November 20, 2009
What's Inside:
House passes health care bill
by By DAVID ESPO/Associated Press
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
WASHINGTON — In a victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed landmark health care legislation Saturday night to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous.
The 220-215 vote cleared the way for the Senate to begin debate on the issue that has come to overshadow all others in Congress.
A triumphant Speaker Nancy Pelosi likened the legislation to the passage of Social Security in 1935 and Medicare 30 years later.
“It provides coverage for 96 percent of Americans. It offers everyone, regardless of health or income, the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will have access to affordable health care when they need it,” said Rep. John Dingell, the 83-year-old Michigan lawmaker who has introduced national health insurance in every Congress since succeeding his father in 1955.
In the run-up to a final vote, conservatives from the two political parties joined forces to impose tough new restrictions on abortion coverage in insurance policies to be sold to many individuals and small groups. They prevailed on a roll call of 240-194.
Ironically, that only solidified support for the legislation, clearing the way for conservative Democrats to vote for it.
The legislation would require most Americans to carry insurance and provide federal subsidies to those who otherwise could not afford it. Large companies would have to offer coverage to their employees. Both consumers and companies would be slapped with penalties if they defied the government’s mandates.
Insurance industry practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions would be banned, and insurers would no longer be able to charge higher premiums on the basis of gender or medical history. In a further slap, the industry would lose its exemption from federal antitrust restrictions on price gouging, bid rigging and market allocation.
The measure would create a federally regulated marketplace where consumers could shop for coverage. In the bill’s most controversial provision, the government would sell insurance, although the Congressional Budget Office forecasts that premiums for it would be more expensive than for policies sold by private firms.
This story has 13 comments. Click here to join in on the discussion.
Story Tools
Hyperlink Legend
E-mail story
Print friendly version
iPod friendly version
Today's Top Headlines
Air traffic bungle latest woe for FAA
Western approves sports complex bid
Social networking touted for business
Federal numbers show local poverty on the rise
Man to serve at least 120 days for assault
JOB SEARCH
RECENTLY DISCUSSED
Coleman, Intel join forces
(41 comments)
Award offered on weapons theft
(18 comments)
City wants grant to battle smoking
(55 comments)
Winfrey to announce Friday show will end in 2011
(10 comments)
More Popular Discussions
(41 comments)
Award offered on weapons theft
(18 comments)
City wants grant to battle smoking
(55 comments)
Winfrey to announce Friday show will end in 2011
(10 comments)
Would the media please list/post all those that voted for the health bill and when the representative is scheduled to come up for re-election ? The voting public needs to know who passed this obscene legislation against the wishes of the majority of Americans. We know Pelosi and Obama (the empty suit of community organizing fame) should and will be voted out, but we as Americans should know who betrayed us in passing this crap.
P.S. I doubt if the media will post the information as they are in bed with Obama and his socialistic ideas.
Everyone of these rep(they don't represent me) needs to be advised they will be the next unemployed! I am going to let mine know as I know she voted for this.
All House of Representative members will be up for election in November, 2010.
One Republican, Cao of Louisiana voted for the bill. All other House Republicans voted against the bill.
Three Missouri Democrats voted for the bill. They are Clay (District 1), Carnahan (District 3) and Cleaver (District 5).
One Missouri Democrat, Skelton (District 4), voted against the bill. He was one of thirty-nine Democrats to cast a nay vote.
You can see how each House member voted and what their contributions from the health industry has been at this website:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/votes/house/healthcare/index.html
the poll for and against was 55% for passage and 45% against. the majority was for the health care to pass. most Americans wanted it and 45% didn't. i understand that isn't that far apart but it passed and you have a right to not vote for anyone in your party. you have one vote , use it .this is the American way. i for one know we needed a fix, it might not be the best fix available but you have to admit, the democrats tried to get the republicans involved . they were so against any change, I.E.insurance industry, that they had very little input. if it wasnt for the blue dogs, the abortion bill wouldn't have been put in there.i think they still need to do some work to get this illegal intruder bill added so no one that is not a legal American is allowed to purchase insurance from the health care coverage.that will ruffle my feathers as well.we already bend over too far for illegals, they need to leave our fine country the way they came in, swim the river. hopefully the senate will get this part straightened out for the American citizens.i am very sorry that a lot of you disagree with my thoughts, we might believe differently , we have that right , and no one has the right to force a change in that belief.
The House bill and vote for passage is so meaningless as to hardly deserve mention. The Senate version hasn't even been finalized and will probably not be brought to the floor for debate and a vote before Christmas, possibly not until after the start of the new year. We already know the public option in the House bill is not in the Senate bill and is opposed even by enough Senate Democrats to deny inclusion. The Senate version is financed by taxing premiere health employer-based health insurance policies; the House bill taxes high income individuals and families and employers who do not provide employee health plans. Both plans depend on cuts to Medicare benefits, cuts which are not likely to occur. The House bill cuts $500 billion from future Medicare/Medicaid benefits; the Senate version cuts $150 billion from Medicare Advantage plans.
After the Senate version is finalized, debated and passed there will have to be a House/Senate conference to iron out the differences in the bills. This is where ALL the dirty work will be accomplished and the final product may bear no resemblance to the legislation passed by either the House or Senate. Republican conferees will be locked out of the negotiations and the white House staff, working with just a few other key Democrats, will write the final health insurance bill to be voted on by both the House and Senate. Passage of that final legislation will be the first step in total control of our lives by the new National Socialist party formerly known as Democrats.
If you say a majority of americans are against this explain why the democrats have a majority and why obama won last november. We knew he was going to pass health care legislation which is why many voted for him because they knew it needed to be fixed. Republicans can be angry and bitter about it but hey we were angry for 8 years.
uh, joz 1983½, did you happen to catch the last line in the above AP/Obama article? It reads as follows:
"...the government would sell insurance, although the Congressional Budget Office forecasts that premiums for it would be more expensive than for policies sold by private firms."
What does "more expensive" mean? Why, it means it is going to cost more. And you thought it was going to be free, I'll bet. Well, the joke is on you. Unfortunately, it is also on all the rest of us.
Everything the government does costs MORE than the same work by private enerprise. Why? Because there is competition for both cost and quality.
Why would anyone in their right mind want to pay more for a product or service of lower quality? It just doesn't make sense, but that is Dems for you.
***Everything the government does costs MORE than the same work by private enerprise. Why? Because there is competition for both cost and quality.**
Really well said. In Alabama your option is Blue Cross...PERIOD, in Kansas it is 3 companies...you are not allowed to get coverage elsewhere. Now..who are they competing against again? And with costs for insurance going up..oh..200 percent in the last 10 years, I can clearly see how much the current system really works.I would like to see what would happen if all these folks were told AT&T was the only phone company you can have in Mo. and they can charge anything they want, and if you don't like it..do without a phone.
Health insurance has dictated our lives for way to many years. I have worked jobs I really didn't like, for a lower wage to just get the health insurance. I know everyone in St Joe makes 60,000.00 a year..but the ones that don't are spending the same as those that do. If your family is spending 30 percent of your income on Insurance while some fat cat at blue cross making 5 mil a year is telling you how bad a public option would be...and you are good with that..sorry..but your an idiot.
And anyone on Medicare, Medicaid, or the VA ranting about how a Government run option won't work looks more than a little absurd. Lets just cut all the free crap out. That 55 percent in favor number would jump to 90 percent.
I think all of these politicians need to take their baby bottles out of their mouths and do what is right for the american people on health care reform.For the ones who believe nothing needs to be done I think you are just wrong but that my opinion.
Some type of reform is needed but they all dems and republicans alike need to get over their problems and work together and move forward on this issues.
I've never been so sick of all of them from both parties they all need replaced.Throw all of the bumbs out and start over.I do not care who's in the White House nobody is ever going to be happy with the direction whoever is in there choses to go.I will not tie myself to either party but I do not remember this much complaining from the public when President Bush was in office and the policys or thing he wanted to get passed.
joz, I am sure that had Obama been completely honest with the American people about his very liberal agenda, he would not have won the Presidency. This is why he campaigned on "hope and change" - completely meaningless rhetoric. The man is incapable of being honest - mainly, because he knows that his agenda is against every principle this country was founded upon.
Yes I agree with mm1967 comment. But, what I don't agree with is the federal goverment doing it on the back of the senior citizen. If the goverment want to help they need to gather up all illegal's and send then back to their home country where ever it might be. If you want to come to our country do it right. get your paper work in order. come to the border walk though the crossing guards legally. I would welcome you with open arms. But no one get health care until you have a job and pay taxes like I have too. Now here is the big question. How is this getting paid for. Don't try to shove it down my throat that the rich will pay for it or the insurance companies. Because the rich don't even pay their fair share of the taxes. 80% of the taxes in this great country is paid by the middle working class of people. Folks we can not afford this. The United States is broke. Before we let them spent anymore of our money lets demand they get the budget under control. Get it back into the black.
I don't understand why alot of citizens are afraid of a government healthcare system. The cost of healthcare is rising 4x higher than wages and 2/3 of the American population is already getting goverment funded insurance. Examples include: 32 million government workers and contractors (not including dependents), 58 million are on Medicare, Medicaid, or other state health plans, 27.4 million in the military (active, reserves, & veterans and doesn't count active duty military dependents), and 3 million prisoners, Indians, and state high risk pools.
Now the REAL work begins. There will have to be amendments to get the new legislation to start sooner than 2012, for starts. There is nothing final, or even viable, in the House version at this juncture. The Senate will produce whatever they produce and then THAT bill will be parsed and altered and amended and, eventually, the public will get a chance to see how things are proposed to be. Then there will be a series of 'reality checks' and more legislation ostensibly to 'fine-tune' the Health Care Reform Act (or whatever they end up calling it. Hopefully there won't be as much 'pork' as most legislation has ended up carrying along. If I am not mistaken, the limiting of such 'pork' and the streamlining and transparancy issues are part and parcel to the CHANGES that were promised in Obama's campaign. Now we will finally get to see if he can make good on those promises. All the rest of what has happened in the meantime has little or nothing to do with the planks of the campaign platform, dispite all of the lame opinions offered by the GOP and many of the 'contributors' to this and other columns.....