POLITICO – The Senate Finance Committee filed its sweeping health care reform bill Monday and its release served largely to highlight the divisions among Democrats over the direction of reform.
The massive, 1,500 page bill is expected to serve as the backbone for Democratic reform efforts going forward and five senators expressed concerns about one of its main provisions, a 40 percent tax on high-end insurance plans.
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If it takes 1500 paces to write the bill, you know there are no less than a thousand loopholes.
Do you suppose anyone will read it before they vote on it? How many amendments will be added?
I’m about ready to join the vote no to all incumbents party.
Ok, let’s see.
We have 1502 pages. Let’s assume the final bill will be the same length.
We have been promised 72 hours to review the entire bill.
72 hours = 4320 minutes.
4320 minutes/1502 pages comes out to ~ 2.52 seconds a page.
Plenty of time!
Can I get a copy? I need something to burn to keep me warm this winter.
and HOW MANY PAGES DOES Medicare work under..
35000??
Bills that size are drafted from cabinet legislature templates. A lot of laws are drafted in modular form to avoid redrafting the same set of provisions, slightly altered, for the next major act. Kind of like writing software.
John, your blog sucks. It isn’t even a blog really. It looks really cluttered and all you do is post junk. A blog is supposed to have commentary, but you never say anything. This is no better than those websites who do nothing but post links.
@sargasso
But with out a CVS system. They won’t use that because it would show who put what where in a bill and we all know that no one in DC really wants accountability. That would derail the gravy train.
#6 Ben
Thank you for that amazing report from the trenches Ben. Your insight and commentary breaks critical ground in the annuals of the written word. We will be sure and notify the appropriate rats ass who gives a damn.
currently each citizen’s share of national debt
$38,945.10
heath care, you are kidding me, right?
1502 pages of obtuse legalese . . . that ought to result in 150,000 pages of regulations by the time the bureaucrats finish with it.
The Law of Unintended Consequences is going to bitch slap each and every one of us.
#10, well people did want change. They probably should have specified what kind of change though.
In the end, I truly believe that the people get, by and large what they deserve, not what they want.
#6 Ben:
Your comment sucks.
If you don’t like the site, don’t visit.
#9 for the win
In not so many years the interest on the national debt is going to start rivaling the actual true annual federal government operational expenditures.
Taxes will have to be raised and it is already clear the Bush tax cuts have to expire.
But a better question is this: how can this country be competitive with such a high tax overhead as is forecasted.
But an even more meaningful observation is that this country is NOT competitive NOW. We have plenty of labor and yet no one builds factories here; they only move them away …
.. like Dell closing its final US plant.
How can a country that produces nothing economically compete?
Or even pay for its own government?
It can’t.
Has anyone read the first page? “A BILL To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.”
How many pages does the “other purposes” take up? And what are “other purposes” doing in the health care bill?
The real bill is the result that comes out of conference committee. Why is there so much focus on this bill when it has to be combined with other bills?
#16:
Because this is the only version of the bill we’ll have enough time to read.
Don’t look over here! (NOTHING TO SEE HERE) Look over there!
I’m sure the labor unions will be excited about this 40% tax. This just shows the Democrats’ usual modus operandi (equalized misery).
The president could do something we libertarians have hoped for. Enact format restrictions on bills. Veto any bill not submitted via 12pt font on one 8.5×11 sheet of paper. Cripes we run the whole nation on a few pages of parchment. This is insanity.
All those pages, to prop up an existing health care system, in order to keep all the private insurers in business. And probably increase the paperwork nightmare, for doctors. Rather than simplifying or streamlining it.
Meanwhile, HR2454 (ACES) goes thru the House, with hardly any notice or coverage (and no debate!) by the press. It’s 800+ pages (maybe more) also getting no more than a STRICTLY adhered to 3 hours discussion. And should it pass the Senate, all Americas and most businesses will subject to substantial added costs per year of operating expenses. While proponents like Al Gore stand to profit from his substantial Carbon Credit Trading Portfolio. Yeah, he got in on the ground floor, fast enough. Plus, I’ve just read that China plans to “count Abortions as Carbon off-set Credits”. And I don’t suppose this bothers the eco-fanatics very much.
Actually HR2454 (ACES) is 1400 pages. 800 of which were changed by the House, and barely discussed. Again, what’s the damn rush?! It doesn’t apply until 2012.
chris #13.
Yea, I messed up the post. Meant to say 2 minutes 52 seconds a page.
Got in a hurry. oops.
Haha Ben’s right. This so-called blog is bunk. Just a bunch of nerds who post their useless opinions. Snoogins!
FYI- injuries sustained lifting copies of said bill are considered pre-existing conditions.
…in his quest for total control.
You need another layer on that tinfoil hat.
I imagine it will double over 3000 pages before its over. Do we really think Congress can get this right? This has to be the worst time in history for government to expand. I am in total understanding about how everyone needs health care. But allowing our government considering their track record to solve it is just wrong. I still wonder how we are going to reduce health care for individuals enough if they cannot or will not buy it now? If it was that easy I think this would have been done a long time ago. Obama (Robin Hood) is looking more like robbing from one to pay the other all the time. Its nor going to work.
#27-Olo Baggins of Bywater-You need another layer on that tinfoil hat.
If you think my assessment is crazy then please lavish us with your insight and regale us with where you believe I have gone astray.
Clearly you are the expert…
# 4 ECA said,”HOW MANY PAGES DOES Medicare work under.. 35000??”
No, no, my friend. Those are the rules and regulations written to control Medicare. The bill was only a couple of hundred pages long.
Starting out with a 1500 page bill, we’ll need another for4est or two for the final regulations.
someone should tell these asshats that they do not get paid by the pound
Very few commented on 40% tax on high-end insurance plans. However, that fact best shows what this whole thing is about: redistribution. Obama and Democrats can as well put it as their slogan “to each according to his needs, from each according to his capability”. Wake up and spot and point Marxists and Communists. We have seen where such system leads.
PS I do not have or have any chance of ever having health insurance plan that would be considered rich and taxed like that. But I lived in Communism. One can steal from the “rich” only so long…
The federal government does not have the authority to pass something like this.
It must be stopped.