THE SENATE PASSED THE HEALTH CARE BILL!!!!!

Posted by Greg Laden on December 24, 2009
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I don’t like it, but I’ll take it. This bill lacks important features and includes some bad things. But, as Satan’s greatest feat is to convince us that he does not exist, the Health Care Insurance Industry’s greatest feat is to convince us that we can only revise the industry every 15 years. (Except that second item is true. I assume.)


This means that “something” had to be passed, even if the nose needed to be plugged by doing it. I fully respect and understand the alternative position of killing the bill because it is not good enough. But I also understand why it is good for Ralph Nader to run for president. But when push comes to shove, unless you want Republican elected officials only, and Republican policies only, you’ve got to toss Ralph in the dumpster after a certain point in time, and you’ve got to accept that something like health care insurance reform is going to be not what you personally were thinking would be good.

And since it was done without reconciliation it will be harder to undo, and if you and I and a couple/few million other people do not drop the ball on this, we can maintain a Democratic congress for two more years and get a few remaining issues taken care of.

As the next phase of this process, merging the bill with the house’s bill, there will be a temptation on the house side to insist on including things that the Senate insists not be included. That is fine for the short term in the negotiation process, but if that causes the bill to not be passed then we (as a party and a progressive movement) have done little more than prove our political ineptitude.

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  1. #1 Joel
    December 24, 2009

    Since I haven’t heard much good said about it, I’m a bit worried by it.

  2. #2 Greg Laden
    December 24, 2009

    I would be much more worried about no bill (which could still happen). After the dust settles on this, this bill, actually law, will become the number one campaign issue and the future of health care will live or die on how that plays out in the upcoming election. If the Dems lose a lot of seats, the law will be repealed. If the Dems stay strong, the law will be modified to add those things most of us want. We have to keep focus on the next 18 to 30 months and not on the details of this bill or who or why someone or some group did not do exactly what we thought they should do.

    Except Lie-berman. He’s toast.

  3. #3 aratina cage
    December 24, 2009

    You’re joking. It passed? Well, good, because it will send the GOP into a frenzy (on Christmas Eve of all things—LOL)and I love it when that happens.

  4. #4 dhogaza
    December 24, 2009

    If the Dems lose a lot of seats, the law will be repealed.

    Obama would veto it, I’m sure …

    I agree about Lie-berman. And the House, though hopefully they won’t be that stupid.

  5. #5 Jason Thibeault
    December 24, 2009

    It’s uncanny that Grima Wormtongue has managed to make himself the most relevant and powerful person in the Senate. You think he’ll ever officially change party registration? I doubt it personally, being that as the 60th guy supposedly caucusing with the Dems he has way more pull to destroy the Dems’ bills than he would as a Republican.

  6. #6 Tony P
    December 24, 2009

    The family penalty is $2,550 or 2% whichever is greater. Say you make the national average, $54,000. That 2% would be $1080 so you’d pay the $2,550. That works out to $49 a week. Cheaper than the insurance you’ll be able to buy.

    But here is my question, where does the tax penalty money go? If it goes in the pockets of insurers without a real public option I don’t want to see this bill signed.

  7. #7 JefFlyingV
    December 24, 2009

    So, this is the new face of health care reform? I had expected much better than adding Americans to the rolls of health care insurers and a hands off to the pharmaceutical firms. Is it a step forward or backward?

  8. #8 film izle
    December 24, 2009

    f the Dems lose a lot of seats, the law will be repealed. If the Dems stay strong, the law will be modified to add those things most of us want. We have to keep focus on the next 18 to 30 months and not on the details of this bill or who or why someone or some group did not do exactly what we thought they should do.really true..

  9. #9 Tyler DiPietro
    December 25, 2009

    Lawmaking is likened to making sausage for a reason. Whatever the internal mechanics of the process may be, it always ends up feeling like someone bending over and pinching off a chocolate hot-dog right on your face.

    The healthcare bill is terrible. It does, however, at least take some steps to limit the extent to which insurance companies can screw you standing. In a system as inequitable, plutocratic and oligarchic as ours, that is indeed a remarkable feat. I don’t support killing the bill at this point, I support making it as good as you can and then passing it. Then go through reconciliation to get the things we didn’t get in round 1.

  10. #10 llewelly
    December 26, 2009

    Then go through reconciliation to get the things we didn’t get in round 1.

    As far as I can see, most of the legislators opposed to the bill want the pre-health care bill situation. I can’t imagine how reconciliation with them could get us anything not in the bill that passed. So when you say “reconciliation”, I’m wondering, “With who?” and “How would that help?” .

  11. #11 Monado, FCD
    December 26, 2009

    Explain “reconciliation” of a [proposed?] law, please.

  12. #12 Greg Laden
    December 26, 2009

    Monado,no one can really explain this… or at least, it is quite difficult. Reconciliation is a legislative process that results in new policy and spending, not new laws, or (I think) it can result in determining some details of new laws if they fit into the usual budget process. Strategically, it gets legislation done (usually, maybe only, the annual budget bill) without a filibuster being possible, however the changes made because of this process are temporary.

  13. #13 Neil B
    December 26, 2009

    I’m trying to get some pub for my Mother’s poem about all this, written a few days before the HCR vote. She was expecting a “yes” vote but not positive of the outcome or time of vote. Well, it went through. It’s IMHO debatable just how “good” it is, but indeed it is historic. The poem has appeared a few places, such as linked to my blog. I sure hope this thing works well enough, and can be improved e.g. by reconciliation or more strenuous arm-twisting from Obama et al.

    (BTW, belated Merry Christmas/day after to all, interpreted in the manner of your choice.)

    With Regards to Rudolph

    by Joanne Bates

    Barack, our first black President,
    Figured he was Heaven sent.
    Vowed not to follow the norm,
    But to pull off Health Care Reform.

    Obama, with your brain so bright,
    Won’t you lead us in this fight?

    On a snowy winter’s night
    Flakes were falling fast and light.
    Demos snagged the 60th vote,
    Now Repubs can’t rock the boat.
    But will the abortion concession
    Reconcile with House legislation?
    A final vote on Christmas Eve
    May decide what gifts we’ll receive.

    Obama is happy but wary,
    Hoping to finish work in January.

    We are weary of this drama
    But one thing is sure, President Obama.
    With Health Care Reform victory
    You’ll go down in history.

  14. #14 Greg Laden
    December 26, 2009

    What bothers me about the abortion thing is this: Standing law mad it difficult or impossible to include abortion in the new health care reform bill. Impossible, really. I would personally prefer to see the full range of reproductive medicine covered and enhanced, but the core issue — abortion — is already addressed in other existing legislation that, if required in this law by the leadership, would absolutely, without a doubt eliminate any possibility of health care reform.

    I resent being asked to support a measure that would guarantee failure (only a few activists are asking for this) and I think it is simply incorrect to judge Obama on that basis. I don’t like this situation at all, and I’ll do (as I always have) more than my fair share to counter it but it could not happen in this bill.

    Every single conservative representative has to be looked at carefully over the next few months (republican or democrat) and we have to pick the ones that can be replaced by a more progressive candidate (probably a democrat) and raise money to make that happen

    If someone is concerned with this issue, and they are not working on that now, they are not doing anything useful.

  15. #15 Henry Massingale
    March 22, 2010

    3/22/2010: I had to wait for this Bill to be passed in order to show the Republican Party and GOP and FRC Action that it is the voice of the people that guides the destiny of this Country.
    As predicted , the first stages of the Health Care Bill was passed. Why, you ask ? It is because people wish to be seen for their in put of a view and not unite. What is lost is respect with in a concept of { Freedom Of Choice } to be a part of this system or not, with in this Health Care Force Pay Matrix.
    What is offered by FASC Concepts is the Freedom Of Choice, because we feel it is unconstitutional to force pay into the failures of Health Care Insurance Companies and then Tax that money. As you can see our elected officials are paying little attention to the public. As I reach out to my computer and I knock , knock, knock on the screen, and I say is there any body out there?
    Just because our children do not understand I wish to share this again,
    “For days I worked the word diversity in my mind and it came to me that because of this it is not Americas weakness it is our greatest strength. And this is how I will show you.
    Constitution-
    Bill Of Rights -
    The Declaration of Independence-
    United under one forum, builds what is called the Trinity of the Protection Of Laws. This is because these Laws were built by people of faith who gave thanks to God for this wisdom. One would have to see and admire the simplicity of the three as one and at the same time they maintain their independence.”
    So as these Officials get your vote and send you off to you room so that all can be fixed by their Artificial Intelligence, because they have been stuck in that Matrix and now all they can do is see us as variables in a equation as dollar numbers, they do try to see, but without that Mathematical A.I. They are so lost. This is the same with Health Care Insurance Companies, as A.I. shows the way for D.N.A testing and other inventive forms of how to calculate the dollar as a human input.
    Please help the people understand why this force pay within failed insurance groups and there is no supporting information about Health Care Insurance Companies that do not have suits against them and even after 50 years they value the dollar over life. A good company fixes mistakes and a great company learns from the mistakes. I have not found one….as of yet, so why force pay into the failures and cover ups.
    To show that there is a concept at hand, that has gained the respect of a great many people, i must allow your mind to see the words as truth and to put your faith into your self of how to build onto this, so here is just a small view of my mind{ As we move into the 22nd century the fundamental building blocks are there, and this Health Care Reform must be built for the better good of Man Kind and the National Security of the United States of America. This profit concept,within was the start of a failure and the years of lies.}
    again ,I wish to say thank you to the Obama Administration for being the first Government Officials that have created the first Anomaly, recorded in all of U.S. History. And I do offer my congratulations again to the theses Law Makers In And for The People Of The United States Of America.
    As for theses hidden taxes, they are not hidden. They are built into a split petition. They are meant not to be seen, only revealed as the Progressive Capital Tax Forum works the system in order to not over burden the money system. What is lost is trust because Government Officials by considering the public slow witted and as for this Bill, I want to read the Law that is to represent the Bill. This is because one word has a directive and a code and a sentence can lead to a different truth in concept.
    This Health Care issue keeps taking turns and twist that bewilder the mind in thoughts. This $100 trillion dollar system ,as it would seem, I am counting up to $ 8 trillion 682 billion Dollars so far.
    You see when Harry Reid added a extra ….almost, $2 Trillion dollars in a tax forum, this through my numbers off with the 1 to 3 year spread of taxes.
    Lets show you this way seeing how I run out of fingers to count on and I do not feel like taking my shoes off…..
    to get a $4 Trillion dollar tax spread, it is based at a 0.25% up to 4 years.
    To be able to see the amount taxed in one year as a whole at 50% is around $8.2 Trillion to $8.8 Trillion, please remember according to Government Officials this is to be a spread tax, 3 to 10 years.. There is over 10 thousand companies I have not even got to yet. So lets take this $ 8 trillion 682 billion Dollars and forget about the other figures, reach into your mind and say ,1 to 3 to 10 years Tax against the Health Care System, then take this 10% tax against the almost $4 Trillion Dollars, your factor must be a multiplication. Then you will see this Tax factor as net value of that system. But of course Government Officials will not show the a net value of a system or that one company, this wold make it to easy for the People to follow the Tax Dollar.
    Remember this tax dollar does not include the split petition of the tax forum of increases in other areas, in the name of Health Care Reform. This tax forum I, or we can have very little effect against.
    So now it begins, the Civil Rights Law Suits and Constitutional Suits. We are not talking just a few law suits we are talking thousands will be filed because of the Freedom Of Choice is taken away and a Tax against money that is not Government Officials Rights to Tax, the Health Care Money for Coverage.
    Within our web site we suggested to build a Government Web Site that will show the People the monthly income of this Health Care Dollar and what the dollar is used for. But of Course this can not be allowed this would audit the IRS and Government System.
    Now that this Bill is in the hands of Preisdent Obama, will he turn it over to the People and order the two different parties to build it to show respect of what this nation was built on ?

    So, what do you wish to do ? Sit back and complain or unite your voice as one and state that ,{ We believe in the Freedom Of Choice to be a Part Of this Health Care System or not. } We intend to give life to hope to where there is none.

    FASC Concepts in and for Pay It Forward. Join the trickle effect and email President Obama …..
    Our goal is to start a trickle effect and the goal is President Obama and this Bill to Law. To merge 250 million veiws for a honest Health Care reform. The trickle effect is , Email President Barack Obama
    Mar 20, 2009 … How to contact President Barack Obama and other White House Officials.
    http://www.emailthepresident.com/ – Cached – Similar
    and state we support FASC Concepts in part or in full, and share your views and be respectful in order to gain respect.
    Health Care within a moral value, is to ,
    { GIVE LIFE TO HOPE WHERE THERE IS NONE }
    Henry Massingale
    FASC Concepts in and for Pay It Forward
    http://www.fascmovement.mysite.com on google. yahoo, and aol.com
    please take the time and visit all my new friends on the net and if you wish to post with FASC Concepts you will be most welcomed. So join us and share your ideas as one in one voice. Just type in the web address and you will see over Results 1 – 10 of about 6,730 for www fascmovement com and there is over 10,000 post that are 6 month old.