GOP Super Committee Co-Chair: Lawmakers Failed Because Democrats Refused To Privatize Medicare

[ProSense]

GOP Super Committee Co-Chair: Lawmakers Failed Because Democrats Refused To Privatize Medicare (Think Progress)

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) faults the Democrats’ refusal to accept partial Medicare privatization for the super committee’s inability to come up with a bipartisan plan to lower spending in today’s Wall Street Journal. He writes, “Democrats on the committee made it clear that the new spending called for in the president’s health law was off the table” and pretends that the spending in the Affordable Care Act added to the deficit (it actually reduces it). “Republicans offered to negotiate a plan on the other two health-care entitlements—Medicare and Medicaid—based upon the reforms included in the budget the House passed earlier this year,” he continues and lays out the premium support proposal offered by Alice Rivlin and Pete Domenici:

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[politicasista]

1. At least Dems and Obama are directing their blame where is should be

Dems (mainly Senator Kerry) in another thread are getting bashed in another thread for their stance on this issue.

[karynnj]

7. Not the same issue - this was a different proposal altogether

[politicasista]

10. Ok.

Ignore the rest of the venting observations of here. Peace. :)

[valerief]

2. Well, that's a good thing. Privatizing Medicare is a nightmare we don't need. nt

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Indeed. n/t

[WI_DEM]

4. To which I and I would think millions of others would say 'Good!'

[DCKit]

5. Admin fees for Medicare are about $0.12/$1....

compared to $0.45/$1 for Big Insurance.

No wonder they're trying to destroy public education in this country - they don't want anyone to understand the math.

[TheWraith]

13. Actually I believe both those figures are wildly overstated.

If I recall correctly, it's actually about 4 cents for Medicare and 20 cents for private insurance, with the latter legally mandated to go down to 15 cents under HCR.

[DCKit]

14. OK, fine. But even with your numbers.... nt

[MadMaddie]

6. This should be the ad of the year

how much more clear does it have to be?

Another ad should read..

"Is your racism worth losing your Medicaire"?

It really is time to stop bullshitting and get to the point.....

[JoePhilly]

8. It is important to make the GOP be clear on what they really want.

Because when people hear the details, they won't want it.

[msongs]

9. nice to see dems didn't cave in...though theres still a month to go in 2011 nt

[saras]

11. Refused to privatize Medicare? Yeah. They refused to legalize child rape too. So?

Privatizing Medicare has never been on the table - it's always been in the box on the floor with the cat litter. Whatever Hensarling expects to find down there, he's going to come back smelling like cat shit.

[ClassWarrior]

12. Thanks Jeb! There's another campaign commercial in the can and ready to go!

:rofl:

NGU.

[and-justice-for-all]

15. The committy was desgined to fail...

it did exactly what it was suppose to do. I am quite relieved to hear that DEMS did not want to privatize Medicare; what an appaling concept.