We don't have to wait until we have a Republican in the White House to rid this nation of the shackles of Obamacare. We can do it next year if we win simple majorities in one or both houses of Congress.
The Obama health care bill was an authorization measure which established a program and set down its parameters. But authorization bills are not appropriations. Each year the Congress must act on appropriations for each department and agency in the government. If no funds are appropriated, nothing can be spent.
So if Republicans take the House (where appropriations have to originate) - and especially if they also take the Senate - they will have the capacity to zero fund Obamacare, appropriating not a dime for it in their spending bills. Indeed, they can and should include a specific amendment to their appropriations bills banning the expenditure of any of the funds on Obama's health care program...
SOURCE: Dick Morris
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Obama signs law finalizing health care, loan redo
Finalizing two major pieces of his agenda, President Barack Obama on Tuesday sealed his health care overhaul and made the government the primary lender to students by cutting banks out of the process.
Both domestic priorities came in one bill, pushed through by Democrats in the House and Senate and signed into law by a beaming president.
The new law makes a series of changes to the massive health insurance reform bill that he signed into law with even greater fanfare last week. Those fixes included removing some specials deals that had angered the public and providing more money for poorer and middle-income individuals and families to help them buy health insurance.
But during an appearance at a community college in suburban Virginia, he emphasized the overshadowed part of the bill: education.
In this final piece of health reform, Democrats added in a restructuring of the way the government handles loans affecting millions of students.
The law strips banks of their role as middlemen in federal student loans and puts the government in charge. The president said that change would save more than $60 billion over the next 10 years, which in turn would be used to boost Pell Grants for students and reinvest in community colleges.
SOURCE: Associated Press > Yahoo News
Both domestic priorities came in one bill, pushed through by Democrats in the House and Senate and signed into law by a beaming president.
The new law makes a series of changes to the massive health insurance reform bill that he signed into law with even greater fanfare last week. Those fixes included removing some specials deals that had angered the public and providing more money for poorer and middle-income individuals and families to help them buy health insurance.
But during an appearance at a community college in suburban Virginia, he emphasized the overshadowed part of the bill: education.
In this final piece of health reform, Democrats added in a restructuring of the way the government handles loans affecting millions of students.
The law strips banks of their role as middlemen in federal student loans and puts the government in charge. The president said that change would save more than $60 billion over the next 10 years, which in turn would be used to boost Pell Grants for students and reinvest in community colleges.
SOURCE: Associated Press > Yahoo News
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Obama Signs Health Care Bill Today as GOP Challenges Constitutionality
President Obama signed the historic health care bill into law today, but Republicans are still fighting back with promises of lawsuits and heated rhetoric, including a shot from one GOP governor who blasted what he called Obama's "nanny nation approach" to government.
Republicans across the country are specifically challenging the mandate in the health care bill that requires every individual to have health insurance, charging that it is unconstitutional.
The individual mandate is an "unprecedented overreach by the federal government forcing individual citizens to buy a good or a service for no other reason then they happen to be alive or a person," Republican governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty said today on "Good Morning America."
Pawlenty said he sent a letter to Minnesota's Democratic attorney general arguing against the constitutionality of the mandate.
"They've taken it to this big, federalized, bureaucratic, government-run, kind of nanny nation approach," Pawlenty said. "I don't think defending the Constitution and individual's rights under the Constitution, and the relationship between states and the federal government under the Constitution is a frivolous matter."
SOURCE: ABC News
Republicans across the country are specifically challenging the mandate in the health care bill that requires every individual to have health insurance, charging that it is unconstitutional.
The individual mandate is an "unprecedented overreach by the federal government forcing individual citizens to buy a good or a service for no other reason then they happen to be alive or a person," Republican governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty said today on "Good Morning America."
Pawlenty said he sent a letter to Minnesota's Democratic attorney general arguing against the constitutionality of the mandate.
"They've taken it to this big, federalized, bureaucratic, government-run, kind of nanny nation approach," Pawlenty said. "I don't think defending the Constitution and individual's rights under the Constitution, and the relationship between states and the federal government under the Constitution is a frivolous matter."
SOURCE: ABC News
Monday, March 22, 2010
Obama to sign health-care bill into law Tuesday
President Obama will sign landmark health-care legislation into law Tuesday at the White House without waiting for the Senate to deal with a package of revisions that was also approved by the House late Sunday, administration officials said.
Officials unveiled the plan to use a White House signing ceremony to showcase the benefits of the health-care overhaul after a divided House passed the Senate-approved bill and the separate revisions, known as a reconciliation bill, in a marathon Sunday session that culminated more than a year of political recriminations over Obama's signature domestic initiative. By a 219-212 vote, the House approved the Senate bill, handing Democrats a historic victory in a long-running battle to reform the nation's $2.5 trillion health-care system. The vote for the reconciliation bill was 220-211. No Republican voted for either measure.
The Senate will begin work on the House-passed revisions as soon as Obama signs the broader legislation, said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). The debate will be limited to 20 hours and likely will end early Thursday, Manley said. Then begins a series of votes on amendments, a process with no time limit but that allows for just one minute between votes.
SOURCE: Washington Post
Officials unveiled the plan to use a White House signing ceremony to showcase the benefits of the health-care overhaul after a divided House passed the Senate-approved bill and the separate revisions, known as a reconciliation bill, in a marathon Sunday session that culminated more than a year of political recriminations over Obama's signature domestic initiative. By a 219-212 vote, the House approved the Senate bill, handing Democrats a historic victory in a long-running battle to reform the nation's $2.5 trillion health-care system. The vote for the reconciliation bill was 220-211. No Republican voted for either measure.
The Senate will begin work on the House-passed revisions as soon as Obama signs the broader legislation, said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). The debate will be limited to 20 hours and likely will end early Thursday, Manley said. Then begins a series of votes on amendments, a process with no time limit but that allows for just one minute between votes.
SOURCE: Washington Post
Health Care Bill Passed the House, But Battles Ahead in Senate, Court
Democrats in the House pulled off a narrow but significant victory Sunday night, passing the Senate's comprehensive health care bill, as well as a reconciliation "fix it" bill. But the legislative, political and legal battles over the bill aren't over.
The Senate bill is primed to become law once President Obama signs it, but the Senate must still pass the reconciliation bill that will alter the main bill in order for Democrats' work on health care to be over. Among other things, the bill would strip the Senate bill of politically-toxic provisions like the so-called "Cornhusker Kickback."
Republicans, however, plan to obstruct the process every way they know how, from offering hundreds of amendments to challenging whether elements of the bill are allowed under the rules of the special process of reconciliation. For anyone who may have expected Republicans to give up their opposition after last night's vote, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, made it clear yesterday passing the reconciliation bill would be a battle...
SOURCE: CBS News
The Senate bill is primed to become law once President Obama signs it, but the Senate must still pass the reconciliation bill that will alter the main bill in order for Democrats' work on health care to be over. Among other things, the bill would strip the Senate bill of politically-toxic provisions like the so-called "Cornhusker Kickback."
Republicans, however, plan to obstruct the process every way they know how, from offering hundreds of amendments to challenging whether elements of the bill are allowed under the rules of the special process of reconciliation. For anyone who may have expected Republicans to give up their opposition after last night's vote, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, made it clear yesterday passing the reconciliation bill would be a battle...
SOURCE: CBS News
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Stupak Gang Caves
BREAKING: House Democrats have picked up critical health reform “yes” votes from a group of anti-abortion lawmakers, including Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, according to senior Democratic aides. Democrats believe a breakthrough with Stupak's group - based on the promise of an executive order to be issued by President Barack Obama reinforcing a ban on federal funding for abortion - will help give them the 216-vote majority needed to pass reform on Sunday. (1:05 p.m.)
SOURCE: Politico44
***UPDATE***
Stuart Varney reports on Fox Business Channel that Stupak is still a NO vote.
***UPDATE***
Stupak holds press conference: "We have an agreement."
SOURCE: Politico44
***UPDATE***
Stuart Varney reports on Fox Business Channel that Stupak is still a NO vote.
***UPDATE***
Stupak holds press conference: "We have an agreement."
Kaptur to vote for health-care reform
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), a key holdout on health care because of her concern over abortion language in the Democratic proposal, announced on a Toledo television station this morning that she would vote for the legislation.
The conversion represents a major coup for President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, suggesting Democratic leaders may be on the verge of converting a crucial bloc of holdouts -- Catholic lawmakers who oppose abortion rights -- as they scour the Democratic caucus for the 216 votes needed for passage.
Pelosi and Obama's White House team have held frantic, last-minute talks with Kaptur and about a half-dozen other Democrats who believe the Senate bill, expected to come before the House this evening, could allow people who receive federal subsidies for health insurance to purchase policies that cover abortion procedures.
But Kaptur said she is now confident that the administration would take the necessary steps to preserve the current ban on federal funding of abortion.
"We received assurances last night that we would work with the administration and Secretary Sebelius and the president to ensure that existing law is maintained," Kaptur told WTVG in an interview. "Not to change it in any way, but to make sure it applies to this bill."
Kaptur said she also considered the broader problem of rising health-care premiums in deciding to support the bill. "The bill overall addresses a serious problem before the country today," Kaptur said.
SOURCE: Washington Post
The conversion represents a major coup for President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, suggesting Democratic leaders may be on the verge of converting a crucial bloc of holdouts -- Catholic lawmakers who oppose abortion rights -- as they scour the Democratic caucus for the 216 votes needed for passage.
Pelosi and Obama's White House team have held frantic, last-minute talks with Kaptur and about a half-dozen other Democrats who believe the Senate bill, expected to come before the House this evening, could allow people who receive federal subsidies for health insurance to purchase policies that cover abortion procedures.
But Kaptur said she is now confident that the administration would take the necessary steps to preserve the current ban on federal funding of abortion.
"We received assurances last night that we would work with the administration and Secretary Sebelius and the president to ensure that existing law is maintained," Kaptur told WTVG in an interview. "Not to change it in any way, but to make sure it applies to this bill."
Kaptur said she also considered the broader problem of rising health-care premiums in deciding to support the bill. "The bill overall addresses a serious problem before the country today," Kaptur said.
SOURCE: Washington Post
Health Care Schedule for Today
This is it. The Super Bowl of health care. Democrats will try to force through their health care overhaul plan.
Via Dan Foster at NRO, here's how it'll go down:
Not that this is set in stone; rumor is that the more off-schedule the Dems get, the more hesitant that they are that they have the votes. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. As we've seen, they're desperate, and ready to do anything and everything to get the necessary votes needed on board.
This is make or break. If you haven't called or e-mailed vulnerable Representatives yet, this is your day to do so. If you must, threaten to contribute to a vulnerable Congressman's electoral opponent. Money talks like nothing else.
SOURCE: Town Hall
Via Dan Foster at NRO, here's how it'll go down:
- 2 p.m.: The House will debate for one hour the rules of debate for the reconciliation bill and the Senate bill.
- 3 p.m.: The House will vote to end debate and vote on the rules of the debate.
- 3:15 p.m.: The House will debate the reconciliation package for two hours.
- 5:15 p.m.: The House will vote on the reconciliation package.
- 5:30 p.m.: The House will debate for 15 minutes on a Republican substitute and then vote on the substitute.
- 6 p.m.: The House will vote on the final reconciliation package.
- 6:15 p.m.: If the reconciliation bill passes, the House will immediately vote on the Senate bill, without debate.
Not that this is set in stone; rumor is that the more off-schedule the Dems get, the more hesitant that they are that they have the votes. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. As we've seen, they're desperate, and ready to do anything and everything to get the necessary votes needed on board.
This is make or break. If you haven't called or e-mailed vulnerable Representatives yet, this is your day to do so. If you must, threaten to contribute to a vulnerable Congressman's electoral opponent. Money talks like nothing else.
SOURCE: Town Hall
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