Senator Dorgan spoke this morning. He noted that his amendment is vital and needs a vote. It addressed the access to medications outside the USA borders. He clearly illustrated with the product Zocor the ways to insure anything coming across the border into the United States can be easily tracked for quality. That comment regarding the urgency to this Amendment cannot be overlooked. Also he noted his amendment would SAVE Americans millions of dollars as well as the USA government. These well thought out and well supported Amendments cannot be dismissed as minor issues and need to be given brevity and movement.
Senator Dorgan also talked about his frustration with the dismissal of an amendment in committee that continues to spend $18 million on a military project that transmits radio signals to Cuba. The radio transmissions are completed blocked by the Cuban government. His amendment stopped this program and the stupidity of it. This program is a prime example of what is inflating the USA National Debt. These were programs continued by Bush for the sake of some thing to call an economoy and jobs and spending, while achieving nothing. It illustrates clearly the worst of government spending and there should be high priority to rid the USA Budget and National Debt of this mess.
This brings into focus the current 'operative word' of the Republicans "Trillion." The Republicans are making a mistake in using the 'cost' of the Health Care Reform Bill an issue. This bill is within the dynamics of sustainable and affordable. It will not add to the National Debt while the Republican Pork Barrel Agenda of the years they were in Majority has inflated the National Debt with the intention of craving out some kind of economy, even if artifical, proposed to "Pay Go System," and attempted to 'fill up' the Debt Level to make any subsequent administration of Bush/Cheney unable to move off that mark by allowing on 'spending' room to any future initiatives.
Additionally, their 'hate-filled' agenda to defame President Obama by suggesting the administration is corrupt and lies chronically in regard to Health Care Reform is another mistake.
To begin with and as noted by Senator Dorgan, there was no Quorum today. The proceedings that occurred happened under poor procedural authority.
Additionally, any and all claims made this morning by the Republicans never addressed the one issue that is outstanding as contentious between the parties and that was the movement to amendments. Instead, the Republicans distracted the entire potential for progress to pretend they had a wedge issue in stating the taxes that start in 2010 would not be in force until 2014. That is blantant lie.
I know for a fact the changes that have to occur within the Department of Health and Human Services is extensive. I also know for a fact, because I read the House Bill, that the infrastructure to support the reform has to be in place and at least partically researched before the changes occur to be sure the people of this country are well supported so there won't be adverse circumstances when the laws take effect. Those changes cost money. So while the bill won't IN SOME INSTANCES go 'INTO SERVICE' until 2014, the spending on creating the infrastructure, conducting research, recruiting talent for education, educating the consumers of health care to changes that will be in force and then finally beginning the programs all begin as soon as the bill is passed. Those are real costs that will occur immediately and the legislation is generous in NOT taxing for those costs until 2010, which is fairly soon, HOWEVER, the House legislation was written many, many moons ago and passes significantly long ago compared to the progress at the Senate.
Kay Hutchinson made a buffoon of a statement. Her arguments were that this Health Care Reform Bill would destroy Small Businesses. She stated there were four select taxes that would prohibit small businesses from surviving the taxes they were about to be asked to pay and that the small business 'subsidy' would qualify nearly no small business at all. She went on and on and on, but, the biggest blunder was this.
She stated, "The small business owners I spoke to in Texas said if they were taxed upto $3000 per employee they would have to let them go to the Public Option."
Well, dog gone it, that is one of the reasons the Public Option was to exist in the first place. If expenses were more than a small business owner could afford or wanted to participate in, the employees would have the opportunity to have health care anyway, by choosing the Public Option. What Kay Hutchinson stated will add to the hardship of any margin small business. It isn't the Health Care Reform Bill that will hurt them, it is the elimination of The Public Option.
Senator Casey spoke today as well. He is from Pennsylvania and he is a Democrat. There are farmers in Pennsylvania as well. Senator Casey is emerging as the strongest proponent for children. He cited a case where a young boy died because of an infection in a tooth. The family could not afford the $800.00 to treat the tooth and the child died from the infection. Senator Casey needs to continue his focus and his amendment needs to get to the floor of the Senate soon.
McConnel started his day off by citing a poll whereby a majority of Americans are 'growing' to believe this health care bill is not a good idea. The poll didn't state that those Americans wanted it stopped, but, that it wasn't a good idea. They opposed it. He didn't mention how many oppose it because they want Single Payer though. He simply said the poll reported that a large majority of Americans oppose it.
Well, there is a significant movement within, at least the Democratic Party, to promote 'Single Payer Candidates' for office. So, I am curious as to how many that oppose it, don't really oppose Health Care Reform, but, simply want to oppose it to promote Single Payer. That said, it leads to the odd input from John Barrasso, the practicing MD that probably receives plenty of money from health care industry folks.
See, he and McConnel didn't have anything to say that was constructive about moving the bill forward to amendment debate, they simply kept reporting poll numbers and stating the American people don't want this. Well, this simply reflects more of the same obstructionism and the desire to 'kill the bill' and return to the election of 2008 for a more current update. That is 'Anti-Constitutionalism' and in my opinion is a form of treason.
That is introducing poll numbers that simply don't matter. The only poll numbers that matter are the ones that were cast in November 2008. The current poll numbers simply reflect the 'opportunity' of Right Wing Extremism Media success and I've already commented about that and how the FCC and possibly the Justice Department aren't reflecting on this matter correctly.
Dr. Barrasso had absolutely nothing to say about the 'state' of his patients, potential savings from this legislation and how the health of Americans will improve with everyone having options to affordable care or The State of Health of Children in this country. He simply played with papers of some kind while quoting poll numbers that state, the people of the USA oppose the legislation and the President as a reason to stop any and all movement to completion of this bill. I think the President needs to step out of the picture and the Senate leadership needs to ask other agencies of the government, including Ethics and Justice to look at the actions of Republicans, they are significant. I will complete my comments regarding the completely BASELESS arguments they are making.
Hutchinson, Thune and Barrasso are from rural states. So is Casey. So is Dorgan. Durbin is from Illinois, one of the most agriculturally productive states in the country. Hutchinson, Thune and Barrasso state this bill will severely hamper care in their states. Well, that might be so considering I haven't read the Senate bill, but, if that is the case it is ONLY because of the Senate bill as the House bill includes protections for every 'special interest' in every state, province and USA tribal areas.
I also strongly debate the view point of Hutchinson, Thune and Barrasso. The Obama Administration, mind you President Obama knows something about agricultural communities as he was Senator of Illinois. But, the administration currently in the Executive Branch has gone through great pains to include at the highest levels of Health and Human Services, especially where it relates to anticipated changes in this country, top world class people to organize rural development. This blog has noted, the high esteem of the people recruited by this administration with intense focus on the rural population of the USA. So for Hutchinson, Thune and Barrasso to say their communities are 'at risk' is a another blantant lie. That is not possible unless the Senate bill ties the hands of these folks to act in the best interest of agricultural/rural communities and their special needs.
Thune did nothing today but pound away at the propaganda in the media that the taxes to this bill start in 2010 and the bill don't go into effect until 2014. He stated that brings the cost of the bill to $2.5 trillion US. He offers no insight, but, only rhetoric while calling the President a conspirator against the people of the USA and a liar. He cites as evidence to that a recent statement by Speaker Pelosi to raise the debt ceiling. Well, he particiapated in annual debt ceiling raises for and there were raises to the debt ceiling of the USA for every year Bush/Cheney were in office including the years when Paulson was in the Treasury. That another thing, Goldman Sachs made sure they scalped the USA for all it could by taking not just TARP monies, but, their 'insurance allotment' from AIG after the USA gave AIG monies to do so. That is 'double dipping.' I don't care how anyone, including Geithner wants to see it. It is double dipping and it wrong. Morally and completely wrong.
But, Thune doesn't care about the Heath Care Reform Bill, he cares about politics. He mentions nothing about savings as Senator Dorgan does. He adds no amendment that will act to bring affordable and sustainably affordable options to the people of this country by adding amendments such as Senator Dorgan did or by adding amendments that Senator Casey continues to research in regard to children. Thune, Hutchinson and Barrasso are interested in politics, Obama Bashing, cronies and cutting monies that are needed for this reform. They are TOXIC assets to this country, practicing obstructionism that is unconsitutional.
The Senate Amendments have to go forward and the ones that save the people of this nation money need to never be cut in conference and any and all pork provisions have to go, including 'Fat Albert' or whatever the name of the baloon was that was sending broadcasts to Cuba that I guarantee you Cuba never asked for.
Htuchinson was complaining and "W"rongly stating the Health Care Reform Bill is cutting one half TRILLION US out of Medicare. She is wrong. She says in a separate and different context that Medicare Advantage will be effected. She is right about that, but, the way those two subjects are framed in her presentation they sound like to different issues that causes folks to believe there are drastic cuts to Medicare. She is a Drama Queen that plays histrionic propaganda to the public.
I feel bad for these Republicans as they are tied to Right Wing Media so stringently they can't even debate honestly anymore. But, the point in regard to Hutchinson's comments is that Medicare Advantage is being cut. The bill is taking $500 billion US away from Medicare Advantage. I already and repeated illustrated the corruption and dangers to Medicare Advantage and I am not going to revisit that. What I will say that is new is that regardless of the passage of the current legislation, Medicare Advantage needs to be cut completely and return that $500 billion to the USA Treasury. That will be a good start to funding our needed reform.
The Republicans should be completely ashamed of themselves and their lack of backbone to take back their constituencies from Right Wing Media Extremists. I will continue my comments about Senator Bennett that appeared on the Senate floor yesterday. The man is unbelievable dysfunctional in his priorities and not at all dedicated to the USA Constitution which is an oath to his office, but, I will do it in the next and last entry for today.
