House healthcare bill draft released

[Lynnie]

For dudes?

Something's just wrong with that....

Well, no matter how you look at it, negative ass is negative ass.

I read a quote on a blog that stated "Obama took 6 months to pick out a dog yet wants healthcare reform passed in 2 weeks"

I suppose the positive twist to this is that they took the time find a dog whose dander would not upset any allergies, therefore saving the US (taxpayer, whomever, etc.) from having to pay for this on the proposed healthcare plan that isn't going to cost us anything. Or, something like that~~~~~~~~

 

[Linda]

Well, no matter how you look at it, negative ass is negative ass.



I suppose the positive twist to this is that they took the time find a dog whose dander would not upset any allergies, therefore saving the US (taxpayer, whomever, etc.) from having to pay for this on the proposed healthcare plan that isn't going to cost us anything. Or, something like that~~~~~~~~

:funn:

 

[BeachSiO2]

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin has now stated that there will be no bill before the full Senate prior to the August recess. The House will likely delay their full vote also as it would leave some House Dems in a tough spot if the House leaders move a bill early with the recess in between the House and Senate votes.

EDIT: Pelosi has also now stated that the House can go home without the full vote.

 

[Linda]

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin has now stated that there will be no bill before the full Senate prior to the August recess. The House will likely delay their full vote also as it would leave some House Dems in a tough spot if the House leaders move a bill early with the recess in between the House and Senate votes.

EDIT: Pelosi has also now stated that the House can go home without the full vote.

I hope that my representative is ready for an ear full when he gets here
Groups are already mobilizing to attend every townhall he has to voice opposition to the House plan.

 

[Beach Runner]

I couldn't believe how uncomfortable and tentative Obama was last night. Never seen him like that -- felt sorry for him. Then he had the mental slip of giving a personal opinion regarding the Cambridge arrest.

Today he was backpeddling and said that he didn't expect health reform to pass before the recess. He just wanted the bills to get through the committee level before the recess. That's not what he said last week. See my earlier post with a direct quote taken from CNN.

Other than a few exceptions, police officers I've experienced get an apparent sick and twisted testosterone surge out of being in control of others and treat people with unnecessary brutality. I know many others in our town who have been treated this way by police, including the M.D. across the street and other white professionals. If the physician across the street and I (well-dressed with expensive cars, prestigious addresses, good friends with the superior court judge, etc. ) have been treated brutally by police for minor traffic infractions as if we had dead bodies and a hundred pounds of cocaine in our trunks, how would the police treat a less privileged person? It frankly scares me.

 

[BeachSiO2]

It appears that Waxman and others are considering bringing the Healthcare Bill to the floor to bypass negotiations in the Energy and Commerce Committee and it is ruffling some feathers...

From a Hill article..

House healthcare negotiations dissolved in acrimony on Friday, with Blue Dog Democrats saying they were ?lied? to by their Democratic leaders.

The seven Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee stormed out of a Friday meeting with their committee chairman, Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), saying Waxman had been negotiating in bad faith over a number of provisions Blue Dogs demanded be changed in the stalled healthcare bill.


?I?ve been lied to,? Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chairman Charlie Melancon (D-La.) said on Friday. ?We have not had legitimate negotiations.

?Mr. Waxman has decided to sever discussions with the Blue Dogs who are trying to make this bill work for America,? Melancon said.

Although those Blue Dogs were supposed to be headed back into another meeting of the Energy and Commerce Democrats, their anger was visible.

If the two sides cannot reach an agreement, the only hope for passage of the bill in the House will be to go straight to the floor, an option leaders shied away from endorsing but said was an option.

But the Blue Dogs issued dire warnings to leaders contemplating that approach.

"Waxman simply does not have votes in committee and process should not be bypassed to bring the bill straight to floor,? Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), the lead Blue Dog negotiator, said on Friday. ?We are trying to save this bill and trying to save this party.?

Melancon said there would be 40-45 ?solid no? votes from the 52-strong Blue Dogs, among other problems throughout the caucus.

?If they try to bring it to the floor, I think they?ll find out they have more problems than the Blue Dogs.?

A leadership aide said no decisions have been made on how to proceed.

 

[idlewind]

The entire exercise is insanity. We cannot afford another new program, we cannot even afford the current ones.

Health care reform should start with tort reform. The first step should be a cap on punitive awards and cap awards for actual damages at say, 125%of the actual dollar amount. This should cut malpractice insurance costs, but if not, a cap on premiums should be the next step.

Another benefit should be a reduction in unneccessary tests run by doctors to protect themelves from liability.

These are opening measures, next time I have 5 minutes to spare I will think of the next ones. Whatever, WE ARE BROKE, WE CANNOT FINANCE ANY NEW PROGRAMS.

 

[Linda]

It appears that Waxman and others are considering bringing the Healthcare Bill to the floor to bypass negotiations in the Energy and Commerce Committee and it is ruffling some feathers...
From a Hill article..

I hope they are arrogant enough and dumb enough to try it.

 

[Beach Runner]

It appears that Waxman and others are considering bringing the Healthcare Bill to the floor to bypass negotiations in the Energy and Commerce Committee and it is ruffling some feathers...

From a Hill article..

Melancon's wife was my roommate at Tulane. her.

 

[BeachSiO2]

Update from the Hill:

The Blue Dogs and House leaders have struck a deal to guarantee that the House will not vote on a healthcare bill before August, a leading Blue Dog said on Wednesday.

In exchange for putting off a floor vote until after Labor Day, the Energy and Commerce Committee may be allowed to continue its markup of the healthcare bill this week even if an agreement has not been reached between Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and seven Energy and Commerce Committee Blue Dogs over the content of the bill.