Senate Passes Health Care Bill And Brings Nation Closer To Health Reform Law
Posted by Media Outrage on December 24th, 2009
President Barack Obama has to be smiling from ear to ear being that the Senate passed the health care bill which brings us one step closer to making it a law.
Via Yahoo:
WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama’s legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country’s history.
The 60-39 vote on a cold winter morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate. It also followed a succession of failures by past congresses to get to this point. Vice President Joe Biden presided as 58 Democrats and two independents voted “yes.” Republicans unanimously voted “no.”
The tally far exceeded the simple majority required for passage.
The Senate’s bill must still be merged with legislation passed by the House before Obama could sign a final bill in the new year. There are significant differences between the two measures but Democrats say they’ve come too far now to fail.
Both bills would extend health insurance to more than 30 million more Americans.
Vicki Kennedy, the widow of the late Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, who made health reform his life’s work, watched the vote from the gallery. So did Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the longest-serving House member and a champion of universal health care his entire career.
“This morning isn’t the end of the process, it’s merely the beginning. We’ll continue to build on this success to improve our health system even more,” Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said before the vote. “But that process cannot begin unless we start today … there may not be a next time.”
At a news conference a few moments later, Reid said the vote “brings us one step closer to making Ted Kennedy’s dream a reality.”
The Nevadan said that “every step of this long process has been an enormous undertaking.”
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Finance Committee, said he “very happy to see people getting health care they could not get.”
It was the Senate’s first Christmas Eve vote since 1895, when the matter at hand was a military affairs bill concerning employment of former Confederate officers, according to the Senate Historical Office.
The House passed its own measure in November. The White House and Congress have now come further toward the goal of a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s health care system than any of their predecessors.
The legislation would ban the insurance industry from denying benefits or charging higher premiums on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions. The Congressional Budget Office predicts the bill will reduce deficits by $130 billion over the next 10 years, an estimate that assumes lawmakers carry through on hundreds of billions of dollars in planned cuts to insurance companies and doctors, hospitals and others who treat Medicare patients.
For the first time, the government would require nearly every American to carry insurance, and subsidies would be provided to help low-income people to do so. Employers would be induced to cover their employees through a combination of tax credits and penalties. The legislation costs nearly $1 trillion over 10 years and is paid for by a combination of taxes, fees and cuts to Medicare.
Republicans were withering in their criticism of what they deemed a budget-busting government takeover. If the measure were worthwhile, contended Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., “they wouldn’t be rushing it through Congress on Christmas Eve.”
House Minority Leader John Boehner assailed the bill moments after passage.
“Not even Ebenezer Scrooge himself could devise a scheme as cruel and greedy as Democrats’ government takeover of health care,” the Ohio Republican said in a statement.
“Senator Reid’s health care bill increases premiums for families and small businesses, raises taxes during a recession, cuts seniors’ Medicare benefits, adds to our skyrocketing debt, and puts bureaucrats in charge of decisions that should be made by patients and doctors,” he said. “The bill also authorizes taxpayer-funded abortions, violating long-standing federal policy. It’s no coincidence that the more the American people learn about this monstrosity, the more they oppose it.
The occasion was moving for many who’d followed Kennedy, who died in August.
“He’s having a merry Christmas in Heaven,” Sen. Paul Kirk, D-Mass., appointed to fill Kennedy’s seat, told reporters after the tally.
Kirk said he was “humbled to be here with the honor of casting essentially his vote.”
Said Dingell: “This is for me, this is for my dad, this is for the country.”
Reid nailed the last votes down in a rush of dealmaking in the last week that is now coming under attack because of special provisions obtained by a number of senators. In Nebraska, home to conservative Democrat Ben Nelson, the Democrats’ crucial 60th vote, the federal government will pay 100 percent of the cost of a planned Medicaid expansion in perpetuity, the only state getting that deal.
Negotiations between the House and Senate to reconcile differences between the two bills are expected to begin as soon as next week. The House bill has stricter limits on abortion than the Senate, and unlike the House, the Senate measure omits a government-run insurance option, which liberals favored to apply pressure on private insurers but Democratic moderates opposed as an unwarranted federal intrusion. Obama has signaled he will sign a bill even if it lacks that provision.
Mediaoutrage- Why wouldn’t the wealthiest nation on Earth offer health care for all of its citizens?? We have billions for war but not for life? Doesn’t make sense.
December 24th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
I know that this is less than perfect, but there are far to many uninsured people in this country. (Something has to be done)
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December 24th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Finance Committee, said he “very happy to see people getting health care they could not get.”
This is being forced on people it is not a option, or so you think. American’s need to stand up and refuse to accept this slap in the face of all free people.
Yes master, we do it master, yes sir,master,
Will you now require all American’s to get yearly check ups?
Yes master, we do it master, yes sir,master. You know what’s best boss. yes sir master, you know what’s best.
It was the Senate’s first Christmas Eve vote since 1895, when the matter at hand was a military affairs bill concerning employment of former Confederate officers, according to the Senate Historical Office.
This was so they could continue to lie and hide parts of the bill from the American People. Their corruption knows no bounds now for they fell immune to the people they pretend to represent.
The House passed its own measure in November. The White House and Congress have now come further toward the goal of a comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s health care system than any of their predecessors.
They continue to force a free people into dictatorship.
The legislation would ban the insurance industry from denying benefits or charging higher premiums on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions. The Congressional Budget Office predicts the bill will reduce deficits by $130 billion over the next 10 years, an estimate that assumes lawmakers carry through on hundreds of billions of dollars in planned cuts to insurance companies and doctors, hospitals and others who treat Medicare patients.
Their predictions will be under by a trillion dollars so that all their business “partners” can rape the American people the way they have done for the past 9 years of with their weapons of mass destruction, one lie after another.
For the first time, the government would require nearly every American to carry insurance, and subsidies would be provided to help low-income people to do so.
Hail Ceaser, Ruler of the world. Who the hell are you to tell people how they can live their lives.
Employers would be induced to cover their employees through a combination of tax credits and penalties. The legislation costs nearly $1 trillion over 10 years and is paid for by a combination of taxes, fees and cuts to Medicare.
Just more lies from our crooked elected officials on all levels who don’t give a damn about the people.
All hail Obama ruler of the world.
Will we be required to go to church on Sundays soon.
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December 24th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
[...] Senate Passes Health Care Bill And Brings Nation Closer To Health … [...]
December 24th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
I think it’s about time.
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December 24th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I am hoping this bill will greatly benefit Americans who do not or cannot afford health insurance. I must confess I do not know too much about this bill regarding the advantages/disadvantages it will afford us, only what I have heard but I am going to take a “let see” attitude.
Sounding good on paper and how it will actually work in “real” life, when applied, usually does not come out the same.
Our government is not too keen on giving anything free unless there are a lot of “strings” attached to it. Time will tell.
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Yvonne Reply:
December 25th, 2009 at 1:40 am
To all the MO staff and the MO family, HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Stay safe y’all.
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December 25th, 2009 at 4:43 am
HMMMMMMMMM A LONG TIME COMING.
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December 27th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Obama, this better not fuck up my already good health care coverage.
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