Garden State Patriot

Attention is now turning to Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia. He may be the last hope to kill this bill.

Click here for more info.

Directly from the Senate Communication Center: 

FACT CHECK: “This Will Be Available For 72 Hours”

Majority Is Planning 1:00AM Monday Vote On A 2,000 Page Health Care Bill That They Say Will Be Released Less Than 40 Hours Before 

THEN: Sen. Baucus: “This Will Be Available For 72 Hours”  

SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): “Having In Mind The Managers’ Amendment, Which He Has Not Seen And, Frankly, This Senator Has Not Seen Either. … I Think As A Practical Matter This Will Be Available For 72 Hours.” “The Senator mentioned, I note, having in mind the managers’ amendment, which he has not seen and, frankly, this Senator has not seen either. I have some ideas what is in it, but I have not seen it myself. I think as a practical matter this will be available for 72 hours, as the Senator suggests. Why do I say that? I say that because it is my expectation that Senator Reid’s managers’ amendment will be filed very quickly, maybe in a day or two.” (Sen. Baucus, Congressional Record, S.13289, 12/16/09) 

NOW: No Details On A Manager’s Amendment “Until Saturday Morning,” Which Will Then Be Voted On Monday At 1 A.M. 

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) May Not Release Details Of The Health Care Reform Compromise And Congressional Budget Office Cost Analysis Until Saturday Morning, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) Told POLITICO Friday. ‘We’re Working Out Some Language Changes That Have To Be Incorporated Into The Manager’s Amendment,’ Durbin Said. ‘They are small, but they are details we are still working out.’ ‘I don’t know if it will be the end of the day or first thing tomorrow morning,’ Durbin said. The lack of details – less than 72 hours before senators are scheduled to cast the first key vote on the bill – came under attack Friday…” (“Wait Goes On, Possibly No bill Till Morning,” Politico’s “Live Pulse,” 12/18/09) 

“Absent Any Unexpected Quirks, Mr. Reid Needs To Hold Five Votes Before He Can Get To A Final, Simple-Majority Vote On The Health Care Legislation: 1 A.M. MONDAY – To End Debate On ‘A Manager’s Package’ That Includes All The Latest Changes To The Bill. 60 Votes Required.” (“Harry Reid’s Six Votes To Christmas,” The New York Times’ “Prescriptions” Blog, 12/18/09)

The Monday 1am vote is for cloture and is THE KEY VOTE! The Christmas Eve vote would NOT be the cloture vote. It would be the final vote. Monday is now D-Day on Obamacare.

Cross-posted at CMNJ.

The people of Minnesota truly should be embarrassed. This is what their pathetic junior senator did today on the Senate floor when Joe Lieberman asked the chair for another moment to finish his remarks. Thankfully, Senator McCain rose up and put the little jerk in his place.

Can they recall elected officials in Minnesota? If so, they ought to get the ball rolling. Having this buffoon around for another five years will be quite hard to take.

Cross-posted at CMNJ.

There have been some interesting goings-on today in the healthcare debate. Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced a 700+ page amendment which supported a single payer system. This led GOP Sen. Tom Coburn to force the amendment to be read in its entirety on the Senate floor. The clerk began reading the amendment when an upset Sanders pulled it.

One problem. Sanders’ maneuver is apparently against Senate rules and GOP senators are now objecting.

The Senate Republican leadership believes that the parliamentarian allowed Democrats to violate the rules of the Senate by allowing Sen. Bernie Sanders to cut off the reading of his single-payer proposal.

When an amendment is introduced, it has to be read on the Senate floor unless the rest of the Senate agrees to cut off the reading, and typically, the requirement is waived through “unanimous consent.” Yet today, Sen. Tom Coburn insisted that Sanders’ 767 page bill be read on the Senate floor, which was on pace to take more than 12 hours.

But about three hours into the reading, Sanders withdrew his amendment, and this stopped the reading of the bill — even without unanimous consent.

“In allowing Sanders to do that, it appears the parliamentarian has broken the standing rules of the Senate,” a Republican aide emails. “We’re looking into the implications of this and working on where to go from here.”

Here is the relevant part of Riddick’s Senate Procedure, which the GOP believes Democrats have violated, emphasis was in the email:

“Reading: Under Rule XV, paragraph 1, and Senate precedents, an amendment shall be read by the Clerk before it is up for consideration or before the same shall be debated unless a request to waive the reading is granted; in practice that includes an ordinary amendment or an amendment in the nature of a substitute, the reading of which may not be dispensed with except by unanimous consent, and if the request is denied the amendment must be read and further interruptions are not in order; interruptions of the reading of an amendment that has been proposed are not in order, even for the purpose of proposing a substitute amendment to a committee amendment which is being read. When an amendment is offered the regular order is its reading, and unanimous consent is required to call off the reading.” (Riddick’s Senate Procedure, P.43-44)

“It looks like there’s nothing the Democrats aren’t prepared to do to jam this unpopular health care bill down the throats of the American public,” the aide writes.

On top of this, word is Harry Reid is still trying to get a vote on this before Christmas – and that vote could even take place on Christmas Eve! Perhaps, we should now begin calling him ‘Senator Scrooge.’

Also, I should note that my last post sounded a rather pessimistic note about the passage of the healthcare bill. While I expect Reid and the Democrats will pull every stop to get this done it is sounding like this is not as close as has been reported. According to the Senate Republican Communications Center, there are a number of Democrat Senators not on board.  

FACT CHECK: “That Would Leave Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) As The Only Known Holdout Among The 60 Lawmakers Who Caucus With Democrats.” – Washington Post, 12/16/09 

“But Even Though Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) — The Highest-Profile Holdout In The Democratic Conference — Signaled That The Scaled-Back Package Would Earn His Vote, Intraparty Differences Persisted And A 60-Vote Coalition Remained Elusive.” (“Senate Closes In On Health Care Deal,” Roll Call, 12/16/09) 

Democrats Reiterate Concerns With The Bill 

SEN. JIM WEBB (D-VA): “Like All Of My Colleagues In The Democratic Party, I Voted In Favor Of Proceeding To Debate The Proposed Health-Care Reform Legislation. I Have Yet To Decide Whether I Will Support Final Passage Of The Bill.” (Sen. Jim Webb, Op-Ed, “Still Undecided,” The Winchester Star, 12/15/09) 

• SEN. JIM WEBB (D-VA): “I voted five times against proposed cuts to Medicare due to my concerns about taking half a trillion dollars out of that system at a time when the pool for Medicare is about to expand with the retirement of those in the Baby Boom generation. I am a long-time supporter of Medicare Advantage programs which have, in my view, greatly improved services in rural areas of Virginia, and I did not want to see cuts to benefits or services.” (Sen. Jim Webb, Op-Ed, “Still Undecided,” The Winchester Star, 12/15/09) 

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): “I Have Not Yet Decided How I Will Vote.” (“Sanders’s Vote Still Up In The Air On Health Care,” The Atlantic, 12/16/09) 

SEN. ROLAND BURRIS (D-IL): “My Colleagues May Have Forged A Compromise Bill That Can Achieve The 60 Votes That Will Be Needed For Its Passage, But Until This Bill Addresses Cost, Competition, And Accountability In A Meaningful Way, It Will Not Win My Vote. The American people most in need of help know we can do better, and we must do better.” (Sen. Burris, Congressional Record, S.13178, 12/14/09) 

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D-WI): “I Am Not Making A Judgment Until I See The CBO Numbers And That’s Only The Beginning.” (Feingold: I would Have Liked A Stronger Healthcare Bill, The Hill, 12/15/09) 

SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D-MO): “If We’re Not Saving More Money For Our Government Than We’re Spending, Then Not Only Will I Not Support It.” Q: “No, you’re saying if this doesn’t bend the cost curve, you go back to the drawing board, start all over?” SEN. CLAIRE MCCASKILL (D-MO): “My statement all along is it has to slow down the increase of health care costs over time, and that is bending the cost curve, and secondly, that it has to be deficit neutral. We have to be saving more money for our government than we’re spending. And if we’re not saving more money for our government than we’re spending, then not only will I not support it…” (Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday,” 12/13/09) 

BLANCHE LINCOLN (D-AR): “There are a lot of things on the table still and until, you know, we hear back from CBO it’s going to be hard to see whatever I can support, for sure.” (“Landrieu, Lincoln: No ‘Compromise’ Made On Health Bill,” The Hill, 12/9/09) 

SEN. BEN NELSON (D-NE): “I’m Not On The Bill … I have spoken with the president and he knows they are not wrapped up today. I think everybody understands they are not wrapped up today and that impression will not be given.” (“Nelson: ‘I’m Not On The Bill’,” Politico, 12/15/09)

I know that many tea party activists have been bombarding key senators with phone calls today. I would urge you to keep trying to contact these key senators as well - including Joe Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Jim Webb and Mark Warner – to keep the pressure on.

Meanwhile, Speaker Pelousy has adjourned the House for the year saying that there would be no deal this year. My understanding is the House will not meet again until January 19th.

In the case of health care reform, Pelosi credited House Democrats with having saved Obama’s initiative after the onslaught of attacks during the August recess. And if the Senate can complete its bill this month, she will work to try to send a House-Senate compromise to the White House before the State of the Union.

What to make of all this? This fight is not yet over. There is a ray of light and until this bill is passed we need to keep doing everything in our power to stop it. The longer we can extend it, the tougher it’s going to be for the Democrats to get it done.

Cross-posted at CMNJ.

Yesterday, I was privileged to travel down to D.C. yet again with fellow Americans for Prosperity activists to protest against Obamcare. Many people from Jersey traveled down to this event, with busloads leaving from points across the state - including Ridgewood, Bogota, Sparta, Parsippany, and Egg Harbor, to name a few.

All told, thousands of activists attended the rally at the Capital (see AFP coperage here). The crowd was addressed by a number of legislators – among them  Dr. Tom Coburn, Sen. Jim DeMint, Sen. Richard Burr, Sen. Johnny Isakson, Jim Martin, Rep. Michelle Bachmann and former Rep. Dick Armey. I was privileged to meet with the latter two who are each genuine articles. In fact, Rep. Bachmann is nothing short of a hero for her fortitude in opposing Obamacare.

Our last speaker was radio talker Laura Ingraham who delivered a speech with the bite and humor we have come to expect of her. Here it is in its entirety.

After the rally broke up, everyone descended upon the senate office buildings across the street. Many of our NJ contingent went to the offices of Sens. Lautenberg and Menendez. Of course, the Senators were busy during the day twisting arms to get this deal done and weren’t available. However, a rep for each Senator did briefly speak with constituents and they did collect notes from anyone willing to leave one. 

While not much new came out of the talk with the Senators’ representatives, the spokesperson for Senator Lautenberg’s office, Doug Meehan, did mention that the Senator would not vote for a bill that included funding for abortions. This surprised me because last week the Senate voted on an amendment that would do just that. The amendment was killed by a vote of 54-45 (one abstaining). Senator Lautenberg? He voted right along with Democrats in killing the amendment.

So, I’d like to thank Mr. Meehan for lying to the Senator’s constituents. In fact, you will officially know this is a lie when Sen. Lautenberg votes for this atrocity of a bill.

In fact, if anything has become clear throughout this process, it is that New Jersey has two senators that have disdain for their constituents. Their accessibility during the debate has been nil and their willingness to oppose their constituents’ will on this issue is nothing short of contemptible. Lautenberg and Menendez are not worthy of the offices they hold and if New Jersey voters have any sense left at all they will vote these two bums out of office the next time they are up for re-election. 

Frankly, I’m not sure what influence yesterday’s rally will have. Public opinion to this point, which is overwhelmingly opposed, has been dismissed. And as it stands now, the Democrats are only a vote or two away from passing this. Thus far they have been willing to walk the plank for Obama and now they are one step away from plunging into the depths below. My expectation (and I hope I’m wrong) is this will still pass and the Democrats will have hell to pay next November.

Cross-posted at Red County and CMNJ.

Today is your last opportunity to ‘get on board’ and join tomorrow’s protest in Washington D.C. The rally will start at the Capitol at 1:30pm. Buses will be leaving from various points throughout New Jersey. For more information and to register, click here.

My understanding, having spoken with a Senate GOP source, is that this bill will be coming up for a cloture vote soon. This will not bleed into next year. In fact, my source said, ‘We’re in an end-game scenario here.’ There is no sense that Harry Reid will delay this.

If this is not enough motivation for you then I’m not sure what is. The future of our healthcare system and our nation still hangs in the balance. It is time to muster up the same energy that was evident in August during the town hall meetings and make a final push to defeat this bill.

Hope to see you there.

[UPDATE] Maybe this, too, will serve as motivation.

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama will meet with Senate Democrats at the White House Tuesday to press for action at a make-or-break moment for his health care overhaul.

All 60 members of the Democratic caucus have been invited, according to three Democratic officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement was not yet public.

The meeting comes as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid works to round up votes to get a sweeping health bill passed before Christmas. The outcome is uncertain with moderates in danger of defecting on issues including abortion and a proposed expansion of Medicare.

Amazingly, over the weekend the Senate approved another $1.1T in spending. This after Congress also raised our debt ceiling to a whopping $14B. The appropriations bill that passed by a vote of 57-35 included a 12% increase in discretionary spending – 12%! - when our country is drowning in debt.

Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) — Congress gave final approval to a $450 billion spending bill for government agencies providing an average 12 percent budget increase for many programs amid what polls show is mounting public concern over federal deficits.

The Senate voted 57 to 35 yesterday to forward the measure to President Barack Obama. The measure combines six annual appropriations bills needed to fund federal agencies for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. The House last week approved the 1,092-page bill, along with 1,351 pages of explanatory documents, which would replace a stopgap measure funding most agencies through Dec. 18.

Republicans, criticized as spendthrifts during former President George W. Bush’s administration, attacked the increases in the bill drafted by Democrats, forcing the Senate to debate the matter into the weekend.

“We have a $12 trillion debt, a debt that our children and grandchildren are going to have to pay, and here we are” approving a 12 percent spending increase, Senator George LeMieux, a Florida Republican, said yesterday. “Washington is out of control in its spending.”

Democrats said the increase, which far exceeds the inflation rate, was needed to pay for important domestic programs. The consumer price index, minus the volatile food and energy components, rose 1.7 percent for the 12 months ending in October.

Of course, despite the fact that The Anointed One has saddled us and future generations with this incredible debt…

…lately he has tried to sell the idea to the American people that he is concerned about it. Just last month, Obama actually said this:

“It is important though to recognise if we keep on adding to the debt, even in the midst of this recovery, that at some point, people could lose confidence in the US economy in a double-dip recession,”

Well, here’s a simple test to see if Obama means what he says. When this bill gets to his desk, all he needs to do is reach into the pocket of his jacket, take out his pen and veto this spending. 

If he does not, then we will know, once again, that his words are nothing but empty rhetoric.

Cross-posted at CMNJ.

While the Senate has taken up debate on the destructive healthcare bill, the Democrat-led House has continued its all-out assault on our Constitution, our liberty and our capitalist system.

The latest outrage is a bill that would give Congress broad powers to intervene in private enterprise and tyrannically impose their will on America’s businesses. New Jersey’s best Congressman, Scott Garrett, explains what this legislation would do:

While millions of Americans are unemployed, Congress continues to pass job-killing legislation that will further cripple the economy. This week, the House of Representatives is considering legislation that creates a permanent bailout authority for the government. This permanent bailout authority results in a government takeover of big business, and destroys small business. The end result is a bigger government in need of higher taxes to fund its growth, and a weaker economy with fewer jobs.

This bill also greatly expands the powers of the Federal Reserve and establishes a Fed-controlled “government watch list” on which businesses may be placed for any reason. Once on this list, the government can fire a business’s CEO, set wages for ALL employees, force the liquidation of assets and mandate general business practices for the company. Small business owners that have worked hard to build their businesses will soon find the government as their unwelcome, not-so-silent partner.

House Republicans are demanding an end to all bailouts, and have proposed a taxpayer protection bill that helps creates jobs and preserves free market principles while providing significant reform to our antiquated banking regulations. The Democrats have NO plan to support the American taxpayer.

I will be voting against this bailout bill on Friday. Members of Congress need to hear from the American people that the public is tired of bailouts.  I am confident that with a public outcry of opposition, we can put an end to the bailout mentality that has gripped our government, bankrupted American taxpayers and changed the face of our financial sector.

Government watch lists. Firing CEO’s. Setting worker’s wages. This bill sounds more like something that would come out of Stalinist Russia or Fidel’s Cuba, not Jefferson’s America.

Meanwhile, debate on this bill has been underway on the House floor during which Congressman Garrett made the following remarks.

Later, though, the Congressman found himself sparring with one of the most loathsome and detestable Democrats of all – Bawney Fwank. When Fwank dared someone in the GOP to point to the language in the bill that provided for bailouts, Congressman Garrett was more than happy to oblige.

We salute Congressman Garrett for his fortitude in opposing this measure.

Right now, though, we need to do what we can to stop yet another terrible bill from being passed by this radical Congress. Time to start working the phones and calling your Representative.

Cross-posted at CMNJ.

Senator John Thune held a conference call today to discuss the ongoing debate over Obamacare – aka the healthcare destruction bill.

As I mentioned yesterday, Senate Republicans have embarked on a strategy of delay (by coming forward with an endless number of amendments) along with a PR blitz aimed at getting the truth out about this bill.

When I had the opportunity to question the Senator, I did so by focusing on the GOP strategy. Like so many opponents of this terrible legislation, my goal is to see it defeated; the means by which this happens matters little.

So, I asked the Senator why the Republicans don’t just allow this bill to come to a vote knowing that they have colleagues like Senator Liberman on their side, opposed to a public option. In response, Senator Thune said that Republicans have no control over when the bill comes to a vote. That decision is totally in the hands of Harry Reid. The Majority Leader can simply wait until he has the votes before allowing a final vote (or cloture vote) to happen.

I found this interesting because if you listen to some of the rhetoric Reid has been spewing, he makes it sound as if he wants to speed this up. But in reality, Reid would probably be happy to let this play out for a little while if it means an amendment comes forward that would result in all Democrat Senators getting in line.

Thus, this is really a ‘cat and mouse’ game in my view. GOP Senators need to string this out as long as possible and, as the Senator said, continue to put ‘people on record’ about where they stand on various components of the legislation.

In my view, the GOP needs to be cautious not to propose any amendments that would give Harry Reid and his cronies the votes they need to pass this abomination (Note: the Senator is expecting an abortion amendment to come up soon but he doesn’t expect it to pass).

Lastly, I asked the Senator if he saw a ‘tipping point’ in this debate, where the risk to Democrats starts to become too great to continue. To that, I didn’t quite get the answer I was hoping to hear. Senator Thune said Reid was looking to bring this to a vote by Christmas. He did not say, as I had hoped, that the GOP was hoping to extend this out to ‘X’ date in hopes that the spectre of the coming ‘10 elections would just make it too difficult for them to continue pushing this.

So, the healthcare debate drags on. And we, the weary troops, need to muster up some more will to continue opposing this. Senator Thune, like so many other legislators I’ve heard from, looked to us for help, saying at one point ‘the only thing that stands in the way of government-run healthcare…is the American people.’

Thus, we need to keep calling, faxing and writing letters. And if so inclined, go down to Washington D.C. next week to fight in person.

Cross-posted at CMNJ.

With the Democrat’s health care destruction bill now in the Senate, GOP Senators have embarked on a strategy of using every parliamentary trick at their disposal to stop it. This includes proposing amendment after amendment. Last week, Republican Senators successfully proposed amendments that put Democrats on record in favor of half a trillion in Medicare cuts, $120 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage, and $42 billion in cuts to home health services.

Meanwhile, GOP Senators are also putting forth a PR strategy aimed at picking apart the Democrats on every component of the bill. In the latest release from the Senate Republican Comunications Center, they do just that by exposing Obamcare’s broken promises. Here are just 8 ways in which Obamacare breaks the President’s own promises to the American people:

THE PRESIDENT’S PROMISES

8 Examples Why Dems’ Health Care Bill Does Not Meet The President’s Stated Goals 

PROMISE #1: “If You Like Your Plan, You’ll Be Able To Keep It” 

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “If You Like Your Current Plan, You Will Be Able To Keep It.  Let Me Repeat That:  If You Like Your Plan, You’ll Be Able To Keep It.” (President Obama, Remarks At The White House, Washington, D.C., 7/21/09) 

AP FACT CHECK: “This Is A Pledge That’s Beyond The President’s Power To Keep.” (“Fact Check: Obama’s Words About Iran Get Tougher,” The Associated Press, 6/23/09) 

SEN. BOB CASEY (D-PA) On Medicare Advantage Cuts: “We’re Not Going To Be Able To Say ‘If You Like What You Have, You Can Keep It’ … And That Basic Commitment That A Lot Of Us Around Here Have Made Will Be Called Into Question.” (“Obama’s Planned Medicare Cuts Distress Some Democrats,” Bloomberg, 12/3/09) 

PROMISE #2: “My Plan Won’t Raise Your Taxes One Penny”

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): “And If You’re A Family Making Less Than $250,000 A Year, My Plan Won’t Raise Your Taxes One Penny — not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.” (Barack Obama, Remarks, Orlando, FL, 8/3/08)

SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS’ ANALYSIS OF JOINT COMMITTEE ON TAXATION FINDINGS: “In 2019, 39.9 million individuals and families or 24% of all tax returns under $200,000 will, on average, see their taxes go up.  This is even after taking into account the premium tax credit.”  (“Joint Committee On Taxation Indicates That 38% Of People Earning Less Than $200,000 A Year Will See A Tax Increase Under The Reid Bill,” Senate Finance Committee Minority Staff, 12/05/09)

THOMAS BARTHOLD, JOINT COMMITTEE ON TAXATION CHIEF OF STAFF: “But To The Extent That, Yes, We Think That Some People Would Be Subject To The Penalty Excise Tax When Everything Shakes Out, We Would Expect That Some Would Have Incomes Less Than $200,000.” (Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 9/22/09)

PROMISE #3: “I Will Protect Medicare” 

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “So don’t pay attention to those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut, especially since some of the same folks who are spreading these tall tales have fought against Medicare in the past and just this year supported a budget that would essentially have turned Medicare into a privatized voucher program.  That will not happen on my watch.  I will protect Medicare.” (President Obama, Remarks To Joint Session Of Congress, 9/9/09)

Reid Bill Contains Half Trillion Dollars In Medicare Cuts. “Senate Republicans lost their first major challenge to a Democratic plan to overhaul the health-care system, as the chamber voted Thursday to reject a GOP proposal to strip the package of nearly $500 billion in Medicare cuts, its most important source of financing.” (“Senate Votes Down GOP Plan To Strip Medicare Cuts From Bill,” The Washington Post, 12/4/09)

CBO: Medicare Cuts Could “Reduce Access To Care Or Diminish The Quality Of Care.” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 11/18/09, P. 1, 17)

PROMISE #4: “Slow The Growth Of Health Care Costs” 

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “And It Will Slow The Growth Of Health Care Costs For Our Families, Our Businesses, And Our Government.” (President Obama, Remarks To Joint Session Of Congress, 9/9/09)  

CBO: “Under The Legislation, Federal Outlays For Health Care Would Increase During The 2010–2019 Period, As Would The Federal Budgetary Commitment To Health Care. The net increase in that commitment would be about $160 billion over 10 years, driven primarily by the $848 billion gross cost of the coverage expansions (including increases in both outlays and tax credits).” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 11/18/09, P. 16)

THE NEW YORK TIMES: “Experts — Including Some Who Have Consulted Closely With The White House, Like Dr. Denis A. Cortese, Chief Executive Of The Mayo Clinic — Say The Measures Take Only Baby Steps Toward Revamping The Current Fee-For-Service System, Which Drives Up Costs By Paying Health Providers For Each Visit Or Procedure Performed.” (“Democrats Raise Alarms Over Costs Of Health Bills,” The New York Times, 11/10/09)

WILLIAM GALSTON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Dem Health Bills Do A “Very Poor Job” Of “Controlling Costs.” “I say with regret but consistent with a very important article on the front page of today’s New York Times that of the two objectives that people had going into health care reform, namely expanding access and controlling costs we’re on track to do a pretty good job on number one and a very poor job on number two. So if we don’t do number two in this bill we’re going to have to come back and do it in some subsequent bill because it is not sustainable to expand access and to do nothing about costs. It’s just as simple as that. I am interested in sustainable moral commitments.” (Senate Budget Committee, Hearing, 11/10/09)

PROMISE #5: “Broadcasting Those Negotiations On C-SPAN”

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): “That’s what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are, because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process.” (Sen. Obama, Presidential Debate, 1/31/08) 

“But Now, As A Senate Vote On Health-Care Legislation Nears, Those Negotiations Are Occurring In A Setting That Is Anything But Revolutionary In Washington: Three Senators Are Working On The Bill Behind Closed Doors. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) sits at the head of a wooden table at his office as he and Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) and Max Baucus (D-Mont.) work to merge two competing versions of health-care legislation into one bill. The three men will be joined by top aides as well as by members of President Obama’s health-care team, led by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. The sessions started on Wednesday and could be completed this week.” (“Small Group Now Leads Closed Negotiations On Health-Care Bill,” The Washington Post, 10/18/09) 

“After Months Of Buildup, The Historic Debate On Health Care Reform Opens On The Senate Floor Monday — But The C-SPAN Cameras Won’t See The Real Action.” (“Dems Seek Deal As Sen. Debate Begins,” Politico, 11/30/09) 

PROMISE #6: “Slow The Growth Of Health Care Costs For … Our Businesses”

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “And It Will Slow The Growth Of Health Care Costs For Our Families, Our Businesses, And Our Government.” (President Obama, Remarks To Joint Session Of Congress, 9/9/09)  

Mandates In Health Bill Are “Likely To Reduce Employment” 

“Penalty Payments By Employers And Uninsured Individuals… 2010-2019… 36 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 11/18/09, P. 6) 

COMPANIES THAT DON’T PROVIDE INSURANCE FINED $750 PER WORKER

CBO: “Firms With More Than 50 Workers That Did Not Offer Coverage Would Have To Pay A Penalty Of $750 For Each Full-Time Worker If Any Of Their Workers Obtained Subsidized Coverage Through The Insurance Exchanges; That Dollar Amount Would Be Indexed.” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 11/18/09, P. 7)CBO: “Requiring Employers To Offer Health Insurance—Or Pay A Fee If They Do Not—Is Likely To Reduce Employment…”(“Effects Of Changes To The Health Insurance System On Labor Markets,” CBO, 7/14/09) 

More Than $100 Billion In Taxes & Fees On The Health Care Industry 

“Fees On Certain Manufacturers And Insurers… 2010-2019… 102 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 11/18/09, P. 6) 

PROMISE #7: “Will Not Sign It If It Adds One Dime To The Deficit” 

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “I Will Not Sign It If It Adds One Dime To The Deficit, Now Or In The Future, Period.” (President Obama, Remarks To Joint Session Of Congress, 9/9/09)  

CBO: “A Detailed Year-By-Year Projection For Years Beyond 2019, Like Those That CBO Prepares For The 10-Year Budget Window, Would Not Be Meaningful Because The Uncertainties Involved Are Simply Too Great.” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 11/18/09, P.14) 

The Washington Post’s David Broder: “Every Expert I Have Talked To Says That The Public Has It Right. These Bills, As They Stand, Are Budget-Busters.” (David Broder, Op-Ed, “A Budget-Buster In The Making,” The Washington Post, 11/22/09) 

PROMISE #8: Medical Liability Reform: “This Is Going To Be A Priority For Me” 

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “I want to work with the AMA so we can scale back the excessive defensive medicine that reinforces our current system, and shift to a system where we are providing better care, simply — rather than simply more treatment. So this is going to be a priority for me.” (President Obama, Remarks To The AMA, Chicago, IL, 6/15/09) 

Reid Bill Does Not Directly Address Medical Malpractice Reform. “It is the sense of the Senate that— health care reform presents an opportunity to address issues related to medical malpractice and medical liability insurance.” (S .Amdt 2786 To H.R. 3590, “Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act,” P. 1858)

——

Meanwhile, the fight against Obamacare continues at the grassroots level. On Tuesday, December 15th, AFP will once again is organizing a bus trip to D.C. If you would like to go, then click the link here to sign up.