It Finally Happened - Reid Moved to Force Vote on Government Take Over of Health Care

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) finally unveiled his manager’s amendment to the Democrats’ health care reform bill and announced that he believed he has 60 votes for cloture.

Reid's Health Care Manager's Amendment - Dems have it online here: http://democrats.senate.gov/reform/managers-amendment.pdf  Once the reading is completed, Reid will likely file cloture on his manager’s amendment, the substitute amendment, and then the underlying bill. That would likely set up the first, and most important, cloture vote for 1 AM Monday.

After Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell forced a reading of the amendment, he said: "The history being made here is ignoring of the will of the American people. The history that is being made is that a bill sold as solving a major problem in our nation helps makes the problem worse. Because independent nonpartisan scorekeepers tell us that premiums, taxes, and overall health care spending will go up under this bill. If this were a good bill with bipartisan support, I assure you they would not be trying to pass this the weekend before Christmas and in the middle of the night. The next vote literally will be in the middle of the night, at 1:00 A.M. Monday morning.”

It’s not just the obvious attempt to sneak this bill by Americans while they’re focused on friends and family that’s outrageous. Reid’s introduction of his amendment sight unseen Saturday morning and plan to vote on it barely 40 hours later specifically violates a pledge from Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Mark Pryor (D-AR), and Jim Webb (D-VA). In an October letter, all eight senators had requested that “the legislation and its CBO scores” be posted online “72 hours before it is brought to a vote in the Senate” and the text of amendments be published before they are debated.  More Info below.

The 2,733 PAGES of the bill itself still cuts $470 Billion from Medicare, raises taxes by $518 billion, and nearly doubles the Medicare payroll tax ($87 Billion).   CBO writes, “Under the legislation, federal outlays for health care would increase during the 2010–2019 period, as would the federal budgetary commitment to health care.” So the bill still does not reduce costs, as Democrats claim it will. The deficit savings touted by Democrats, $132 billion over ten years, was spent in the month of October alone, when the budget deficit was $176 billion.  It imposes massive burdens on states that are already struggling under the weight of the cost of Medicaid. At the same time, however, it gives special sweetheart deals to a select few states.

Supposedly it’s amendment #3276.  Nelson’s Nebraska To Receive Extra Medicaid Funds Under Senate Bill . The manager's amendment goes a long way towards satisfying the demands of Democratic hold-out and all-important 60th vote Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE). 
Nelson has recently complained that the proposed expansion of Medicaid to those earning below 133% of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) would burden his state of Nebraska and suggested that states should be able to opt-in to the program.  Under the current merged legislation (the version unveiled on November 18th), the federal government fully finances care for the expanded population for two years and increases its matching funds (known as FMAP) thereafter. Page 98 of the managers amendment specifically identifies Nebraska for higher federal matching funds, fully funding its expansion for an additional year:
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Reid Amendment Violates Eight Dems’ Pledge - Lincoln Letter Said Legislation “Should Be Posted On A Public Website Prior To Beginning Debate,” “Available To The Public For 72 Hours” And Should Have “Complete CBO Scores”

Senators Blanche L. Lincoln, Evan Bayh, Mary L. Landrieu, Joseph I. Lieberman, Claire McCaskill, Ben Nelson, Mark L. Pryor, Jim Webb: “By publically posting the legislation and its CBO scores 72 hours before it is brought to a vote in the Senate and by publishing the text of amendments before they are debated, our constituents will have the opportunity to evaluate these policies and communicate their concerns or their message of support to their Members of Congress.” (Senators Blanche Lincoln, Evan Bayh, Mary Landrieu, Joseph Lieberman, Claire McCaskill, Ben Nelson, Mark Pryor, Jim Webb, Letter To Sen. Reid, 10/6/09)
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Dems Said The Class Act “Ponzi Scheme” “Needs To Be Out Of The Bill,” And Voted To Strip It, But It Is Included In Final Health Care Bill - SENATE DEMOCRATS: CLASS Act “A Ponzi Scheme Of The First Order”

SEN. BEN NELSON (D-NE): “The CLASS Act, Which Is The Community Living Assistance Program That The CMS Actuary Said Will Be Financially Upside Down In A Very Short Period Of Time, That Needs To Be Out Of The Bill.” “Well, it has to make -- the Senate will have to make a lot of changes. The public option would have to be changed dramatically or dropped from the bill. The CLASS Act, which is the community living assistance program that the CMS actuary said will be financially upside down in a very short period of time, that needs to be out of the bill.” (Fox News’ “On The Record,” 12/1/09)

SEN. KENT CONRAD (D-ND): “‘A Ponzi Scheme Of The First Order, The Kind Of Thing That Bernie Madoff Would Have Been Proud Of,’ And He Vowed To Block Its Inclusion In The Senate Bill.” (Proposed Long-Term Insurance Program Raises Questions,” The Washington Post, 10/27/09)

SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): “I Am No Fan Of The CLASS Act Myself.” “To be honest, I frankly would like to hear you talk about the CLASS Act because frankly I am no fan of the CLASS Act myself, so you can proceed.” (Sen. Baucus, Floor Remarks, 12/2/09)

SENATORS CONRAD, LIEBERMAN, LINCOLN, LANDRIEU, BAYH WARNER AND NELSON LETTER TO REID OPPOSING CLASS ACT:   Group Of Moderate Senators Wrote To Harry Reid Today Asking Him Not To Include The CLASS Act, Which Would Create A Long-Term Insurance Program For The Disabled, In The Merged Bill. Sens. Conrad, Lieberman, Lincoln, Landrieu, Bayh, Warner And Ben Nelson Wrote That They Are Concerned The Provision Would Increase Long-Term Deficits.” (“Mods Say No To CLASS Act,” Politico, 10/28/09)

12 Senate Democrats Voted In Favor Of Removing The CLASS Act From The Bill. (S.Amdt.2901 To H.R.3590, Roll Call Vote #360, Vote Failed 51-47: R: 39-0; D 11-46; I 1-1, 12/4/09)

CBO: CLASS Act Will “Eventually Lead To Net Outlays When Benefits Exceed Premiums.” “As noted earlier, the CLASS program included in the bill would generate net receipts for the government in the initial years when total premiums would exceed total benefit payments, but it would eventually lead to net outlays when benefits exceed premiums. ... In the decade following 2029, the CLASS program would begin to increase budget deficits.” (Douglas Elmendorf, CBO Director, Letter To Rep. Rangel, P.13, 10/29/09)

CMS: CLASS Act Faces “A Significant Risk Of Failure”  CMS: “In 2025 And Later, Projected Benefits Exceed Premium Revenues, Resulting In A Net Federal Cost In The Longer Term. … In general, voluntary, unsubsidized, and non-underwritten insurance programs such as CLASS face a significant risk of failure as a result of adverse selection by participants.” (“Estimated Financial Effect Of The ‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act Of 2009’ (H.R. 3962), As Passed By The House On November 7, 2009,” P.11, CMS, 11/13/09)

WASHINGTON POST: CLASS Act “A New Gimmick… Designed To Pretend That Health Reform Is Fully Paid For”  WASHINGTON POST: “…A New Gimmick Has Been Designed To Pretend That Health Reform Is Fully Paid For. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions adopted a measure, endorsed by the Obama administration, to have the government provide long-term care insurance in which workers would be automatically enrolled unless they opt out.” (“How Not To Fix Health Care,” The Washington Post, 7/10/09)
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Dem Falsely Says Republicans Authored Four Amendments To The Health Bill When Over 200 Have Been Filed And Blocked By The Majority

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “Four Amendments In 20 Days. The Combined Wisdom Of The Republican Senate Caucus Came Up With Four Amendments To This Bill Of 2,000 Pages In 20 Days And Six Different Motions To Send The Bill Back To Committee And Stop Talking About It.” (Sen. Durbin, Floor Remarks, 12/19/09)

Senate Republicans Have Offered Over 200 Amendments And Motions To H.R. 3590. (U.S. Senate Website, Accessed 12/19/09)

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