Obama signs landmark health bill into law

[kpete]

Source: MSNBC

Obama signs landmark health bill into law
President, Democratic allies head to Interior Department for celebration



updated 8:56 a.m. PT, Tues., March. 23, 2010

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama capped a yearlong political drama Tuesday, signing into law a landmark health care reform bill that had been seen as impossible just two months ago.

The president said the law "will set into motion what a generation of Americans have fought for."

..................

With Victoria Kennedy, widow of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy in the audience, Obama took note of the long battle to bring the health overhaul measure to his desk. "He was confident we would do the right thing," the president said of the former lawmaker.

"We are not a nation that does what's easy ... we are a nation that faces its challeges and faces its responsibilities."

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35999823/ns/politics-health_care_reform/

[Omaha Steve]

1. K&R!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. ALL RIGHT!

[damntexdem]

3. Out of sight!

[Machineland]

29. Barack Obama is now legendary!!!!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

39. I am honored that your very first post was to me!

Welcome to DU, Machineland!

:hi:

[Machineland]

63. Your welcome...Peggy

I hope I can contribute to this site and the cause...

[FarLeftFist]

4. EPIC!!!!!!

[sabra]

5. Obama signs landmark health bill into law

Source: CBS News

CBS News breaking news: Saying "We are Nation that does what is right," President Obama signs bill

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/

---

edit add more to CBS News breaking news:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35999823/ns/politics-health_care_reform/

Obama signs landmark health bill into law

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama capped a yearlong political drama Tuesday, signing into law a landmark health care reform bill that had been seen as impossible just two months ago.

The president said the law "will set into motion what a generation of Americans have fought for."

He said he was confident the Senate would make fixes to the legislation "swiftly."
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

The president praised those House members who had "taken their lumps" during the overhaul debate. Shouted one lawmaker in the audience to laughter, "Yes we did!"

[Bicoastal]

6. He didn't say "We are *A* Nation?"

:evilgrin:

[damntexdem]

7. And that often does what is far right.

;-)

But on this one, the nation has been sent staggering in the correct direction.

[Qutzupalotl]

8. Meanwhile, Kennedy's seat is still "vacant."

[Webster Green]

55. Looks that way.

:rofl:

[Xenotime]

9. SNOOPY DANCE!!!!!!!

[Patsy Stone]

17. I second that emotion!

[goclark]

26. Happy Dance Day!

[Maeve]

10. K&R for Teddy

[Change Happens]

11. K

[Hekate]

12. Kick and Rec for Ted Kennedy

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Scurrilous]

13. K & R

:thumbsup:

[mvd]

14. K&R; wish Ted could have seen this

:kick:

[unlegendary]

15. OH the hypocrisy is blooming like dandilions on the whitehouse lawn

The Pukes, I no longer will refer to them as republicans because they no longer deserve that title, are screaming full tilt at how unconstitutional all this is and yet have said absolutely nothing about how unconstitutional it is to require everyone who drives a car to buy insurance.
What I say here? I must be hallucinating, huh? So a poor family who HAS to work MUST buy auto insurance to get to work even IF they have never been in an accident in their entire lives and to make it worse the big bad gummit will take away their only way to get to work if they're so much as caught driving without insurance to the grocery to get milk for the babies. Not only that they're also fined and in many cases arrested.
Now, there is NO evidence that EVERYONE will be in a car wreck in their lives, but there is plenty of evidence that EVERYONE will someday get sick and die.
Where is the outrage about all the families losing their only method of transportation for an insurance company whim?
It's all anti American to be required to be able to pay your doctor, but not anti-American to be required to have to pay a body shop if you're in a wreck?

[liberation]

18. In case it is not clear:

Driving a car = privilege.

Living = right.

What is anti-American is having the government selectively shunning their obligations to protect its citizens by regulating natural monopolies, like health care. While at the same time having that very government overextend their control over its citizens, by forcing its citizens to buy the product offered by barely regulated private corporations holding that natural monopoly.

[smoogatz]

21. The bill contains significant new regulation along with the mandate.

No more pre-existing conditions. No more recission. Kids can stay on parents insurance until they're 26. No more annual or lifetime limits. The mandate really only affects those who can afford insurance under the new system but don't buy it--poor families or those who can't find a plan that costs less than 8% of their income are exempt. Here's a very thorough run-down for those who don't know what's actually in the bill:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/your-money/health-insurance/22consumer.html?hp

Also, insurers must spend 80% of their income on healthcare costs (some big ones spend less than 50% now). There's the Medicaid expansion and the student loan revision to like, too.

And for many of us, driving IS a necessity, not a privilege or an option.

[OnlinePoker]

37. Can someone explain this to me - from the article

HIGH-COST INSURANCE Starting in 2018, employers that offer workers pricier plans — or those with total premiums of $10,200 or more for singles and $27,500 for families — would be subject to a 40 percent tax on the excess premium, said C. Clinton Stretch, managing principal of tax policy at Deloitte. Retirees and workers in high-risk professions like firefighting would have higher thresholds ($11,850 for singles, or $30,950 for families), pegged to inflation.

So a company that is socially responsible and willing to pay more for their employees to get better health care is going to be penalized for doing so? Wouldn't they just drop their coverage to lower premiums, saving them money but costing their workers money if they wanted to maintain the same level of coverage? Am I reading this wrong?

[Deep13]

30. Driving is a statutory right subject to conditions.

The whole privilege vs. right thing seems to me to be based on circular reasoning. Something is a privilege if it can be taken away. The state can take it away because it's not a right.

[thereismore]

47. Like we don't know all that. Just be happy today with the rest of us, will you? nt

[Deep13]

52. I don't think we do. Anyway, I was responding to that one post.

I don't feel especially happy but I will concede that any movement toward progress is a good thing.

[mvd]

46. I don't like the mandate either

Not because the idea is bad, but coupled with lack of choice or regulation like they have in France, people will have to buy from insurance companies that have never had people as a priority. Or you have to pay a tax that's like a fine. That said, we now have stronger regulations than we had before, so it provides a framework.

[GameChanger]

51. Auto insurance has anti-trust regulations. Health care insurance does not.

They left the anti-trust legislation out of the reform bills.

How convenient.

[happygoluckytoyou]

19. also required------ ALL THE OTHER TAXES AND INSURANCES...

to say that this is the first or only time "the gov't" has taxed us or required various purchases is SO WRONG.

look at the number of people who have bought OLD AGE INSURANCE.... what we call SOCIAL SECURITY....
which is societies way of saying "WE DON'T WAS A BUNCH OF RISK TAKING BROKE OLD PEOPLE ON THE STREETS
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW ENOUGH TO PUT A LITTLE AWAY EACH YEAR"
the ANTI TAX CROWD does not account for this in their bullshit


what we have is TAXATION WITH REPRESENTATION..... even the representatives understand that people do not always prepare for their future

[RantinRavin]

34. Required automobile insurance is not for your protection

In most states that require insurance for vehicles, it is liability insurance. That is to protect the other people from the damage you cause. Yes, some states do require a minimum PIP coverage to help pay your medical bills.

Lenders are the ones that generally require full coverage; liability, pip, collision, and comprehensive, but that to cover their interest in the vehicle until the loan is paid off.

[Historic NY]

36. & the gubermint doesn't kick in to help with that insurance....

while not everything is perfect with this bill it at least allows them to get so catastrophic coverage. Like those w/o car insurance we pay for there foolishness with our preminums. We pay for the uninsured patient in terms of higher costs. Its all passed down the food change. I don't see the barter system working where you give the Dr . a pig, a cow or a goat for treatment. I say give it time with tweaks & fixes over the years, we may have what we wished for.

[rem3006]

53. Poor analogy

You are only required to by LIABILITY insurance on your car which is for the protection of anyone you may hit. The law does not require that you purchase collision insurance to protect your investment in the vehicle or require you to buy insurance for your own possible injury.

[berni_mccoy]

16. For Teddy

[kpete]

20. and

John and Robert too
peace, kp

[ecmphd]

22. We need some help to push back the Repubs

I am so happy the bill is now signed into law. However, public opinion is important right now. Most Americans don't know how the bill will benefit them. We need to push back Republican lies and talking points.

One of the places that Republicans try and drown out sane debate is newsvine.

Help me out go to: http://politics.newsvine.com/_news/2010/03/23/4057033-obama-to-sign-landmark-health-care-reform-bill#comments

Please make your comments. Vote for democratic comments that have been submerged due to high Republican volume.

Thanks

[CaliforniaPeggy]

40. Welcome to DU, ecmphd!

:hi:

[craigmatic]

23. Obama is officially the greatest president since LBJ

[yeswecanandwedid]

24. oh yeah! nt

[thereismore]

48. YEAH! And I love him! So save you snarky comments please because I am HAPPY today. nt

[Owl]

25. YES!!!!

[katty]

27. OK Prez!-now push on banking/wall st regulation

[patrice]

28. Yay!!! True! Blue! for Senator Edward Kennedy and AMERICA!

[BadGimp]

31. in other news...

This in from the head of the GOP Leadership Planning Commitee:

[Grassy Knoll]

32. " Yes we did "

[humbled_opinion]

33. You know I am not a huge fan of this particular bill but

You know what is priceless is watching all the GOP heads expolding over this so in that regard its worth it. I sense that they will try and overplay their hand on this and the American people will see it just before the Nov elections.

[Deep13]

35. No longer just a bill.

[what0now0toons]

38. "Health Care Passes" ( the new ) "What Now Cartoon"

Finally we have a start on Health Care reform, with no thanks to the GOP, who had hoped this would be Obama's Waterloo, but now the shoe's on the other foot, and it looks like this will actually be the GOP's Waterloo, the topic of my latest cartoon http://www.whatnowtoons.com
left of center political cartoons.

[Webster Green]

56. Nice work.

Welcome to DU! :yourock:

[what0now0toons]

59. ma' toon

Mahalo

[LiberalLovinLug]

57. Great cartoon

You're very talented.
I went to your website and watched your "Dr. Frankencheney's Monster!" animation. LOL

When I looked at the cartoon above and read "what now?" under it I didn't realize it was just your logo/signature until i saw the others on your site.
It actually fits with the cartoon, but makes it scarier.
An angry elephant is unpredictable. I wonder "what now" the GOP will be scheming to derail this and any other legislation. Republican governor's lawsuits is only the beginning.

Democrats have to start going on the offensive or they won't know what hit them. The Repukes know shit about governing, but they are experts at smearing and catapulting their propaganda.

[what0now0toons]

60. thanks

Thanks, glad you liked the toon & the animated toons. Yeah we have to fight back as best we can, but the right owns 90% of the media, maybe even moore, left of center voices are being shut out, all we really have is the internet ( s' ) for the moment.
Cheers
KT

[tonekat]

41. My boss was at the signing ceremony

I just got to see the photos she took. Our uber-cool IT guy bought us cupcakes to celebrate!

Did you see the note that Patrick Kennedy left on Ted's grave?



It reads: "Dad, the unfinished business is done."

[Spazito]

45. Wow! Very moving!

Thank you so much for posting this pic, it is very much appreciated. It brought tears to my eyes upon seeing it.

Edited to add: tonecat, could you add a post with your pic to this thread celebrating the signing? I think it would be a wonderful, moving addition.

Here is a link to the thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x242204

[Number23]

61. I agree. That is a beautiful, moving photo that more people should see

[myrna minx]

42. K&R n/t

[Cha]

43. Thanks! KickR nt

[zenprole]

44. Reality Check

Why are these men smiling? This law is not only an atrocious waste of money, it fails to solve basic healthcare issues and maintains the corporate chokehold over people's lives. And it won't take effect for years (that's Y-E-A-R-S).

If your Great Depression-schooled grandparents were here, they'd smack y'all in the hed.

This is the legislative version of the marketing campaign that is Obama: don't pay attention to what's actually happening, just feel good about the...um...the...aaah...Hey! We did it! (with apologies to Patton Oswalt and the millions of people who'll get screwed anew by this legislative disaster).

[Mari333]

49. its a republican wet dream signed into law

[LibDemAlways]

50. Thanks for the reality check. I'm certainly not doing the happy

dance over this bill. No public option = insurance company continued rip-off.

Let those celebrating today have their moment. They'll be singing a different tune once the public weighs in on this travesty come November.

[fatbuckel]

54. Repub reaction

Once again,the office repubs are silent over this;talking about everything else.

[placton]

58. wait! where are all the "fixes" promised to be in this? n/t

[NJmaverick]

62. K & R