The actual Senate Finance Committee bill on health care reform has emerged from the backdoor dealings in the senate. The bill, which can be read here, is a 1,502-page monster.
From Politico:
UPDATE 2: The Senate Finance Committee filed its sweeping health care reform bill Monday and its release served largely to highlight the divisions among Democrats over the direction of reform.
The massive, 1,500 page bill is expected to serve as the backbone for Democratic reform efforts going forward and five senators expressed concerns about one of its main provisions, a 40 percent tax on high-end insurance plans.
The tax is designed to pay for reform and lower costs by making the so-called Cadillac plans less attractive for insurers to offer. Under the bill, a plan that costs an individual more than $8,000 and a family more than $21,000 annually would be subject to the tax.
Keep in mind that all the talk about the Baucus bill you heard before was not the actual bill. Rather it was concepts that was scored by the CBO and concepts that were debated and voted on. Then they went behind closed doors to actually write this 1,502-page monster.
William Jacobson at Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion sums up what was done:
When everyone was talking about the Baucus Bill (the Senate Finance Committee proposal), there was no actual Baucus Bill (something Iquietly pointed out). Now there is a real Baucus Bill, and it is a whopping 1502 pages. (h/t The Note)
The actual Bill was released at the very moment it was being merged behind closed doors with the Senate HELP Committee Bill. So there is a Baucus Bill, but it doesn't matter because it already is being torn apart.
Now that's transparency for you. Debate and vote on a bill, which doesn't exist, then draft and release it when it doesn't matter anymore.
There is something fundamentally sick about this process.
Given the underhanded nation in which this stinking legislation has been produce, I think it is time for We The People to start contemplating ways to nullify any further legislation that comes from this. Perhaps it is time to repeal the 16th Amendment. After all why should we be forced to pay for something that was created in such an underhand fashion and is being foisted upon us? To say nothing of the fact that we all know no one in Congress will read the damn thing.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: Politico
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3 comments:
"To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce
the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes"
I see this on so many proposals....and it really bothers me! "and for other purposes"....like what? Population decrease and or control measures? Increased government control? Increased abortion access? Increase citizen dependence on government? WHAT? WHAT?
This should be illegal...."and for other purposes" ....I already don't like it in the descriptive opening statement.
P.S. If I were president...first thing I would do is pardon the entire population of the American people (legal citizens) from paying their property taxes and income taxes. Got that idea from hubby. Down with the 16th Amendment I say! ....rambled.
One bill at a time would slow this train wreck down.
Clifton, I'm even furious than you are because I believe Congress should actually write the legislation. Authorship requires ownership, sponsoring legislation is for dilettantes. At the very least, the bills should be footnoted so we would know who is writing them.
repeal of the 16th amendment, now there is an idea that is long past overdue. it hasn't served the purpose of its original intent in ages. there are a few other items that need to be looked at in the Constitution also that no longer can be applied as originally intended.
is there a need of a Constitutional convention by the states? definately and emphatically, yes.
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