House Democratic leaders are looking to blend the three House Healthcare Reform bills together by next week, though Speaker Nancy Pelosi prefers to postpone a vote until the Senate Finance Committee does before bring their bill to the House floor.
In the meantime, a Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee, Jim Bunning of Kentucky, sought to delay the SFC's vote until the bill was put into "actual legislative language" as opposed to the "plain English" version, and the Congressional Budget Office had made its final estimate of cost. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), whom the Dems are courting as the possible only Republican vote, agreed that she wanted to know the final numbers as well.
The request didn't fly as Dems pointed out that Republican committee members had, in the past, voted on plain English versions of legislation and based on general but not final CBO estimates, in particular the Medicare prescription drug plan and the Bush tax cuts. No wondering why the Republicans pushed those through without final estimates. I can't say I blame Democrats for doing the same. We can't cut back on this bill anymore anyway.
Information from CQ Politics Sept. 23, 2009 Midday Update.
BLOGGING FOR HEALTHCARE REFORM
And maybe more...
Deaths from Uninsured or Underinsured 2
How You Can Show Your Support
ATTEND AN AUGUST EVENT
If you see healthcare reform as an important issue, perhaps the most important issue in decades, you may be getting frustrated and wondering how you can make your views known. One way is to contact your lawmakers (see sidebar). Another is to attend an event.
Opponents of healthcare reform are organizing to show up at town hall meetings all over the country, and where they are in the minority, they sit in strategic spots in the audience and interrupt the speaker. They've already caught the attention of the media.
Free speech is fine, but we can't allow a minority of shouters to monopolize the debate. Go to the above site and commit to attending one event in the month of August.
Blogging About Healthcare and maybe more...
How does that ad go? "This isn't a liberal or conservative issue, it's a human issue." They're talking about the environment, but it could apply to healthcare reform as well, at least in the US. That's not altruism for the 48 million and counting uninsured. It's good old American "what's in it for me" thinking for both the uninsured and the currently insured who could find themselves uninsured at any moment.
Even if you've already taken sides on healthcare reform––especially if you have––I urge you to read these posts and simply consider these points. I have a writing blog and a book review blog, and I swore I'd never add my voice to the cacophony of angry voices blogging on politics. Only there are so many people adding their voices who don't have a clue what they are talking about, that I figured my more than 10 years experience working in benefits––most of it looking for ways to contain costs without cutting benefits––might actually add something to the conversation (if you can call it that).
I promise not to make statements I can't back up with experience or research. In return I ask that you approach my posts with an open mind, and when you comment, which I hope you will, make the comments civil so that they invite further discussion. Also, please comment on this blog rather than dragging the discussion to your own blogs, so that we can all take part.
I'm open to guest posts on either side, so long as they are well-informed and cite sources. Contact me
Even if you've already taken sides on healthcare reform––especially if you have––I urge you to read these posts and simply consider these points. I have a writing blog and a book review blog, and I swore I'd never add my voice to the cacophony of angry voices blogging on politics. Only there are so many people adding their voices who don't have a clue what they are talking about, that I figured my more than 10 years experience working in benefits––most of it looking for ways to contain costs without cutting benefits––might actually add something to the conversation (if you can call it that).
I promise not to make statements I can't back up with experience or research. In return I ask that you approach my posts with an open mind, and when you comment, which I hope you will, make the comments civil so that they invite further discussion. Also, please comment on this blog rather than dragging the discussion to your own blogs, so that we can all take part.
I'm open to guest posts on either side, so long as they are well-informed and cite sources. Contact me
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Senate Finance Committee Dems Rebuff Republican Attempt to Delay Vote
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