Passage of Health Care No Reason To Despair

Even with the passage of the Obama and Company's health care agenda considered as a major setback for Americans and the Conservative movement, it isn't the end.

How huge is this collection of mandates, subsidies, tax hikes, spending pork and perverse incentives know as the recently passed Health Care Bill? As the picture shows, it's a monster.

This bill isn’t just longer than a Stephen King novel, it’s also scarier, because aside from the title, this bill slated to be on the President's desk for signing is all nonfiction. Congress could benefit from a good editor, though, because in 800 fewer pages, Stephen King wiped out 99 percent of Earth’s population, rebuilt society, created a dramatic good vs. evil confrontation and nuked Las Vegas. HR 3962 only manages to give the government control of 17 percent of the U.S. economy and the health care choices of every American, not to mention, the bill gives broad range powers to the IRS and other big government entities. And of course, it's really loaded down with lots of pork-barrel programs - about 9000, if we had to put a number on it.

Critics argue the provisions within the newly passed health care bill is a thinly disguised effort to insert pork-barrel spending into a bill that has been widely portrayed to the public as dealing with expanding health coverage and cutting medical costs. And a soon as we can get the numbers, costs and programs, we'll pass them along here.

Oh, and what about the other book in the image, the little one? Pay no attention to that old thing — Congress isn’t.

But this is hardly the time to despair. 360 has stated on a number of occasions before and after a big fight (this health care agenda, the 2008 elections, psycho engineers, lawyers and doctors trying to rule the world, etc.) that while Conservatives may have lost this particular fight, there are other battles to fight and the war still rages on.

We tend to take the "pig's ear into a silk purse" philosophy. While the bill has passed Congress, there will be years before this ever get implemented. In fact, the CBO predicts it will be 2017 before most of the major portions of the law will get rolling. It is interesting to note that there's is still much to iron out in this bill - this rag-tag of legislation. You will see many fights in court, even the US Supreme Court that will delay this bill even more. And by that time, it will be time for a new November Overhaul - a time to completely change the oil, wash the windows and vacuum out the floor and seats in Washington.

So, don't despair. We won't.

Congress Clears Socialist Health Care Bill

The Democratic-controlled Congress approved historic legislation Sunday night extending health care to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and cracking down on insurance company abuses, a climactic chapter in the century-long quest for near universal coverage.

Widely viewed as dead two months ago, the Senate-passed bill cleared the House on a 219-212 vote, with Republicans unanimous in opposition.

Congressional officials said they expected Obama to sign the bill as early as Tuesday.

A second measure - making changes in the first -- was lined up for passage later in the evening. It would then go to the Senate, where Democratic leaders said they had the votes to pass it.

Crowds of protesters outside the Capitol shouted "just vote no" in a futile attempt to stop the inevitable taking place inside a House packed with lawmakers and ringed with spectators in the galleries above.

Across hours of debate, House Democrats predicted the major bill, costing $940 billion over a decade, would rank with other great social legislation of recent decades.

"We will be joining those who established Social Security, Medicare and now, tonight, health care for all Americans", said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, partner to Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in the grueling campaign to pass the legislation, but forgetting that it never was about them.

Republicans readily agreed the bill would affect everyone in America, but warned repeatedly of the burden imposed by more than $900 billion in tax increases and Medicare cuts combined.

"We have failed to listen to America," said Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, leader of a party that has vowed to carry the fight into the fall's midterm elections for control of Congress.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the legislation would extend coverage to 32 million Americans who lack it, ban insurers from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and cut deficits by an estimated $138 billion over a decade. If realized, the expansion of coverage would include 95 percent of all eligible individuals under age 65.

Far beyond the political ramifications - a concern the president repeatedly insisted he paid no mind - were the sweeping changes the bill held in store for millions of individuals, the insurance companies that would come under tougher control and the health care providers, many of whom would face higher taxes.

For the first time, most Americans would be required to purchase insurance, and face penalties if they refused. Much of the money in the bill would be devoted to subsidies to help families at incomes of up to $88,000 a year pay their premiums.

The measure would also usher in a significant expansion of Medicaid, the federal-state health care program for the poor. Coverage would be required for incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, $29,327 a year for a family of four. Childless adults would be covered for the first time, starting in 2014.

The insurance industry, which spent millions on advertising trying to block the bill, would come under new federal regulation. They would be forbidden from placing lifetime dollar limits on policies, from denying coverage to children because of pre-existing conditions and from canceling policies when a policyholder becomes ill.

Parents would be able to keep children up to age 26 on their family insurance plans, three years longer than is now the case.

A new high-risk pool would offer coverage to uninsured people with medical problems until 2014, when the coverage expansion would go into high gear.

The final obstacle to passage was cleared a few hours before the vote, when Obama and Democratic leaders reached a compromise with anti-abortion lawmakers whose rebellion had left the outcome in doubt. The president issued an executive order pledging that no federal funds would be used for elective abortion, satisfying Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan and a handful of like-minded lawmakers.

A spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops expressed skepticism that the presidential order would satisfy the church's objections.

For the president, the events capped an 18-day stretch in which he traveled to four states and lobbied more than 60 wavering lawmakers in person or by phone to secure passage of his signature domestic issue. According to some who met with him, he warned that the bill's demise could cripple his still-young presidency.

Republicans attacked the bill without let-up, warning it would harm the economy while mandating a government takeover of the health care system.

"The American people know you can't reduce health care costs by spending $1 trillion or raising taxes by more than one-half trillion dollars. The American people know that you cannot cut Medicare by over one-half trillion dollars without hurting seniors," said Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich.

"And, the American people know that you can't create an entirely new government entitlement program without exploding spending and the deficit."

To pay for the changes, the legislation includes more than $400 billion in higher taxes over a decade, roughly half of it from a new Medicare payroll tax on individuals with incomes over $200,000 and couples over $250,000. A new excise tax on high-cost insurance policies was significantly scaled back in deference to complaints from organized labor.

The insurance industry warned that seniors would face sharply higher premiums as a result, and the Congressional Budget Office said many would return to traditional Medicare as a result.

The subsidies are higher than those for seniors on traditional Medicare, a difference that critics complain is wasteful, but insurance industry officials argue goes into expanded benefits.

Reuter's; FOX News; ABC News; AP; BBC.

UPDATE: Stupak Says He's Reached Deal On Health Care Bill

In response to today's 360 In-Depth mentioning his name and position as one of about a half-dozen anti-abortion Democrats to hold out on the Health Care Bill, Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., said that he has reached a deal to vote for the president's health care reform bill.

Stupak said a presidential executive order would provide more assurances that no public money would be used for elective abortions.

Democratic House leaders predicted Sunday the final tally on President Obama's health care bill will meet or exceed the 216 votes required for passage. Still at issue were the votes of a handful of members concerned about the abortion issue.

In a show of confidence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi emerged from the final Democratic caucus before the vote wielding a large gavel and leading Democrats across the street to the Capitol for the final series of tallies.

"We are doing this for the American people," Pelosi said, although she decline to comment when asked which American people.

A protester disagreed and yelled back, "You're doing this to the American people!" Others chanted Pelosi's name and shouted, "Kill the bill! Kill the bill!" Supporters cheered the speaker and other Democrats as they entered the Capitol.

Inside the House chamber, negotiations continued on the floor while overhead in the visitors gallery, a protester hollered, "The people don't want this!" As ushers tried to escort him out, several Republicans stood up on the House floor and cheered.

A few hundred protesters carrying signs opposing the health care overhaul crowded a grassy area near the House side of the Capitol. One sign read, "This bill is anti-American, vote the bums out" while another stated, "Obamacare (equals) death warrant for grandma." Appearing to outnumber Americans flags were banners with the colonial-era slogan "Don't tread on me."

Amid the heat, Democratic leaders said they had only a few votes left to lock in. But none was willing to declare victory -- a hesitance Republicans attributed to public controversy over the plan in a difficult election year.

The legislation, affecting virtually every American and more than a year in the making, would extend coverage to an estimated 32 million uninsured, bar insurers from denying coverage on the basis of existing medical conditions, and cut federal deficits by an estimated $138 billion over a decade.

Congressional analysts estimate the cost of the two bills combined would be $940 billion over a decade.

As the House opened the rare Sunday session, Democrats showed progress toward the crucial threshold. Retiring Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wa., announced he would switch his "no" vote to "yes," convinced, he said, that the legislation was better than doing nothing.

A key anti-abortion lawmaker, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, stepped from undecided to a "yes" vote because she believes the bill would not allow federal money to be used for elective abortions.

At the White House, Obama surprised his senior staff by showing up at a meeting. He was expected to make and take calls from lawmakers as the session wore on.

Across the Capitol, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said the Senate would be able to muster the majority required to pass a package of fixes. Republicans warned that passage would mean doom for the Democratic majority on Election Day.

House Democrats were cautious but optimistic that they'd get to or beyond 216 votes.

"There are still members looking at it and trying to make up their minds," House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said on NBC's "Meet the Press" in the hours before the vote. He added that the holdouts numbered in "the low single digits."

"We think there are going to be 216-plus votes when we call the roll," Hoyer said.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., the party's deputy whip, also said the votes were not yet in hand, telling "Fox News Sunday" that Democrats were still short of "a hard 216."

Public anger over the rewrite played out in angry protests at the doorstep of the Capitol.

Another snag involved widespread distrust among House members that the Senate would be able to pass the "fixes" to the bill. Durbin said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he has commitments of support from at least a majority of the 100-member chamber, but Democratic leaders have not released a list of supporters.

Republicans warned they will make Democrats pay dearly in the fall elections if the fiercely debated measure becomes law.

With Obama's emotional appeal from Saturday ringing in their ears, House Democratic leaders prepared for three showdown votes expected in the afternoon or evening. First up: a "rule" to establish debate guidelines; on a package of changes to a Senate-passed bill, including deletion of special Medicaid benefits for Nebraska; and on the Senate bill itself, the focus of intense national debate for months.

Democrats need 216 votes to pass each one. With all 178 Republicans and at least two dozen Democrats vowing to vote no, the legislation's fate lay in the hands of the Democrats who remained uncommitted ahead of Sunday's vote.

If Democratic leaders prevail on all three House votes, Obama could sign the Senate version of the bill into law. The bill of "fixes" would go to the Senate under fast-track debate rules, called reconciliation, that would enable Democrats to pass it without facing a Republican filibuster.

Democrats control 59 of the Senate's 100 seats, one vote shy of the number needed to overcome bill-killing filibusters from a united GOP.

House Democrats have long insisted that senators agree to change the bill that the Senate passed on Christmas Eve. Since then, it became deeply unpopular with many Americans, because of the special deal for Nebraska, a new tax on generous employer-provided health plans and other aspects.

Democrats Push Toward Sunday Vote On Health Care

Support is building behind President Obama's health care legislation in the House, with the intense lobbying and politically targeted changes to the bill winning over an Ohio Democrat on Friday.

Obama himself was to talk up the sweeping overhaul in a midday speech Friday in Virginia, his fourth outside-the-Beltway event in two weeks as he scrambles to rally the public ahead of a climactic vote this weekend. On Capitol Hill, congressional leaders were focusing on those rank-and-file Democrats, including moderates and opponents of abortion, who remained undecided after the release Thursday of a final package of changes to the massive 10-year, $940 billion legislation.

Rep. John Boccieri, D-Ohio, announced at a Capitol Hill news conference that he would switch his vote to "yes." The freshman lawmaker said he was "standing up today and doing what I believe in."

Labor unions and other pro-reform groups ran ads in his district urging him to back the measure.

The White House and Democratic leaders trumpeted two new converts to their cause, as retiring Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., and first-term Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Colo., announced their support after opposing an earlier version of the legislation last year. Markey cited improved deficit cuts. Gordon said his backing was unrelated to a new provision sending higher Medicaid payments to Tennessee hospitals that treat large numbers of uninsured.

The conversation was all about how Democrats would vote since Republicans have formed a virtually impenetrable phalanx of opposition for the past several months.

As rumors flew around the House chamber of more possible opponents-turned-supporters -- and also of previous "yes" voters who might withdraw their support -- Pelosi worked her members, seeking out lawmakers individually or in small groups on the House floor to try to win them over. With Republicans unanimously opposed after a year of corrosive debate, the vote set for Sunday was expected to be a cliffhanger, and Democratic leaders don't yet command the 216 commitments they need.

Obama postponed until June a planned Asia trip that was set to begin Sunday, allowing him to stay in town for the House vote and action next week in the Senate. Thursday afternoon, Obama played host to individual lawmakers seeking favors or reassurance. House Democrats were hoping to get a letter of support Friday signed by enough Senate Democrats to guarantee passage of the package of changes in that chamber, something leaders hope will reassure rank-and-file House members that they won't be left hanging out to dry.

But a climate of uncertainty remained the dominant dynamic as the vote drew near. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer acknowledged Friday that the leadership still lacks enough votes to win this weekend's climactic vote.

The Maryland Democrat said on CBS's "The Early Show" he believes House members "are going to conclude by Sunday that this is a bill that does what we said it was going to do."

With the addition of the 153 pages of revisions, the bill would expand health care to 32 million uninsured, bar the insurance industry from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions and trim federal deficits by an estimated $138 billion over the next decade.

Beginning in 2014, most Americans would be required for the first time to purchase insurance or face penalties if they refused. Large businesses would face fines if they did not offer good-quality coverage to their workers. Millions of families with incomes up to $88,000 a year would receive government help to defray their costs.

To address concerns of House Democrats, those subsidies were raised by an estimated $25 billion over a decade in the package of changes offered Thursday. Seniors who experience a gap in coverage in the Medicare prescription drug program would receive a $250 rebate this year -- an election-year bragging point for Democrats as they look toward the fall campaign with control of Congress at stake. A special deal giving extra Medicaid money to Nebraska was struck in exchange for more Medicaid money for all states, though other special deals decried by Obama stayed in the bill.

The changes also included another of Obama's top priorities: Federally guaranteed student loans would now be made only by the government, ending a role for banks and other for-profit lenders who charge fees. The savings, an estimated $60 billion over a decade, would increase Pell grants for needy college students as well as support for programs such as aid to historically black colleges, a priority of the Congressional Black Caucus.

UPI; AP; Reuters.