Senate approves health care reform bill

[rebeccajo 14]

Washington (CNN) -- The Senate passed a $871 billion health care reform bill Thursday morning, handing President Obama a Christmas Eve victory on his top domestic priority.

The bill passed in a 60-39 party line vote after months of heated partisan debate. Every member of the Democratic caucus backed the measure; every Republican opposed it.

Should it become law, the measure would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago. It is expected to extend insurance coverage to 30 million additional Americans.

The bill now must be merged with a $1 trillion plan approved by the House of Representatives in November. Democrats hope to have a bill ready for Obama's signature before the president's State of the Union address early next year.

Senate Republicans failed to stop the bill despite utilizing almost every weapon in their legislative arsenal. GOP leaders have repeatedly warned the measure will raise taxes while doing little to slow spiraling health costs.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/24/hea...care/index.html

US senators have passed the final Senate version of a historic healthcare reform bill.

The bill aims to cover 31m uninsured Americans and could lead to the biggest change in US healthcare in decades.

The bill's passage is a major boost to President Barack Obama, who has made reform a priority. He rejects claims that compromise has left it weakened.

However, it must still be reconciled with more expansive legislation passed by the House of Representatives.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8429345.stm

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Wow!

There are going to be some people frothing at the mouth over this, saying it's going to ruin the country etc....but regardless of the future consequences (for good or ill), this is one historic day.

I'm cautiously optimistic that this will be a positive thing. I'm not a partisan person, but even if this plan isn't perfect, it's better than NO plan.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Wow!

There are going to be some people frothing at the mouth over this, saying it's going to ruin the country etc....but regardless of the future consequences (for good or ill), this is one historic day.

I'm cautiously optimistic that this will be a positive thing. I'm not a partisan person, but even if this plan isn't perfect, it's better than NO plan.

I think "cautionsly optimistic" is the best way to describe this. I really didn't like the direction the bill went from the onset. I am in favor of a single payer system and was thoroughly disgusted to see how the insurance and pharma lobbies were able to get the public option cut from consideration. I support single payer system despite the fact that it would significantly decrease my quality of care. I have one of those insurance packages that AJ would qualify as a "Cadillac Insurance".

[nyhazmat 2]

Address tort reform and get rid of the bribes and I may consider it a compromise. Bribery has no business in government and the three senators should be prosecuted. If you or I accepted anything that was going to extend our job (read get re-elected) and extend our income we are profitting from it. That is a bribe in every sence of the definition. Bribery is illegal in this country, or at least used to be.

[JimandChristy 1,689]

Address tort reform and get rid of the bribes and I may consider it a compromise. Bribery has no business in government and the three senators should be prosecuted. If you or I accepted anything that was going to extend our job (read get re-elected) and extend our income we are profitting from it. That is a bribe in every sence of the definition. Bribery is illegal in this country, or at least used to be.

Another word for it is called "Lobbying" and I agree it should be made completely illegal on Capitol Hill. How many bills have been passed or rejected purely because of money. The politicians answer to their constituents not the corporations that's what they are elected for. The more I've watched this Health Care debate the more I've seen politicians in bed with the Health Insurance Industry, really disgusting.

[zqt3344 21]

One has to sit and ask just how will this help me and my friends or family? Well it does not help any one and will not, it only should be called the Insurance Profitability Act of 2009. This was a joke. The Democrats and Ovomit think they are doing some historical thing here, yeah right, get real. They are all going to be out of a job by 2010 and 2012. It was a total failure, there was no public option or government run choice, that is the only way any of us was going to be helped and have a fighting chance for good cost effective health care let alone free healthcare, which if we had gotten free health care or public provided health care to all of us at no charge, then this could be called a success.

Right now it is a total pork fest joke of a bill that has only made it worse on all of us and given us nothing that we did not already have. This bill is a failure.

Washington (CNN) -- The Senate passed a $871 billion health care reform bill Thursday morning, handing President Obama a Christmas Eve victory on his top domestic priority.

The bill passed in a 60-39 party line vote after months of heated partisan debate. Every member of the Democratic caucus backed the measure; every Republican opposed it.

Should it become law, the measure would constitute the biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid more than four decades ago. It is expected to extend insurance coverage to 30 million additional Americans.

The bill now must be merged with a $1 trillion plan approved by the House of Representatives in November. Democrats hope to have a bill ready for Obama's signature before the president's State of the Union address early next year.

Senate Republicans failed to stop the bill despite utilizing almost every weapon in their legislative arsenal. GOP leaders have repeatedly warned the measure will raise taxes while doing little to slow spiraling health costs.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/24/hea...care/index.html

US senators have passed the final Senate version of a historic healthcare reform bill.

The bill aims to cover 31m uninsured Americans and could lead to the biggest change in US healthcare in decades.

The bill's passage is a major boost to President Barack Obama, who has made reform a priority. He rejects claims that compromise has left it weakened.

However, it must still be reconciled with more expansive legislation passed by the House of Representatives.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8429345.stm

[Jenn! 918]

I just hope we don't have to talk about this over Christmas dinner. I have some family members that are somewhat obsessed.

[nyhazmat 2]

There is only one way to fix it......and only 29% did it last time.....

I just hope we don't have to talk about this over Christmas dinner. I have some family members that are somewhat obsessed.

With what there future or their childrens future?

[Jenn! 918]

With what there future or their childrens future?

Glad you're not invited to dinner, lol.

[scandal 951]

Another word for it is called "Lobbying" and I agree it should be made completely illegal on Capitol Hill. How many bills have been passed or rejected purely because of money. The politicians answer to their constituents not the corporations that's what they are elected for. The more I've watched this Health Care debate the more I've seen politicians in bed with the Health Insurance Industry, really disgusting.

Lobbying is and has always been a cherished part of our democratic tradition. It's protected speech under the First Amendment, as well it should be. Constituents should always be able to lobby their government in a representative democracy - either directly or indirectly. Keep in mind that many registered lobbyists represent non-commercial issues: environment, childcare, etc. all have lobbyists.

It's not lobbying per se that's bad. It's the revolving door between lobbyists and government officials in which bureaucrats who know that in a year or two they'll be sitting on K Street are making policy, are influenced by that system. And it's also the opaque transfer of campaign contributions. If the money flow is entirely transparent (we know who gives how much money to which office holder), and if the revolving door were stopped (nobody in government is allowed to become a registered lobbyist for 5 years, or vice versa), the vast majority of our lobbying problems would be taken care of.

[Rhiannercakes 14]

Like Wyatt said, I'm pretty cautiously optimistic over this as well.

I had a pretty bad experience with health care in Canada, as my region didn't have enough doctors and it took almost a month to even get an appointment for something with her.

Alot of people are pretty excited over it, but I think they need to wait to see it in action for a few years for it to really show how it's going to work in the long run.

[nyhazmat 2]

I have no issue with lobbying per se, my issue in this case is the blatant bribery.

Senator Landrieu from Louisiana opposes the bill until she gets millions of our tax dollars to give her constituants free medical (you will not get this, you will just pay for it). This helps ensure her re-election and continued income. In other words, she personally gains by accepting money from the goverment for her vote. Same thing in Nebraska and Montana, Sen Nelson of Nebraska sold his vote, Sen. Baucus from Montana did, as usual. Out in the open Senators standing there with their palms open for bribes to change their vote and advance this terrible piece of legislation. Schumer from New York helped broker the bribes, but as usual did NOTHING for New York except run his mouth.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Hallelujah. A step in the right direction.

[zqt3344 21]

Sure Right Galt, more debt for this nation and more higher taxes on the way for you and I when we did not even get free public health care, this is a joke and a failure and a step toward bureaucratic bankruptcy!

Hallelujah. A step in the right direction.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It was a total failure, there was no public option or government run choice, that is the only way any of us was going to be helped and have a fighting chance for good cost effective health care let alone free healthcare, which if we had gotten free health care or public provided health care to all of us at no charge, then this could be called a success.

And yet, you just railed against Medicare in the other thread.