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Animal House!

November 8, 2009

Late Saturday night after a wild open debate, the US House of Representatives passed the Obamacare Health bill by the slim margin of 220-215! After months of acrimonious partisanship, Democrats closed ranks on a 220-215 vote that included 39 defections, mostly from the party’s conservative ranks. So, Nancy now has HER bill. Now what?

Who Wants Cheaper Auto Insurance?

The House legislation would for the first time require every individual to obtain insurance, and would require all but the smallest employers to provide coverage to their workers. It would vastly expand Medicaid and create a new marketplace where people could obtain federal subsidies to buy insurance from private companies or from a new government-run insurance plan.

Wasn’t America against a government run plan?

Though some people would receive no benefits — including about 6 million illegal immigrants, according to congressional estimates — the bill would virtually close the coverage gap for people who do not have access to health-care coverage through their jobs. But why discuss just what Nancy wanted, what will the Senate bill look like, or will there even be one?

This isn’t a done deal you know.

After a narrow win in the U.S. House of Representatives, President Barack Obama’s fight for a sweeping healthcare overhaul moves to the U.S. Senate where it faces a difficult path to approval. The Senate’s version of healthcare reform has been stalled as Democratic leader Harry Reid awaits cost estimates from congressional budget analysts and searches for an approach that can win the 60 votes needed to overcome Republican procedural hurdles.

Reid has made his toughest decision in merging the separate bills passed by the Finance and Health panels: He included a national government-run public insurance option, which was part of the Health bill but was not in the Finance measure. Reid also included a compromise that would allow states to decline to participate, or “opt out,” of the government-run program — an effort to appease moderates, most from conservative Republican-leaning states, who oppose a national public option.

Obviously if thee IS a Senate bill, it will be greatly different than the House.

Reid has little margin for error — Democrats control exactly 60 votes, the number needed to overcome procedural hurdles and pass a bill. Most of the dozen or so Democratic moderates in the Senate remain uncommitted or oppose the public option.

So, now the focus moves from animal house to the Senate chambers. :-)

Written by Ernie · Filed Under Daily Commentary 

Comments

One Response to “Animal House!”

  1. Jim on November 9th, 2009 10:54 am

    Animal house exactly! They should enjoy their power while they can. Massive political change in power is coming soon!

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