What does it take to get a wavering senator to vote for health care reform? On page 432 of the Reid bill, there is a section increasing federal Medicaid subsidies for “certain states recovering from a major disaster.”
The section spends two pages defining which “states” would qualify, saying, among other things, that it would be states that “during the preceding 7 fiscal years” have been declared a “major disaster area.” I am told the section applies to exactly one state: Louisiana, the home of moderate Democrat Mary Landrieu, who has been playing hard to get on the health care bill.
In other words, the bill spends two pages describing would could be written with a single world: Louisiana. (This may also help explain why the bill is long.) Senator Harry Reid, who drafted the bill, cannot pass it without the support of Louisiana’s Mary Landrieu.
How much does it cost? According to the Congressional Budget Office: $100 million.
The Senate “trial” vote is tonight at 8PM ET.
The party in power using tax payer money to pass what everyone knows is a very bad bill.
The thing is they think people are going to forget what this abomination does to the nation and I for one am not about to ever forgive them.
Do we need health care reform? of course but this abomination means ruination in a decade or less.
We are already a beggar nation kissing the feet of the people who own us.
I’m all OK on helping Louisiana rebuild,
But I’m not OK on buying votes.
Any good healthcare plan would be able to stand on it’s own.
Oh, and did you know the Public Option would actually costs MORE and those evil private insurers?
http://cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/30/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5461891.shtml
Isn’t this basically the polar opposite of the Bill of Attainder constitutionality issue that snagged the anti-ACORN bill? You can’t specifically make a law benefiting one entity, so you have to word the generic requirements so carefully that only one entity fulfills them all.
This is why I believe the country has no chance.
Between this Snake Harry Reid, Pelosi, and that blowhard Al Gore, and topped by the questionably bred Commander In Chief, this country is going to hell faster than anyone could have imagined when the warnings about the present Administration were sounded.
While buying votes is an underhanded tactic for certain, I would like to know the backup information that indicates that only Louisiana has received this designation as “major disaster area” in the last seven years. This is probably the case, but without the backup, the whole argument breaks down into conjecture.
Without this tie, it is simply a clause for adding additional funding to disaster areas and this would be considered a good thing by many.
“pullulates” ???
And the Republican proposed health bill says … .
Oh, that’s right. The Republicans don’t have a health bill. They only have criticism about generalities and lies.
I am really bothered that Landreau has to be bribed to do what is right.
She doesn’t deserve Democratic Party support for re-election in the primaries.
#7, Without this tie, it is simply a clause for adding additional funding to disaster areas and this would be considered a good thing by many.
What does this money have to do with health care? Nothing.
If you think this is bad, you should see some of the “exceptions” in the IRS laws. They are worded so that certain INDIVIDUALS are exempt.
#9 – faxon the idiot
I have found at least 4 Republican sponsored health care bills:
In May, Republicans in the House and the Senate formed a bicameral coalition to produce the 130-page “Patients Choice Act of 2009.”
In June, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) introduced the “Health Care Freedom Plan,” a 41-page proposal.
In July, the Republican Study Committee, under the leadership of Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), unveiled the “Empowering Patients First Act,” a 130-page plan.
It will be a good exercise for you to Google those yourself. The most recent Republican health care bill is this:
http://thehill.com/images/stories/whitepapers/pdf/ainsfloor_01_xml.pdf
Do yourself a favor and least do at least a basic web search before regurgitating lies you heard on the Huffington Post.
#10 It’s not axiomatic that the action you feel she should take “is right”.
I am not a democrat and would not piss on one if they were on fire but I will say there is a lot of good in Mary Landrieu. She at least listens to her constituents and tries to help her state. About the only place in Louisiana that is locked in Democrat is Orleans Parish. Mary could find herself looking for a job real quick if she follows the hard line you would like.
So then the bill should pass for a total cost of $5 billion. What’s the hurry in passing this bill, if it doesn’t take effect till 2013?
#12, slightlyidiotic,
Oh that one, where fewer people would be covered than currently are under Medicare of Medicaid, and it would cost more than the Democrat bill. I guess you think paying the Insurance Companies even more money is your idea of an alternative.
Contrary to the title, that is NOT health care reform, it is only a regurgitating of the health care insurance lobbying.
Try some new material.
Only problem #13 is that while she will get support in New Orleans it is us in the other 49 states that will have to make up this $100 milliom payoff to Landrieu for her vote. By the way, she claims it is worth “$300 million” to Louisana.
Sounds like a fair trade to me: Louisiana gets about ten percent of what should have been spent on reconstruction and rehabilitation already, and the rest of us get some form of health care reform…
Ask yourself why you have to….
You don’t ave to read about it in a blog. Here’s the “Obsolete” media coverage
#13
Sounds to me like as long as the government is paying it’s alright to you. Just remember there is a limit to how much the government take take other people.
And this surprises anyone why? Our country was founded on the 3/5th compromise and I see precious little difference between the two. This is a time-honored, absolutely disgusting and unfortunately necessary way to run our nation.
#15 Faxon
Oh that one
No, those FOUR. Did you not read the others because I did not provide a link for you?
I completely proved you to be the ignorant drone you are and you respond by changing the subject by saying one the bill I referenced is not *really* a health care bill. Why is it that this tactic is used by every single left-wing nut on this site. It is like debating with a random number generator. There are way to many opinions out there for people to care what someone completely ignorant on the issue thinks.
I didn’t know it was legal to buy votes.