. . . pass a health care reform proposal the American people have told Washington repeatedly they don't want?
As you know, the White House plan, portions of which
President Barack Obama signaled Wednesday, is for the U.S. House of Representatives to first pass the previously passed U.S. Senate bill (the infamous Christmas Eve version) without adding any House amendments. Then, the Senate will make any amendments desired by the House members (and Senate Republicans, including
Dr. Tom Coburn (R-Muskogee), will offer hundreds of amendments to slow down the legislative process). Finally,
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and his colleagues will supposedly pass the final health care bill by simple majority using the reconciliation process. The bill would then go to President Obama.
But, there are a lot of unresolved issues. What will House members, who will all face election in November, do? What will so-called more conservative Blue-Dog Democrats, like
Rep. Dan Boren (D-Muskogee) do as a group? Will they bow to pressure from the White House and
Speaker Nancy Peloski (D-Calif.) and vote for the bill? Boren says he won't "over my dead body," regardless of what pressures come his way. "They may break my arms, but they'll never get my vote," Boren said.
The President has told Congressional leaders he wants a Congressional vote by Easter, now just one month away.
The cost is surely well over $1 trillion, regardless of the President's statements to the contrary. The Heritage Foundation says it will cost $2.5 trillion. One thing we know: there's fraud about the numbers. At least $250 million dedicated to provide additional funds for doctors who serve Medicaid patients (the so-called "Doctor's fix") was not included in the health care reform bill, but rather in the so-called Jobs (AKA Stimulus) bill, which just passed the Senate. That allowed the Congressional Budget Office to score the President's bill at under a trillion dollars.
MSNBC's
Rachel Maddow has been floating the idea that there are 9 House members who voted against health care last time who are now willing to switch their votes and vote for it this time. But, many observers suggest it's all smoke and mirrors and an effort to persuade undecided House members to side with the President.
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), author of the pro-life Stupak Amendment, says he has 12 House Democrats who will vote against the Senate bill because it doesn't contain protections related to a continuing ban on federal funding of abortion as did the original House bill. That's good news!
It's going to be an interesting month. Now is NOT the time for opponents of socialized medicine to give up at all. We must all redouble our efforts! Americans shouldn't permit the round hole of the best health care system in the world to be forced into accommodating the square peg dreams of Progressive, utopian, big government, European-style socialists.
To read a conservative analysis of the President's health care reform proposal prepared by
The Heritage Foundation,
click here.
