From the SRCC:
SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D-OH): “In 2003 when the insurance companies and the drug companies and president bush pushed through the Medicare privatization bill. They were not paying for it in any way. We are paying for this bill. The congressional budget office says it will be over in the next 20 years it will be a $1.4 trillion paydown of the national debt. This is the Congressional Budget Office.” (CBS’ “Face The Nation,” 12/20/09)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “They [CBO] said last night, this new amendment means that the deficit in the second ten years will come down up to $1.3 trillion.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 12/20/09)
SEN. KENT CONRAD (D-ND): “Look, no legislation is perfect but this bill is a very significant advance to address health care reform. The fact is it reduces the deficit in the first ten years by $130 billion. In the second ten years by $1.3 trillion.” (Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday,” 12/20/09)
CBO CORRECTION: “CBO Has Discovered An Error” That “Reduces The Degree To Which The Legislation Would Lower Federal Deficits”
CBO: “The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Has Discovered An Error In The Cost Estimate Released On December 19, 2009, Related To The Longer-Term Effects On Direct Spending Of The Manager’s Amendment To The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Senate Amendment 2786 in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 3590 (as printed in the Congressional Record on November 19, 2009). Correcting that error has no impact on the estimated effects of the legislation during the 2010–2019 period. However, the correction reduces the degree to which the legislation would lower federal deficits in the decade after 2019.” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 12/20/09, P. 1)
UPDATE
More from the SRCC:
…As Republicans and the rest of the public have been reading through Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s 383-page manager’s amendment that was revealed only yesterday, more and more questionable things have been uncovered. Particularly troubling are the numerous special deals and carve-outs for states that populate the new language.
Of course, most have heard of the so-called Cornhusker Kickback, where the federal government will pay for all of Nebraska’s new Medicaid recipients, while other states will struggle with the $25 billion Medicaid expansion required of them. But that’s not all that Nebraska got. According to Politico, “In addition to the Medicaid carve out, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) negotiated an exemption from the insurance tax for non-profit insurers based in his state. The language was written in a way that only Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, as well as Blue Cross Blue Shield nonprofit plans in Nebraska and Michigan, would qualify, according to a Democratic Senate aide.”
But other states have gotten favorable treatment as well. The AP reports that Vermont will be getting $250 million in Medicaid assistance over the next 6 years. Earlier it was discovered that Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) negotiated a deal to grandfather Medicare Advantage enrollees in Florida while other states will face severe cuts in that program. As The Washington Post noted, “Reid already has established a dangerous precedent, by dangling $300 million in Medicaid funding for Louisiana to win [Sen. Mary] Landrieu’s support for bringing the bill to the Senate floor. Months earlier, Reid had carved out his own Medicaid exemption for Nevada.”
But that’s not all. As ABC News explains, “The health reform Christmas gifts for Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Ben Nelson of Nebraska are well known . But somewhere out there is another good little legislator who got funding for a hospital in their state. But which senator? Which hospital? It is a health care whodunit. Somewhere out there in the United States is a “Health Care Facility” “at a public research university in the United States that contains a State’s sole public academic medical and dental school.” We know this because in the bill Democrats released Saturday morning is a $100,000,000 check for that hospital (presumably there is only one).”
As Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell pointed out at a press conference today, this is precisely why the Senate should not be rushing through a bill that senators have had less than 40 hours to read in the middle of the night. This is not the right way to overhaul 1/6th of the U.S. economy. “If [Democrats] were proud of this bill,” Sen. McConnell said yesterday, “they would not be doing it this way, jamming it through the middle of the night on the last weekend before Christmas. And that really sums up what we have seen on full display here as they try to bob and weave and hide from the American people who have made it clear they do not support what they know about this bill.” Indeed, the bill cuts $470 billion from Medicare, raises taxes by $518 billion, and nearly doubles the Medicare payroll tax, will increase health care costs and is likely to increase premiums
See author page
CBO reduces its scoring, this is a bunch of horse apples. come now, this amendment will cost trillions of dollars. how much has the Obama administration bought the CBO Elmendorf off with – a holiday in Hawaii, a porsche, or is it a Tesla, a new swimming pool. what is it more pay for play, more bribes where is the congressional investigation. What about an immediate FOIA.
1. It is All Borrowed Money.
2. No Government Project EVER comes in At or Under Budget.
3. It is All Deficit Spending.
4. After the Bribes are Paid, the Deficit will be staggeringly Huge.
5. Then the Taxes will cripple the American Middle Class.
6. Wait until Team Pelosi gets Their Filthy Hands on it during reconciliation
for the Final Bill!
Old Trooper is correct of course.
Here is my question: If the GOP gets control of both chambers of Congress, what can they do to stop this law from being enacted?
Just curious.
How is giving away something for nothing going to reduce the deficit?
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/12/20/a-nebraska-doctors-message-for-ben-nelson/
Courtesy of the Above link:
Dr. Becky Hollibaugh of Friend, Nebraska e-mailed me her message for sellout Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) this morning:
Hello Michelle:
I’m a family practice doctor in Nebraska. I sent the following (angry,I admit) letter to Senator Nelson. I urge your readers (from Nebraska and elsewhere) to do likewise, in their own words!
Dear Senator Nelson:
I send this message under “Tort Reform” because the current monstrosity you have pledged your support to says nothing whatsoever about Tort Reform. You have sold the physicians of Nebraska for zilch (zilch for us, but beau-coup federal bucks for you and the liberal partisans in this state). As a family practice physician in Small Town, Nebraska, I was counting on you to be the lone voice of Democratic sanity on this issue, but you sold me out. I will dedicate every spare minute of my time and every spare dollar I have to defeating you, should you run for re-election. The long hours I spent on my medical education and the long hours I spend treating my patients are nothing but chump change to you and your Democrat colleagues in Washington. I especially can’t wait for your equivocation and milquetoast evasion when your “compromises” on the abortion language in the bill are silently erased or quietly (on-little-legislative-cat’s-feet) eviscerated in the House/Senate give-and-take. Go on: Bet me that you won’t wuss-out on this issue!
I know you won’t give two-seconds to this letter, but I had to write it. I’m a primary care doctor in YOUR state, and you sold me out. I didn’t slog through 4 years of college and 4 years of medical school and 3 years of residency just to have you hand my career and my patient/doctor relationships over to government lifers. Your gutless acquiescence to Obama and Harry Reid and ‘Nanny’ Pelosi will NOT be forgotten.
Thank you, Ben, for forcing doctors like me to earn less than the repairmen who fix our appliances. Case in point: We recently had our dishwasher fixed. The repairman who came to our house charged $65 just to come and ‘diagnose’ the problem, then charged another $180 to ‘fix’ the problem. You and your fellow lawmakers have fixed MY going rate (Medicare) at $35 per-visit. Thank you for securing such a ‘lucrative’ rate for me! Thank you so much for making me–someone with 8 years of education!–make less than a mechanic or appliance repair technician. And thanks especially for falling in line with Obama and the rest of the Democrats to make such a socialist system permanent.
You have my disgust and disdain forever, you socialist-coddling coward.
Sincerely,
Becky F. Hollibaugh, D.O.
Warren Memorial Hospital
Ziimmerman Clinic
Friend, NE 68359
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A Ben Nelson constituent with a bone to pick and legitimate points. Even the Nebraska Governor urged Nelson to oppose this bill. I wish Ben Happy Holidays when he arrives Home. Some folks will be happy to see him!
The Obamshitcare will number one create a two system. The one where everybody belongs too no matter what because the healthcare money is deducted from your paycheck as long as you have a job. You can visit the public hospitals in Europe and in Latin America(they suck)
If you want to have a better healthcare then you will go in the private sector an pay for a more expensive insurance coverage than before and with less choices. (doctors are currently taking a 30% cut in the biggests hospital in my county).You will have access to the private hospitals.
And then, Doctors will have to take more individuals to take care of at a discount?. The older will get less medical care compared to the younger ones who are contributing into the system. ECON 101: There is no such a thing as a free luch!
Number two, this Obamashitcare will dump old retirees to absorbe a new group of illegal inmigrants into the system. The funny thing is that when we say Illegals, we think of Mexicans. My friends, the new group of inmigrants that are coming are Africans and Muslims like our President and the Hispanics are going to be tossed under the Obama bus too.
When Obama decided to void an inmigration law that prohibited people with HIV to get visas to the USA? Which group was he thinking off? And when he said America is no longer a Christian nation…it was aimed at describing his future Islamination of America.
The Congress and the Senate members should be prosecuted for corruption. The American people have spoken and they are against this communist system of health care rationing.
To people that want free housing, education, health care, take a boat and go 90 miles south of Miami, Florida and enjoy it. The cost: your freedom!
URI, You know that the Supply Side of this alleged “Health Care” Bill is in the fine print and somewhere around page 1,897 in this proposed piece of “legislation”. Similar to the care that Native Americans get under the IHA. “Don’t get sick after April because they are Out of Funding!”
There is no money for expanding the Care Facilities to take on the additional Patient load either.
“Doing More With Less is a Flat Out Lie!” Paying More for Less is closer to the Truth.
Old Trooper, Reagan was right when he said that Conservatives always feel like it is the Fourth of July and the Democrats always feel like is April 15th!
The Democrats have to no longer worry about being the laughing stock party but the proud pathetic bunch of Communist lovers.
To all those a@@wholes who voted for Stalinism(aka Hope), enjoy the bolshevik medical rationing when getting sick!
Here’s the list of Tax Hikes the Bill will impose:
http://www.atr.org/news-comprehensive-list-tax-hikes-inbr-a4345#
Our biggest hope is Old Troopers comment #6 above….. That “Pee-lousy” & Co. get it and in usual house fashion pack it so full of pork n payoffs that the Senate will have no choice but to “rewrite” most of it…. then back to Pelosi …then back the Senate…. maybe somewhere in the course of this the nitwits will hear from THEIR bosses, the VOTERS back home, and will think more of “‘RE-ELECTION” than Pelosi’s threats….. Hey California!!! You want us to keep bailing you dumb a$$es out??? PROMISE us that the Wicked Witch of the West Pelosi is GONE next election cycle!!! Maybe THAT’S the way… we’ll Bribe California… Just like the DEMOCRATS buy votes!! Boot Pelosi, or when the Right gets back in, you’re goners~~~~
@KingShamus –
You asked the question: “If the GOP gets control of both chambers of Congress, what can they do to stop this law from being enacted?”
The answer is a one-time opportunity to repeal in 2017. Please refer to a portion of the manager’s amendment found here: http://bit.ly/5Pxgeh
If the provisions are not repealed, Obamacare is here to stay.
It also addresses that medical rationing would substantially increase.
Is that even “Constitutional”??? Even the Constitution has methods to Amend it etc. Can they legally pass an (almost) “eternal law”???? Is THIS why they are willing to fall on their swords for Reid and Pelosi??? “Die” for the glory of the Reich (left)?? Jesus….
@Hankster58
Precisely.
It certainly sounds to be unconstitutional on its face, and one does not need to be an attorney to have that impression. Many of the landmark civil rights laws need reauthorizations. Even Social Security and Medicare needs to be reauthorized every so often. (I think the reauthorizations are done on a 25-year cycle.)
Also, since Obamacare requires substantial changes in Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and tax law, those changes are suppose to be dealt with individually. Whether it will happen that way is anyone’s guess.
Old Trooper
Thanks for sharing that letter. May everyone that this Obummercare tears a new one for have the guts to write such a letter.