Today in Washington D. C. - Dec 4, 2009 - Democrats Vote For $460 In Medicare Cuts; Violates Obama's Promise
The Senate resumed consideration of the Reid substitute amendment to H.R. 3590, the vehicle for Democrats’ health care reform bill. Votes are possible later today on more amendments.
Yesterday, 58 Democrat senators voted down the McCain motion to return the bill to committee and eliminate the half-trillion dollars in Medicare cuts in the bill. Prior to that, the Senate voted 100-0 to adopt a messaging amendment with no actual impact offered by Sen. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) designed to give Democrats cover for their cuts to Medicare.
Also yesterday, the Senate voted 61-39 to adopt an amendment from Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to include preventive services for women in the bill but voted 41-59 to reject one from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) on the same issue.
The AP reported yesterday, “Senate Democrats closed ranks Thursday behind $460 billion in politically risky Medicare cuts at the heart of health care legislation, thwarting a Republican attempt to doom President Barack Obama's sweeping overhaul.” Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell explained earlier today, “We’ve now had a very clarifying vote on the Senate floor about the direction that our friends on the other side intend to take our health care system. Yesterday, all but two of them voted to preserve nearly half a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare, the health care program for seniors.” Among the cuts Democrats voted to preserve is $135 billion from hospitals serving seniors, $40 billion from home health agencies, $15 billion from nursing homes, and nearly $8 billion from hospices.
A key component of the cuts Democrats voted for yesterday is $120 billion cut from Medicare Advantage. As Sen. McConnell noted, “they expressly voted to violate the President’s pledge that seniors who like the plans they have can keep them … Because you can’t cut $120 billion from a benefits program without cutting benefits. The Congressional Budget Office has been crystal clear on this. When asked about the effect these cuts would have on Medicare Advantage, the director of the CBO was unequivocal. He said that ‘approximately half’ of Medicare Advantage benefits will be cut for nearly 11 million seniors enrolled in this program under this bill.”
In fact, a Democrat senator admitted that these cuts would mean Democrats are breaking Obama’s promise about Americans being able to keep the coverage they have. Bloomberg reported last night, “Should Congress scale back the program, ‘We’re not going to be able to say “if you like what you have, you can keep it,”’ said Senator Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat. “And that basic commitment that a lot of us around here have made will be called into question.”’” Further, the Bloomberg story notes, “A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released last month found that 60 percent of seniors said they would be better off if Congress didn’t change the health-care system . . . .” Americans want Congress to reject this 2,000-page bill stuffed with Medicare cuts and tax increases and start over. Senators would do well to listen.
Tags: government healthcare, US Congress, US House, US Senate, Washington D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Yesterday, 58 Democrat senators voted down the McCain motion to return the bill to committee and eliminate the half-trillion dollars in Medicare cuts in the bill. Prior to that, the Senate voted 100-0 to adopt a messaging amendment with no actual impact offered by Sen. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) designed to give Democrats cover for their cuts to Medicare.
Also yesterday, the Senate voted 61-39 to adopt an amendment from Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to include preventive services for women in the bill but voted 41-59 to reject one from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) on the same issue.
The AP reported yesterday, “Senate Democrats closed ranks Thursday behind $460 billion in politically risky Medicare cuts at the heart of health care legislation, thwarting a Republican attempt to doom President Barack Obama's sweeping overhaul.” Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell explained earlier today, “We’ve now had a very clarifying vote on the Senate floor about the direction that our friends on the other side intend to take our health care system. Yesterday, all but two of them voted to preserve nearly half a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicare, the health care program for seniors.” Among the cuts Democrats voted to preserve is $135 billion from hospitals serving seniors, $40 billion from home health agencies, $15 billion from nursing homes, and nearly $8 billion from hospices.
A key component of the cuts Democrats voted for yesterday is $120 billion cut from Medicare Advantage. As Sen. McConnell noted, “they expressly voted to violate the President’s pledge that seniors who like the plans they have can keep them … Because you can’t cut $120 billion from a benefits program without cutting benefits. The Congressional Budget Office has been crystal clear on this. When asked about the effect these cuts would have on Medicare Advantage, the director of the CBO was unequivocal. He said that ‘approximately half’ of Medicare Advantage benefits will be cut for nearly 11 million seniors enrolled in this program under this bill.”
In fact, a Democrat senator admitted that these cuts would mean Democrats are breaking Obama’s promise about Americans being able to keep the coverage they have. Bloomberg reported last night, “Should Congress scale back the program, ‘We’re not going to be able to say “if you like what you have, you can keep it,”’ said Senator Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat. “And that basic commitment that a lot of us around here have made will be called into question.”’” Further, the Bloomberg story notes, “A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released last month found that 60 percent of seniors said they would be better off if Congress didn’t change the health-care system . . . .” Americans want Congress to reject this 2,000-page bill stuffed with Medicare cuts and tax increases and start over. Senators would do well to listen.
Tags: government healthcare, US Congress, US House, US Senate, Washington D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Posted by Bill Smith at 11:00 AM - Post Link
15 Comments:
Is there one single promise, other than that 'change' BS, that's has been kept?
Kate change is exactly what your getting not all change is good
Guaranteed THIS change isn't so swift! And they can't figure out why we are so angry. sigh.. Bunch of maroons!
The marxist "New Man"....
" To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots." - Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Who are the "roots"? The Elderly, who KNEW something about pre-socialistic America.
Oh I bet Glenn Becks Conservative Army in THE VILLAGES hear this one they might start the showdown right there !
But I reckon it's ok for them to spend millions to update their computers system. Screw the old folks, gimme my new computer. Priorities sure are messed up, aren't they.
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/pressoffice/pr/2010cola-pr.htm
Michael I saw the same thing however I saw the masses in DC and I have faith no matter what comes our way together we can move mountains
Exactly what people like Obama love. People he can lord it over who are not bright enough to know they are being used as farm livestock (and actually many people treat their farm livestock better than this congress wants to treat the people of our country)....but of course our wonderful representatives don't want to have to live with the rules they make for other people. They are just too special for that.
When I had to go on disability, lost all my health insurance via employer, COBRA prgram TOO expensive for me to afford ($300 / month with no income), had to wait 2.5 years to qualify for medicare disability, during which time I racked up over $20,000.00 worth of medical expenses with hospital stays and cat scans. I have paid into the system as a USA citizen all my life for these benefits.
If I had been a wetback, with the first step onto USA soil, I would have had comprehensive FREE health care, without paying a penny into the system.
Now, they are moving Obama Care along and supporting cutting $460 BILLION in Medicare CUTS for USA citizens/taxpayers who have earned it, in favor of giving benefits for free to illegals who haven't paid a dime . .
Since the government will not protect us from invasions as the constitution requires, about the only LEGAL response is to renounce one's USA citizenship, go to Old Mexico, and come back in as a wetback, then they will roll out the red carpet for you and make you feel welcome (make sure to paint yourself with brown shoe polish when you go to the government offices to fill out the paperwork).
Welcome to The New America
Cutting $460 BILLION in Medicare benefits, instead of making Medicare more cost efficient and cutting support for illegals.
This reminds me of $700 screwdrivers and $10,000 toilet seats in defense spending that used to get the media's attention in the past.
Going through conjestive heart failure for two elderly family members who had to survive on supplemental oxygen, I learned that every time we had to fill up an E-tank for portable use, when billed through Medicare in the 80's and 90's, cost Medicare $35.00 per fill. Yet I could buy our own tank, and fill it at full retail price from the same supplier, for $3.50 per fill (non-Medicare transaction).
I called all the way up through Medicare to regional offices, and asked if we could fill our own at the cheaper price, would they re-imburse us -- think of the saving between $35.00 and $3.50, and multiply that difference by all the Medicare recipients getting this benefit nationwide -- to save Medicare money. No, they replied, the system does not work that way, and our computers can't be re-programmed to handle it.
Same way with catheters, each cost Medicare $18.00 at the time, we could buy our own over the counter at full retail price for $2-$3 or less.
Our politicians are so out of touch with reality, no wonder one who ran for high office in the past could not answer the question "How much does a loaf of bread cost in the grocery store ?" And we let people like this control the taxpayer's/citizen's wallet for government expenditures.
All they care about is their OWN health insurance which is the BEST in the country, and is separate from the rank and file citizen.
George Orwell's book Animal Farm is a CLASSIC !!!
Daris they don't care anything about us its only us that cars and unfortunately we don't have the power.We got to take the power back!!
You have a bunch of Koolaid drinking "Obama-Zoombies"
Yeah He's their"messiah" gonna take 'em to the promised land..And Oh will they be shocked once they realize what they were promised
Michael as always I soooooooooooo angree with you
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