CBO Score Could Spell Nightmare for Senate Democrats

[laughingliberal]

There is, currently, a nightmare scenario afflicting Democrats on Capitol Hill with regards to health care reform. And it goes like this: Sometime early next week, leadership gets word from the Congressional Budget Office on their latest outline of reform. The legislative language on which they've settled -- the one with the clearest promise yet of getting the votes needed to cut off a Republican filibuster -- has actually scored quite poorly, saving less money over time and covering fewer people than earlier versions of the bill.

Should this occur, it could complicate the entire process. It certainly will prolong it. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) has said that, in exchange for stripping the public option from the bill, Democrats should have to find another way to save $25 billion in health care costs (savings that, the CBO said, a government-run plan would have produced). It seems likely he would up this demand if the latest scoring turns out poor. <snip>

<snip> And on Sunday, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) echoed her colleague, telling "Fox News Sunday" that should the latest version of health care reform prove insufficient in bending the cost curve, she and others would "have to go back to the drawing board."

"Absolutely," said McCaskill. "We'll go back and look at other proposals. ... We have to be saving more money for our government then we are spending. <snip>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/13/senate-democrats-consider_n_390201.html


At every step we have lost ground and compromised more of the original intent of reform. I would, on the one hand, like to see them recraft it but I don't think it would go in favor of a better bill.

[FrenchieCat]

1. CBO score "could" "if"...."should this occur", then it "could" complicate the entire process.

Oh boy, let's speculate about all of that,
while you come to conclusions.....
since we ain't got shit else to do.

I'm skerred! :scared:

[boston bean]

4. Isn't

burying your head in the sand like an ostrich equivalent to being skerred(sic)? :scared:

[FrenchieCat]

8. If you consider spending time discussing

negative speculations just because we can,
if feeling that this is a waste of time
means that one is burying one's head in sand, so be it.

It ain't like we know what the CBO is going to come back with.

Guess we could speculate "if" the came back with a great numbers,
and muse positively just as well. Because if that happened, then what?
Can you get the hours back you spent negatively speculating
on something that didn't happen? :shrug:

[boston bean]

11. I don't know frenchie

but in all seriousness, I do wish you could find it in you to understand why so many are upset with the inaction and some actions of democrats. And I'm not talking only about Obama. Anyone who signs their name to legislation that is a sellout to a core democratic principle deserves scorn.

Wouldn't you agree?

[FrenchieCat]

13. I agree that we spend an awful lot of time hand wringing, when the only thing that works

is actually "doing" something...like calling and writing to one's rep (whether a D or an R)over and over again, telling them what you want......and also writing the WH, and the media too, cause they ain't innocent in all of this.

As for "legislation that is a sellout", that's quite a broad brush vague description considering that ones rendering that judgement are gonna do "scorn". Plus it appears that "scorn" is being metered out before any bill is even finalized, let alone signed.

My point about this OP is that it posts an article which is nothing but pessimistic hand-wringing.....and what it does, when it is done often enough is provides the basis for self-defeatism for those who thought this would be easy, or those who don't really want it cause they've heard bad things about it, by folks just like them, right here on this site.

[boston bean]

14. Frenchie, if people do not take the clues that are more like bludgeons

and discuss and dissent, what good would that do?

Why should anyone wait until a final piece of legislation is passed.

I think there are reams of evidence that this bill is a handout to health insurance corporations. One just has to be willing to feel the sledge hammer knocking them upside the head.

[FrenchieCat]

17. There isn't any real bill to even be able to say "there is ream of evidence".....

which is why it is hard for me to do the "discuss and disent".....
with folks who are so easy at handing out accusations, but are quite vague with any hard evidence to back up what they say.

This is complex legislation, and I can't afford to join a "side"
just to post on a forum with the Kool Kids who know everything.
What I do know for a fact is that I don't know everything that is in the bill,
but what I do know is there is plenty of provisions that I like about HCR.
Sure, this bill isn't going to put Insurance companies out of business,
and make a radical total change in the way our health system is paid....but then,
that was never the intent; to radically change all....so I'm still not sure that is what folks act like they were expecting.

[laughingliberal]

18. I do have some worries about the possibility of ping-ponging the bill which would do away with the

need for the conference between the House and Senate. This is a massive bill and I would not be trying to mine every piece of news on it so vigorously if I thought we would see the end result of the Senate bill and then have time to write and call, etc...(which I do a lot of) to attempt to fix problems in conference. But there may not be a conference.

[laughingliberal]

12. I hope it comes back well but I have been looking at it the past few days and I have thought

that, unless the premiums for the early Medicare buy in are very high, it is not going to score well. And a very high premium for the buy in is not going to help those in that age group who can't afford to buy health insurance now.

[discocrisco01]

2. Ben Nelson

Somebody needs to Ben Nelson locked into a room and give him a private lecture on health care economics. Or make lock him in a room with full of TVs with Keith Olbermann yelling at him.

[laughingliberal]

10. I think the point is the only economics Ben Nelson is interested are his own and those of his

campaign contributors.

[dysfunctional press]

3. fuck healthcare- the military needs that money

war-mongering is expensive.

[Cleita]

5. Has the CBO scored HR. 676 yet?

They were supposed to and if preliminary estimates are right it would save more money than any of these insurance company corporate welfare bills. I think that's why it hasn't been done yet or if it has been done, it hasn't been made public. Our Congress is very corrupt and the millionaires and billionaires who are supposed to be our representatives are representing the industry that brought us this crisis instead.

[laughingliberal]

7. I do not think they have nor do I think they ever will. nt

[marmar]

16. Good question.....They're probably afraid to because it would reveal.....

..... that universal single-payer coverage is the cheapest option.

[iamtechus]

6. Huffington should hire a professional proofreader

"We have to be saving more money for our government then we are spending"

[laughingliberal]

9. I believe that was a quote but they should have put the (sic) there nt

[Oregone]

15. Who ever said the Third Way to health reform is easy?

:)