Will olympia snowe produce results and save us from the feds and health giants? The finance committee passed it`s health bill today. Olympia snowe took the lead at stopping the health insurance corporation`s mandate. She stood strong and fought hard. It is nice to see a politician whose vote can not be bought by large corporations because it is already owned by the american people. With her actions and statements today, I am confident she has what it takes to get the job done. She already has momentum and the american people on her side. She is the first republican to prove they are fighting for results in the 2009 health bill. Many more to come when the bill hits the floor? The american people will be watching! I am in no way implying many other republicans are not working hard, they just have not yet produced results. The test will come when the bill moves to the floor. Senator pat roberts described the bill as moderate but did not vote for it. Is he waiting to make some changes and vote for the bill after it moves to the floor? Only time will tell...
LinksRepublicans tried to raise the amount of tax free money allowed in health saving accounts, unfortunately the amendment failed. Senator max baucus did not vote for the amendment, but basically said he was surprised at the low number of people utilizing this good program. I agree with what senator john ensign said a few days ago. Basically he said health saving accounts are great but were not properly implemented. The number of people utilizing these is low because health saving accounts are only half the battle. The other half is networks of doctors that specialize in health saving accounts and cash payers.
The process was started to limit executive pay. Allot of people will be celebrating. Some might oppose based on free market principles. I would be one of the people fighting hard to protect the free market. But free market rules can not apply here. The mandate creates publicly funded monopolies. The dreaded company that is too big to fail. Without free market competition, we will need many more regulations. I am sure allot of people will also be pushing their senate representatives to go much much further in limiting executive pay. However the health insurance corporation`s mandate will most likely fail, making all this meaningless.
Bipartisan progress was made on delaying the mandate until prices are more affordable. Promises were made to go further in the future. Bipartisan progress was also made on improving seniors and the chronically ill`s ability to save their independence, money and improve quality of care by receiving care at home.
Democratic senator ron wyden got railroaded in late session negotiations. Republican senator john ensign expressed support for the ideas behind the ron wyden amendment. Moments later john ensign appeared to have a victory for health saving accounts but it was stolen away at the last second in the 2am vote. Max baucus twice apologized as he ordered the amendments defeat.
Republicans continue the fight to empower patients. They want to continue to allow customers to have skin in the game. (Higher out of pocket costs but far lower premiums.) Promoting patients to choose more reasonable priced options while at the same time improving quality and outcomes. Democrats completely ignore the merits of the argument. They preached some BS about how they are trying to save us from insurance companies. I have never heard a person complain that their insurance company would not take more money. That is one choice we have now! I appreciate senate republican`s work but today`s amendment went in the wrong direction. Hard work is not worth anything, if you can not get results at the end of the day. Now is not the time to sit back. We need to continue the momentum. We were one vote short of a big victory for the people and states rights. The amendment a few days ago would have given states the right to oped out of the mandate.
Senator orrin hatch lead the fight to make the ban on federally funded abortions permanent. Current law has to be renewed on an annually basis. Democrats feeling pressure from their constituents would not shoot down the amendment. They did brush it off to the side for now, saying language in the bill needed to be simplified. Hopefully orrin hatch can form an alliance and get this amendment passed.
A majority of democrats spend half the day trying to convince the american people why we should put government in charge of health care. Republicans with support from more conservative democrats twice struck down the public option. Jim bunning lead a republican effort to add catastrophic coverage in the exchange, unfortunately it failed. I completely agree with what senator john ensign said about health savings accounts but why wait until bankruptcy to protect them? Bipartisan progress was made in improving access in rural america.
Democrats continue to hold the american people hostage. They refuse to enact policy changes we demand, unless we also line their pockets with cash. Listen to the american people and senate republicans! Pass the 50% of the bill that is a no brainer! Take the other 50% and throw it were it belongs, the trash!
Senator jim bunning of kentucky leads the fight to preserve the constitution. Democrats strike down a jim bunning amendment on a party line vote. The amendment would have given the american people the right to opt out of the federal mandate on health insurance.