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The Vapor Bill – Where is the Bill?

President Barack Obama’s push for a sweeping health care overhaul is going to be voted upon in the Senate Finance Committee this week and nobody has read the actual bill yet. The Washington Post reported last Friday that “Senate Finance Committee Releases Its Final Text of Health-Care Bill,” yet you click on a link to the “Bill” referenced in the Post article and all you get is a 262 page description of the legislation. There still is no actual legislative language being given to Senators, Staff or the American Public. That is why many are calling it the “Vapor Bill.”

The AP is reporting that “Dem leader faces tough job in crafting health bill.” The AP reports that “first the Finance Committee bill must be combined with a more liberal version that the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee wrapped up this summer. This merger is so rare that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has never attempted it on any piece of legislation — much less one as complex as President Barack Obama’s top legislative priority.”

This process is far different than the way you learned in 9th grade civics class how a bill becomes law. Nowhere in that class were you told that a bill passes one committee (Senate HELP) and a description of a bill passes another Committee (Senate Finance), then the Senate Majority Leader writes his own bill without a transparent means for all Senators and the American people to participate in the process. Maybe there are no smoke filled rooms anymore in the Capitol, yet in these latte filled rooms this week, Senate leaders, emissaries of the Obama Administration, maybe a lobbyist or two and some select staff are writing Obamacare.

Why can’t we read the bill? Any Senator has the power to request that the Senate Clerk read any legislation. That may be the only means for the American people to understand what is actually in the bill.

  • Author: Brian Darling
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25 Comments

October 5, 2009 Freedomof Speech TX writes:

They “get it”.

They know Americans are disgusted and upset about the lack of transparency.

They know any bill written WILL NOT contain clear, concise language that the people will understand - let alone those who vote on it.

The problem is THEY DO NOT CARE.

I sincerely believe this will come back and haunt many of them in their bid for reelection. Some are in “protected areas”; simply put, their constituents are as wacked out as their representatives.

But, for the others, will Americans vote those out who do not properly represent them?

The 2010 Election will be historic. Don’t be fooled when most of the stimulus money is released next year before the elections! This disgusting political tactic, alone, is enough for them to go.

October 5, 2009 Badger Blogger » Blog Archive » Is this how ObamaCare – language yet to be determined – gets rammed down your throats? writes:

[...] further explains the concept in a posting at THF’s blog, The Foundry. “The AP reports that “first the [...]

October 5, 2009 The HSA Coalition » Vapor Bill: What It Means, Why It Matters, and How You Can Stop It writes:

[...] is how Brian Darling of the Heritage Foundation describes the Vapor Bill: President Barack Obama’s push for a sweeping health care overhaul is [...]

October 6, 2009 Bobbie Jay writes:

Obama and HIS folks are too busy creating TAX PAID PROGRAMS for obama’s insistence of a WEAK and inferior people! Their ignorance knows no protocol. They are undisciplined with no boundaries. Obama’s government’s thievery of AMERICA and her people, is unlimited.

October 7, 2009 Congress’ Secret Plan to Pass Obamacare | Fix Health Care Policy writes:

[...] will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the committee’s Vapor Bill. The Senate Finance Committee’s progress on passing something out of committee – [...]

October 7, 2009 Congress’ Secret Plan to Pass Obamacare - CONFIRMED | FedUpUSA writes:

[...] bill will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the Committee’s Vapor Bill.  Senate Finance Committee’s progress on passing something out of committee – [...]

October 8, 2009 Not Reading It! « Pond’rings writes:

[...] The Foundry [...]

October 8, 2009 The Absurd Report » Where is the Bill? writes:

[...] Source: The Foundry [...]

October 8, 2009 Morning Bell: The Baucus Bait And Switch | Conservative Principles Now writes:

[...] trying to pull on the American people. Not only does the Baucus bill not even really exist, just a Vapor Bill filled with conceptual language, it is about to be completely thrown out the window when Senate [...]

October 8, 2009 Congress’ Secret Plan to Pass Obamacare – CONFIRMED « In Thru The Out Door writes:

[...] bill will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the Committee’s Vapor Bill.  Senate Finance Committee’s progress on passing something out of committee – [...]

October 8, 2009 Garden State Patriot | Update On Harry Reid Scheme To Pass Obamacare writes:

[...] bill will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the Committee’s Vapor Bill.  Senate Finance Committee’s progress on passing something out of committee – [...]

October 8, 2009 The Baucus Bait And Switch « Reboot The Republic writes:

[...] trying to pull on the American people. Not only does the Baucus bill not even really exist, just a Vapor Bill filled with conceptual language, it is about to be completely thrown out the window when Senate [...]

October 8, 2009 Obama News- CBO playing along with Baucus numbers game- Townhall- #politics #obama @ freedom news writes:

[...] trying to pull on the American people. Not only does the Baucus bill not even really exist, just a Vapor Bill filled with conceptual language, it is about to be completely thrown out the window when Senate [...]

October 8, 2009 Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » Health Care plans for back door passage – agenda usurps transparency writes:

[...] bill will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the Committee’s Vapor Bill. Senate Finance Committee’s progress on passing something out of committee – [...]

October 9, 2009 Baucus Games The CBO System For Creative Cost Deception On Obamacare « Quipster writes:

[...] trying to pull on the American people. Not only does the Baucus bill not even really exist, just a Vapor Bill filled with conceptual language, it is about to be completely thrown out the window when Senate [...]

October 9, 2009 Jesus is Lord, A Worshipping Christian’s Blog » Blog Archive » URGENT: Dems to Pass Obama Care In Secret, Over Objection of Most Americans writes:

[...] bill will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the Committee’s Vapor Bill.  Senate Finance Committee’s progress on passing something out of committee – [...]

October 12, 2009 Congress’ Secret Plan to Pass Obamacare by Thanksgiving – Update | Fix Health Care Policy writes:

[...] Will it force taxpayers to pay for abortions? How much will it cost? Nobody knows because this Vapor Bill does not even exist [...]

October 12, 2009 Congress’ Secret Plan to Pass Obamacare – CONFIRMED | Republic Broadcasting Network writes:

[...] bill will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the Committee’s Vapor Bill [4].  Senate Finance Committee’s progress on passing something out of committee – [...]

October 12, 2009 Congress’ Secret Plan to Pass Obamacare – CONFIRMED | MilitiaRadio.com writes:

[...] bill will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the Committee’s Vapor Bill.  Senate Finance Committee’s progress on passing something out of committee – [...]

October 13, 2009 Congress Dismisses Public’s Transparency Demands | Fix Health Care Policy writes:

[...] have required Congress to post the actual committee bill (the committee currently is working on conceptual framework of a bill) online for at least 72 hours before voting on [...]

October 13, 2009 Senate Finance Committee Approves Health Care Reform Bill | Jeffrey A. Setaro writes:

[...] that’s wrong with Washington… They just approved a bill that hasn’t even been written [...]

October 19, 2009 Congress Secret Plan to Force Obamacare by End of Year | Fix Health Care Policy writes:

[...] the Senate Finance Committee passed the outline of a bill, The Vapor Bill, out of committee on a party line vote with the lone crossover Republican support of Sen. Olympia [...]

October 20, 2009 Congress Secret Plan to Pass Obamacare Health Care Reform | Fix Health Care Policy writes:

[...] bill will be released later today and a high score may further stall progress on the Committee’s Vapor Bill. Senate Finance Committee’s progress on passing something out of committee – [...]

October 24, 2009 The Health “Vapor” bill – Smoke and Mirrors | Conservative America Now writes:

[...] ARTICLE TO THE VAPOR BILL IS HERE var addthis_pub = ‘brien1969′; var addthis_language = ‘en’;var addthis_options = ‘email, favorites, digg, delicious, myspace, google, facebook, reddit, live, more’; AKPC_IDS += “87,”;Popularity: unranked [?] [...]

October 31, 2009 Big Government » Blog Archive » Senator Harry Reid’s Vapor Bill writes:

[...] days after Senator Reid said he sent the bill to the CBO.  Where is the bill?  Is this another Vapor Bill?  Why are the American people prevented from reading the [...]

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