Liberals are up in arms because Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) is blocking a bill that would extend unemployment benefits, extend health insurance subsidies (COBRA), extend highway funding, increase Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians (Doc Fix), extend a temporary “flood insurance” program and continue aid for small business programs. The bill, H.R. 4691, was introduced and passed the House on February 25th by a voice vote. When the bill came up in the Senate, Sen. Bunning objected and requested a vote to offset the estimated $10 billion cost of this bill …
On Thursday, October 1, the Senate Finance Committee heard the last of amendments to the America’s Healthy Choices Act of 2009. Senators continued to hammer out the details of health policy, even as they continued to openly contradict many of the President’s high profile promises on health reform, including his promise to refrain from imposing more taxes on America’s middle class. A State-Based Government Run Health Plan (Cantwell Amendment C15) Following the failure of the Rockefeller and Schumer amendments to creates a national government run health plan to compete against …
President Barack Obama’s push for a sweeping health care overhaul edged closer to a major victory in the Senate Finance Committee. Early next week, the Senate Finance Committee will vote on final passage on the “Vapor Bill” being debated and marked up in Committee. The term “Vapor Bill” is used to describe the legislation, because the Senate Finance Committee has been debating the outline of a bill and not actual bill text in Committee. Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) offered an amendment to allow a reading of the bill for 72 …
