As the Senate prepares to take on health care reform Saturday, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) says that he hopes to convince a few moderate Democrats to join the GOP in voting against the bill. (0:27)
Travis Martinez – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
Claiming that Democrats are pulling ‘gimmicks’ on the American public, Senate Republicans on Friday blasted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) health reform bill, which the Congressional Budget Office says will cost nearly $2.5 trillion after all the provisions have been enacted.
“In the words of the great Yogi Berra, ‘this is deja vu all over again’,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). “They [Democrats] assume savings on the [Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act], which Sen. Conrad has described as a ponzi scheme of the first order…something that Bernie Madoff would be proud of.”
The CLASS Act, S.697, sponsored by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), would amend the Public Health Service Act to create a national, voluntary disability insurance program under which all employees are automatically enrolled, but are allowed to waive enrollment. Establishing this new program is contingent upon Reid’s big bill passing.
Thune his Republican colleagues were flanked by massive charts displaying the nation’s current debt as well as potential debt increases that they argued would be caused by H.R. 3590, otherwise known as the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” With a major vote to determine whether or not the bill will proceed to the floor expected to take place Saturday night, GOP leaders are looking to convince a few moderate Democrats to join them.
“It would be our hope that our more moderate colleagues on the Democratic side would respect the wished of the constituents, rather than doing the bidding of Harry Reid,” said Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.). ”At the end of the day, this health care legislation will impact every American in extraordinary ways. We believe in a very negative way. We hope the views of the American people will be respected.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says Democrats are using tricky tactics to pass healthcare reform legislation that will cost less than $900 billion. (0:51)
Travis Martinez – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
As the Senate prepares for a Saturday vote on whether or not to bring its health care bill to the floor, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says he will be working feverishly to try to muster up 60 votes, including at least one from the other side of the aisle.
“It would be a real break if we get one Republican to join us and say yes, this is an issue worth debating,” said Durbin. “I’m not assuming a thing, we’re working hard to bring all 60 Democrat votes together to proceed with this historic debate.”
Durbin refused to divulge any information about the status of Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), a moderate who has remained quiet as to how she will vote on Saturday night.
“She’s told Senator Reid,” said Durbin.”You’ll have to ask Senator Reid.”
Travis Martinez – University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
During her weekly press conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) lauded abortion language in the Senate’s health care bill on Thursday.
The Senate bill, which was posted online Wednesday night, grants the secretary of Health and Human Services to decide if federal funds will be allocated for those who obtain insurance from the public plan. It would also require that private insurers split premiums from subsidies used to pay for abortion coverage.
“We have all agreed on all sides of this issue that we would maintain the status quo. There will be no federal funds for abortion,” said Pelosi. “I think the Stupak Amendment goes beyond maintaining the status quo. I’m pleased with the language in the Senate bill. I think it’s pretty clear that no federal funds will be spent on abortion,” she added.
The “Stupak Amendment” in the House bill would ban elective abortions for those covered by the public health insurance plan and would prohibit private insurers to offer abortion coverage to those who receive federal subsidies for health care premiums.
“I believe there is plenty of common ground to be found to do that [maintain status quo]… Conversations continue, and we will find common ground,” said Pelosi.
The Senate is expected to bring its bill to the floor for debate this Saturday.
By Ravi Bhatia- Talk Radio News Service
Christina Romer, Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said Thursday that a health care report conducted by the Business Roundtable shows that enacting health care reform could significantly slow the growth of health care costs.
“[The Roundtable's] number, which I find striking, is that the health legislation as it’s coming out of Congress could lower costs, relative to what they otherwise would have been, by as much as $3000 [per person] by 2019,” Romer said. “The reason the report is so powerful is because it shows where we are and how far we’ve come.”
“[The report] makes a point that [current] health care costs are out of control,” Romer added. “If you think about the trajectory that we’re on, it’s simply not sustainable.”
The Roundtable, which consists of chief executive officers from leading U.S. corporations, generally leans conservatively. While their report identifies the components of health care reform that could slow the growth rate of health care costs, it also mentions the proposals in the bill that could do the opposite, such as shifting costs to the private sector.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) says she was shocked over remarks made by U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) last week. Sessions compared pregnant women to cigarette smokers in arguing that they should pay higher health insurance premiums. (0:32)
Health Expert Trudy Lieberman says that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is estimating that only about six million Americans will be able to take advantage of the public option plan in the House health care bill. (0:29)
President Barack Obama praised the House of Representatives Sunday for passing the Affordable Health Care for America Act the previous night.
The president added that he was “absolutely confident” the Senate will pass similar legislation.
Obama also discussed a new election law recently passed by the Iraqi parliament that establishes national elections next year, a step that the president says will pave the way for the eventual withdrawal of U.S. forces. (4:55)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) credited President Barack Obama for his leadership in the health care reform debate, saying that the legislation would not have been possible had Obama not been elected. (0:16)
