House Votes to Pass Health Care Bill

[46&2]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/07/obama-tries-close-sale-health-care-overhaul/



BREAKING NEWS - The Democratic-controlled House has passed historic health care legislation to provide medical coverage to millions more Americans.

Most Americans would be required to carry insurance and large employers would be obliged to cover their employees.

Earlier, the bill passed a major hurdle as an amendment was approved that would further restrict federal money going to abortions.

The 240-194 vote was a blow to liberals who would let the Obama administration decide whether to cover abortions in a government-provided insurance plan. Sixty-four Democrats joined 176 Republicans in favor of the prohibition.

The House also voted to reject a Republican health overhaul bill.

The chamber voted 258-176 against a GOP version that would have lowered costs for people with insurance but done little or nothing to expand coverage to those without any.

The evening activity comes on the heels of a personal appeal Saturday from the president to "finish the job" and act on legislation that he has made his top domestic priority.  The president urged the House to "finish the job" in passing its version of a sweeping health care overhaul after he met privately with Democrats.

"This is our moment to live up to the trust that the American people has placed in us, even when it's hard -- especially when it's hard," he said from the Rose Garden of the White House. "This is our moment to deliver."

Moments after Obama's comments, the legislation cleared its first hurdle when Democrats approved a rule setting the terms of the debate.

But the battle lines have hardened as Democratic leaders predicted passage of the House bill and GOP leaders vowed to derail it.

"We will pass health care reform," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said after Obama's visit to Capitol Hill.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader John Boehner vowed to do everything he can to "stop this from becoming law."

"The American people do not want this," he said. "We're going to do everything we can to make sure this does not happen."

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor said Democrats are joining their side to vote against the bill.

"The bipartisanship is in opposing this bill," he said, explaining that there are at least 21 Democrats who are going to vote against it.

Obama tried to rally last-minute support for the bill, saying, "Now is the time to finish the job."

"The bill that the House has produced will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who don't; and lower costs for American families and American businesses," Obama said. "And as I've insisted from the beginning, it is a bill that is fully paid for and will actually reduce our long-term federal deficit."

Obama made his trip to the Capitol complex as abortion rights lawmakers voiced anger at a last-minute concession granted to foes of the procedure, who were given a vote on their proposal for stronger restrictions on abortion coverage.

"There is a risk" that some in the Pro-Choice Caucus would vote against the legislation if the stricter curbs are adopted, said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.

The bill would cost $1.2 trillion over the next decade. It would provide health coverage to tens of millions of Americans who don't have it now, require most employers to offer it to their workers and prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on a person's medical history.

"The status quo is unaffordable and unsustainable. Health care reform benefits all of us," said Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-Pa., as debate opened on the House floor.

The historic House vote, planned for late Saturday, was expected to be tight and Democratic leaders hoped Obama's late-morning visit would tip the balance in their favor.

In the opening moments of debate, Democrats hailed the legislation while Republicans said it would be a government takeover of the health care system that would damage the economy and erode the doctor-patient relationship.

Late Friday, House Democrats cleared an abortion-related impasse blocking a vote and officials expressed optimism they had finally lined up the support needed to pass Obama's signature issue.

"We expect it to come to a vote. We expect it to have 218 votes," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Saturday.

"It's not going to fund abortions," he added. "It's not going to fund illegal immigrants."

Under the arrangement, Democratic Reps. Bart Stupak of Michigan, Brad Ellsworth of Indiana and other abortion opponents were promised an opportunity to insert tougher restrictions into the legislation during debate on the House floor.

The leadership's hope is that no matter how that vote turns out, Democrats on both sides of the abortion divide will then unite to give the health care bill a majority over unanimous Republican opposition.

"We wish to maintain current law, which says no public funding for abortion," Stupak said. "We are not writing a new federal abortion policy."

Ellsworth added, "From day one, my goal has been to ensure federal tax dollars are not used to pay for abortions and to provide Americans with pro-life options on the exchange. And I am proud to be part of an effort to help make this goal a reality."

But the amendment drew criticism from Planned Parenthood.

"Planned Parenthood strongly opposes the Stupak/Pitts amendment which would result in women losing health benefits they have today," the group's president, Cecile Richards, said in a written statement.

"This amendment would violate the spirit of health care reform, which is meant to guarantee quality, affordable health care coverage for all, by creating a two-tiered system that would punish women, particularly those with low and modest incomes," she added.

"Women won't stand for legislation that takes away their current benefits and leaves them worse off after health care reform than they are today," she said.

With Democrats' command of the necessary votes looking tenuous in the final hours, Obama threw the weight of his administration behind the effort to round up support. He and top administration officials worked the phones to pressure wavering lawmakers.

Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., said he heard Friday from Obama, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Their message: "This is a historic moment. You don't want to end up with nothing," said Altmire, who remained undecided.

Democratic leaders hoped to hold the vote Saturday evening, but Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said it could slip.

Democrats hold 258 seats in the House and can afford 40 defections and still wind up with 218, a majority if all lawmakers vote. But all 177 Republicans were expected to vote "no," and Democratic leaders faced a series of complications trying to seal the needed votes for their complex and controversial legislation that would affect one-sixth of the economy and touch the lives of countless Americans.

In the GOP's weekly radio address, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Democrats should scrap their ambitious legislation and concentrate on modest health care changes that could find bipartisan support.

"The House Democrats' health care bill should be withdrawn and reworked," he said.

Tuesday's elections -- in which Democrats lost two governors' races -- sent a message that voters care about jobs, not growing the size of government, Barbour said.

The final hurdle for the Democrats was a controversy over federal funding for abortion, which simmered into Friday night with tensions running high as party leaders shuttled between meetings of anti-abortion and abortion rights lawmakers.

Federal law currently prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in the case of rape, incest of situations in which the life of the mother is in danger. That left unresolved whether individuals would be permitted to use their own funds to buy insurance coverage for the procedure in the federally backed insurance exchange envisioned under the legislation.

Democrats have little room for error, with the prospect of the 2010 midterms looming large and a some of their own moderates already declaring their opposition.

The 10-year, $1.2 trillion House bill would create a new federally supervised insurance marketplace where the uninsured could purchase coverage.

Consumers would have the option of picking a government-run plan, the most hotly contested item in the legislation.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and Trish Turner contributed to this report.

[kneedownnate]

Sweet 

[46&2]

Sweet 

Pray the Senate strikes it down...

[kneedownnate]

I would, but I just don't see it happening.  Sure hope they prove me wrong 

[Toymin8r]

Most of the plan doesn't start taking effect until 2013, right after the next presidential election.  Although the tax increases and cuts to medicare start immediately.  That way when its a disaster it won't hinder Obama's re-election.

It will be illegal for you to not have insurance.  you will pay fines of 2% of your income and can even be jailed for not having insurance.   

Employer are required to give employees health insurance or pay a fine of 8% of their payroll (This is huge and many small businesses will end up hiring people as subcontractors instead of employees. 

And last but not least.    Members of Congress are specifically exempt from this plan and will continue to get the 100% paid for plan they currently enjoy. 

[David]

Check out this crap. Pelosi the commie:

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PELOSI: Buy a $15,000 Policy or Go to Jail
JCT Confirms Failure to Comply with Democrats' Mandate Can Lead to 5 Years in Jail
Friday, November 06, 2009
Today, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail.  The JCT letter  makes clear that Americans who do not maintain "acceptable health insurance coverage" and who choose not to pay the bill's new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

In response to the JCT letter, Camp said:  "This is the ultimate example of the Democrats' command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail.  It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately."

Key excerpts from the JCT letter appear below:

"H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax." [page 1]

                                                         - - - - - - - - - -                                                   

"If the government determines that the taxpayer's unpaid tax liability results from willful behavior, the following penalties could apply..." [page 2]

                                                         - - - - - - - - - -   
                                               

"Criminal penalties

Prosecution is authorized under the Code for a variety of offenses.  Depending on the level of the noncompliance, the following penalties could apply to an individual:

• Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.

• Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years." [page 3]

When confronted with this same issue during its consideration of a similar individual mandate tax, the Senate Finance Committee worked on a bipartisan basis to include language in its bill that shielded Americans from civil and criminal penalties.  The Pelosi bill, however, contains no similar language protecting American citizens from civil and criminal tax penalties that could include a $250,000 fine and five years in jail.

"The Senate Finance Committee had the good sense to eliminate the extreme penalty of incarceration.  Speaker Pelosi's decision to leave in the jail time provision is a threat to every family who cannot afford the $15,000 premium her plan creates.  Fortunately, Republicans have an alternative that will lower health insurance costs without raising taxes or cutting Medicare," said Camp.

According to the Congressional Budget Office the lowest cost family non-group plan under the Speaker's bill would cost $15,000 in 2016.



 

[bigsky]

This bill will put ALL insurance companies out of business!  Why would a person buy insurance when they could wait until they get hurt or sick, and the insurance company would be forced to cover them?  This is a COMPLETE govt takeover disguised by leading the ignorant to believe they  will still have a choice. 

[kneedownnate]

I think you're right bigsky, just one step closer to total control.  I choose not to pay for health care because I rarely ever get sick or need to see a doctor, and when I do I pay out of pocket.  Being forced to pay for MORE services I don't benefit from is just asinine!

[germ]

You think health care is expensive now? Just wait until it's free....

[germ]

I would really be surprised if any of the legislators who voted "yes" actually read the bill. It has been changing so much over the last few weeks, that I can't imagine that they were able to keep up on all the changes that took place. I've been trying to keep a close eye on this, and I can't even keep it straight. all the legislators want to do is share "headline" news about what they think the bill will do. There are no real specifics available to us, and there is no real explanation of what this means.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I think that much of this legislation will end up in the courts, and it will change as case law and precedent start to develop. This is going to be hugely expensive however, because every time it goes to court, we (the tax payer) will end up footing all the legal fees as well.

I would bet that there will be several unanticipated consequences that will show up as we progress thru this, and we will eventually end up with totally socialized medicine. Insurance companies will eventually go out of buisness, and all health care providers will end up as "government employees". there will be significant rationing of health care, as there is no possible way for us to afford this as a nation, and we will still see our taxes/fees etc. raise. You can look at other nations that have socialized medicine, and see that it is insanely expensive, and will take up a huge percentage of our GNP. (it's very expensive now, but it's mostly done thru the private sector, and does not affect the GNP, except for medicare/medicaid).

I am totally willing, and hope that I am wrong. Matter of fact, there is not much more I could hope for. I would love to see this work really well, since I really don't have much choice anymore, and it will be forced upon us (kinda like rape?). Unfortunatly, I can't find an example of anything the government runs that works as well as a similar industry in the private sector. (Can't use Military, DMV etc, as there is no private sector equivalent).

I would really try to enjoy your current level of prosperity now, because I can forsee it declining. Sorry.

Hate to be such a pessimist, but that is the reality as I see it.

Erik

[AaronB]

so from 17% down to 5%? WTF good does that do! This drives me crazy, my work decided to jump ahead of the plan and is starting to rape me right now. I dont know how we are going to survive with the amount of medical bills my son has and will have in the future.