WASHINGTON – Union leaders, among the most passionate backers of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, pressed Democratic senators Thursday to drop a tax on high-value insurance plans to pay for remaking the nation's system.
Members of several labor unions denounced the proposed tax on so-called "Cadillac plans," arguing it wouldn't just hit CEOs but also middle-class Americans who did without salary increases to negotiate better health benefits.
"I support health care reform but I can't afford this tax," Valerie Castle Stanley, an AT&T call center worker and member of the Communications Workers of America, said at a news conference outside the Capitol. "For families like mine that are on a budget, the results will be devastating."
The Senate has been debating the health care bill since the beginning of last week but temporarily stopped Thursday afternoon to take up an unrelated spending bill. Debate on the health bill is expected to resume Monday.
SOURCE: Associated Press
Thursday, December 10, 2009
New Health Care Deal: They're on the run!
Faced with a massive center-right uprising, the Obama liberals have been forced to abandon a public option. But in doing so, they are throwing the Medicare program under the bus.
Already, we have been asking how you can treat a growing number of elderly with a Medicare program that this bill cuts by $500 billion dollars. Now, by adding tens of millions of people 55-64 to the program, it makes it even more financially untenable.
Nonetheless, a brief congratulations to all on having seemingly killed the public option. Without our efforts, it would be en route to becoming law. Now there will not be a government owned, government run and government subsidized insurance company that will put all others out of business.
But the current proposal Reid is loudly trumpeting is horribly flawed as well.
SOURCE: Dick Morris
Already, we have been asking how you can treat a growing number of elderly with a Medicare program that this bill cuts by $500 billion dollars. Now, by adding tens of millions of people 55-64 to the program, it makes it even more financially untenable.
Nonetheless, a brief congratulations to all on having seemingly killed the public option. Without our efforts, it would be en route to becoming law. Now there will not be a government owned, government run and government subsidized insurance company that will put all others out of business.
But the current proposal Reid is loudly trumpeting is horribly flawed as well.
SOURCE: Dick Morris
Health Care In Neutral
[...] "What's your best guess on how long the CBO takes with the new health deal?" I asked, wondering how long the delay would be while the Congressional Budget Office reviews a brand new deal worked out by ten Democratic Senators on health care.
"Four to five days," he said without stopping...
Later in the day that ... intelligence was confirmed, when Sen. Reid went to the Senate floor, and raised morale by saying that he was ready to give Senators the weekend off, while Democrats wait for the CBO review to be finished.
"Anyone who has had any experience with CBO knows that is going to take days, in the plural," Reid said, admitting that this debate is going to be on hold until those budget numbers come back.
"We've worked really hard here," Reid added. "I see no reason to punish everyone this weekend," as he recounted the story of a female Senator who said she really needed to get home to tend to family matters.
SOURCE: Jamie Dupree
"Four to five days," he said without stopping...
Later in the day that ... intelligence was confirmed, when Sen. Reid went to the Senate floor, and raised morale by saying that he was ready to give Senators the weekend off, while Democrats wait for the CBO review to be finished.
"Anyone who has had any experience with CBO knows that is going to take days, in the plural," Reid said, admitting that this debate is going to be on hold until those budget numbers come back.
"We've worked really hard here," Reid added. "I see no reason to punish everyone this weekend," as he recounted the story of a female Senator who said she really needed to get home to tend to family matters.
SOURCE: Jamie Dupree
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