Obamacare in the Senate: The Debate Starts Right Now
Posted November 30th, 2009 at 5:11pm in Health Care 
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The Senate commenced debate today on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) version of Obamacare and nobody knows if the bill will pass. Politico reports that there are four key Senators to this debate: Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT). The real debate will be in the Democrat Cloakroom where Leader Reid will attempt to garner the support of these four key Senators.
Reports indicate that there will be an amendment process that alternates between Republicans and Democrats. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) offered the first amendment to the ReidCare bill that “guarantees women access to life saving preventative services and screening.” Republicans will be offering an amendment later this evening. This process is expected to continue until Christmas time with a long and drawn out amendment and debate process.
One debate that flared today concerned a new report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) put together at the request of Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) that concluded premiums in the individuals market would be 10 to 13% higher in 2016 under ReidCare. Average premiums would increase by a staggering $2,100 for a family policy. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said about the CBO report, “at the beginning of the health care debate, we were told that this trillion-dollar experiment would lower premiums for American families. And yet just this morning, this very morning, the independent Congressional Budget Office provided an analysis showing that the Democrat bill will actually increase premiums for American families. So a bill that’s being sold as a way to reduce costs actually drives them up.”
Tags: Amendment, CBO Report, Harry Reid, Landrieu, Lieberman, Lincoln, Mikulski, Nelson, Obama Health Care Plan, Obamacare, ReidCare, Rising Premiums
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5 Responses to “Obamacare in the Senate: The Debate Starts Right Now”
Kristina, Illinois on November 30th, 2009 at 5:11pm said:
My premiums are high enough already, thank you very much. I don’t need government to make them higher.
Bobbie Jay on November 30th, 2009 at 5:11pm said:
End the debate. THE DEBATE IS OVER! KILL THE BILL!
Bobbie Jay on November 30th, 2009 at 5:11pm said:
Or should I say, KILL THE BILL… The debate is over!
Patricia Spotanski, Loveland CO 80538 on November 30th, 2009 at 5:11pm said:
STOP the Health Care bill. The Government only
breaks things — ie., medicare, social security,
US Post Office to name a few. The problem with Health Care is the Government has placed tooo many
regulations and mandates on the pharamacutal companies, doctors and insurance companies. Yes,
since 1948 you The Government has been screwing up. Get your hands off my Freedom. You were elected to represent the United States of America and us — We hard working Americans who pay your bills. After we are all out of a job and taxed to death — Where will you get your next pay check? It works both ways.
Pat Spotanski
Loveland CO 80538
Kenneth Normand, Fairborn, Ohio on November 30th, 2009 at 5:11pm said:
Unfortunately, most liberal Senators and Representatives today don’t know or can’t remember that health care was a useful and effective segment of the U.S. economy up to the mid 60’s. During this period health care was handled by the patients working with private non-profit hospitals run by catholic nuns, Shriners and other religious institutions. Health care costs were reasonable, and there were no third parties or government adding excessive overhead. I watched the advent of Medicare break the back of the New York State economy in 1965, and continue to watch the abuses of this idiotic entitlement prone practice break the back of the U.S. economy. If a too high of a percentage of the US population continues to stupidly believe that health care is a “right”( which it isn’t), then we will never have reasonable full access and effective health care available to our citizens. I strongly recommend that the Congress overlook their misguided political obligations, kill their current budget breaking bills, and institute a cooperative plan where patients, doctors and hospitals work together without help from parasitic government or insurance industries. Insurance companies shall restrict their participation to catastrophic conditions like they do with auto and homeowner policies.