Board.

4) Pre-existing coverage, admitted by Gibbs, won't kick in for 4 to 6 years and insurance companies can charge whatever they want for premiums.

5) They gave up drug price negotiations and re-importation of affordable drugs from Canada and Europe.

6) The insurance exchanges will be state exchanges, not national, so negotiating power with the insurance corporations will be limited.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what was left out, negotiated away or sold to the highest bidder (lobbyists).


How anyone can celebrate THIS as a health care reform victory, is beyond me.

[icee]

9. And it includes MANDATES! And mandates cannot be

settled by reconciliation because of the effect on social security taxes. Also, doesn't the Senate bill include a tax on Cadillac plans? Unions will vote uniformly against Democrats in November if their employers are going to reduce their coverages or institute a pass-through tax.