Today in Washington, D.C. - Oct. 1, 2010 - Rahm Emanuel Leaves White House
The big news in Washington, is Rahm Emanuel stepping down as White House Chief of Staff to return to Illinois to run for Mayor of Chicago. One wonders if Chicago is doomed to remain a political cesspool with the return of Emanuel. Obama said about Emanuel's leaving that "I will miss him dearly." Pete Rouse, age 62 and a longtime stealth adviser of Obama will become the new Chief of Staff. David Axelrod, Obama senior adviser, has already signaled that he will be leaving as well.
Congress is in recess. However, the Senate reconvened briefly for a pro forma session at 11:30 AM today. The Senate will hold a series of these sessions throughout the recess to prevent President Obama from making recess appointments. As identified yesterday, this was on the insistence of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. It apparent that the American people cannot trust the current president to do things properly. This procedure needs to be enforced in the the upcoming years.
Presently, the Senate will also hold Pro Forma sessions on: October 5 at 11:00 AM, October 8 at 11:30 AM, October 12 at 10:00 AM, October 15 at 10:00 AM, October 19 at 12:00 PM, October 22 at 1:00 PM, October 26 at 12:00 PM, October 29 at 11:30 AM, November 1 at 9:00 AM, November 4 at 9:00 AM, November 8 at 12:00 PM, November 10 at 9:30 AM, and November 12 at 10:00 AM.
Congress will not reconvene in full force for legislative business on Monday, November 15th at which time an expected "Lame Duck" War will commence. Ousted Democrats may seek to impose their agenda on America in spite of the fact that the American people will be sending a clear message that they are unhappy with the liberal progressive agenda of big government, increased spending, increased taxation, and intrusion on individual freedoms.
The democrats agenda is very clear by the fact that before leaving on recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed cloture on the motions to proceed to 3 bills: a bill to promote natural gas and electric vehicles (S. 3815), a bill Democrats named the “Paycheck Fairness Act” (recall that they named “card check” the “Employee Free Choice Act”) (S. 3772), and a food safety bill that expands the FDA’s regulatory powers (S. 510). There was no effort to support extending tax relief which is due to expire.
On Wednesday, President Obama was in Iowa to again attempt to sell his policies, particularly his unpopular health care law. In a backyard discussion, a woman expressed her concerns to the President about his health care bill. Obama assured her, “[T]here’s nothing in the bill that says you have to change the health insurance that you’ve got right now.” He went on to say, “[I]f you’ve got health care through your employer, that’s not going to change, except to make it a little bit safer and more secure.”
But The New York Times reports today, “The Principal Financial Group announced on Thursday that it planned to stop selling health insurance, another sign of upheaval emerging among insurers as the new federal health law starts to take effect. The company, based in Iowa, provides coverage to about 840,000 people who receive their insurance through an employer.” So in the very same state the President assured an audience that if they get their health insurance through their employer, “that’s not going to change,” two days later, the NYT is reporting that 840,000 people in that state will no longer be able to get the exact same plan they had.
The NYT adds, “Principal’s decision closely tracks moves by other insurers that have indicated in recent weeks that they plan to drop out of certain segments of the market, like the business of selling child-only policies. State regulators say some insurance companies are already threatening to leave particular markets because of the new law.”
Indeed, the NYT notes that just yesterday, “McDonald’s recently asked federal officials for an exemption to rules that would ban the kind of health plans many of its restaurant workers have, because the existing policies sharply limit coverage.” As reported yesterday, The Wall Street Journal broke the story, pointing out, “The move is one of the clearest indications that new rules may disrupt workers' health plans as the law ripples through the real world.” According to the WSJ, McDonald’s dropping its insurance plans could affect “nearly 30,000 hourly restaurant workers.”
Just last week, The Washington Post reported, “Some of the country's most prominent health insurance companies have decided to stop offering new child-only plans, rather than comply with rules in the new health-care law that will require such plans to start accepting children with preexisting medical conditions after Sept. 23.” As The Post noted, “Three insurers - WellPoint, Cigna and CoventryOne - all cited uncertainty in the health insurance market for their decisions. That incertitude and the resulting decision of other insurers to drop their child-only plans, according to WellPoint spokeswoman Kristin Binns, ‘has created an unlevel competitive environment.’”
Today’s New York Times story adds, “At the Principal Financial Group, the company’s decision reflected its assessment of its ability to compete in the environment created by the new law. . . . More insurers are likely to follow Principal’s lead, especially as they try to meet the new rules that require plans to spend at least 80 cents of every dollar they collect in premiums on the welfare of their customers. . . . “It’s just going to drive the little guys out,” said Robert Laszewski, a health policy consultant in Alexandria, Va. . . . Mr. Laszewski is worried that the ensuing concentration is likely to lead to higher prices because large players will no longer face the competition from the smaller plans.”
Of course, this isn’t what Democrats promised when they were trying to sell their health care bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said last year, “In fact, one of our core principles is that if you like the health care you have, you can keep it.” Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the Finance Committee chairman who had a hand in writing the bill, said, “Folks who are satisfied with their current health insurance coverage could keep it. People would not be required to change health plans.” And another senator heavily involved in crafting the health care law, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), said, “I say at the outset, if you like what you have, you get to keep it, choose your doctor, hospital, choose the insurance program you have.”
But Americans were rightly skeptical of these unrealistic promises, and they were very clear that this wasn’t the kind of health care reform they were looking for. Yet Democrats arrogantly rushed the bill to passage. The bill was so poorly thought out that companies are already asking for waivers from some of the innumerable mandates in the bill so that tens of thousands of their employees won’t lose their health coverage.
As Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has said, “Along with most Americans, the entire Republican conference opposed this legislation. We listened to the public and argued strenuously against its passage at every opportunity. . . . And since its passage, our arguments against this bill have been repeatedly vindicated, even as the Administration’s many promises about the bill have been called into question again and again.” Today’s news is just one more broken promise capping six months of stories showing the American people and Republicans in Congress were right all along in opposing Democrats’ health care law.
November is Coming! Beware of the Democrat attack machine trying to derail the projected tidal wave projected to remove many progressive liberal elites from power. Remember, when Democrats are projected to loose, their attack machine attempts to paint everyone with tar in hopes of discouraging voters so as to retain their control. Big lies often work even though they are not morally right. It is time to remain committed to electing conservatives to help stop Reid, Pelosi and Obama train before they totally destroy the American economy.
Tags: Washington, D.C., US Senate, recess, Rahm Emanuel, White House, health care, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Congress is in recess. However, the Senate reconvened briefly for a pro forma session at 11:30 AM today. The Senate will hold a series of these sessions throughout the recess to prevent President Obama from making recess appointments. As identified yesterday, this was on the insistence of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. It apparent that the American people cannot trust the current president to do things properly. This procedure needs to be enforced in the the upcoming years.
Presently, the Senate will also hold Pro Forma sessions on: October 5 at 11:00 AM, October 8 at 11:30 AM, October 12 at 10:00 AM, October 15 at 10:00 AM, October 19 at 12:00 PM, October 22 at 1:00 PM, October 26 at 12:00 PM, October 29 at 11:30 AM, November 1 at 9:00 AM, November 4 at 9:00 AM, November 8 at 12:00 PM, November 10 at 9:30 AM, and November 12 at 10:00 AM.
Congress will not reconvene in full force for legislative business on Monday, November 15th at which time an expected "Lame Duck" War will commence. Ousted Democrats may seek to impose their agenda on America in spite of the fact that the American people will be sending a clear message that they are unhappy with the liberal progressive agenda of big government, increased spending, increased taxation, and intrusion on individual freedoms.
The democrats agenda is very clear by the fact that before leaving on recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed cloture on the motions to proceed to 3 bills: a bill to promote natural gas and electric vehicles (S. 3815), a bill Democrats named the “Paycheck Fairness Act” (recall that they named “card check” the “Employee Free Choice Act”) (S. 3772), and a food safety bill that expands the FDA’s regulatory powers (S. 510). There was no effort to support extending tax relief which is due to expire.
On Wednesday, President Obama was in Iowa to again attempt to sell his policies, particularly his unpopular health care law. In a backyard discussion, a woman expressed her concerns to the President about his health care bill. Obama assured her, “[T]here’s nothing in the bill that says you have to change the health insurance that you’ve got right now.” He went on to say, “[I]f you’ve got health care through your employer, that’s not going to change, except to make it a little bit safer and more secure.”
But The New York Times reports today, “The Principal Financial Group announced on Thursday that it planned to stop selling health insurance, another sign of upheaval emerging among insurers as the new federal health law starts to take effect. The company, based in Iowa, provides coverage to about 840,000 people who receive their insurance through an employer.” So in the very same state the President assured an audience that if they get their health insurance through their employer, “that’s not going to change,” two days later, the NYT is reporting that 840,000 people in that state will no longer be able to get the exact same plan they had.
The NYT adds, “Principal’s decision closely tracks moves by other insurers that have indicated in recent weeks that they plan to drop out of certain segments of the market, like the business of selling child-only policies. State regulators say some insurance companies are already threatening to leave particular markets because of the new law.”
Indeed, the NYT notes that just yesterday, “McDonald’s recently asked federal officials for an exemption to rules that would ban the kind of health plans many of its restaurant workers have, because the existing policies sharply limit coverage.” As reported yesterday, The Wall Street Journal broke the story, pointing out, “The move is one of the clearest indications that new rules may disrupt workers' health plans as the law ripples through the real world.” According to the WSJ, McDonald’s dropping its insurance plans could affect “nearly 30,000 hourly restaurant workers.”
Just last week, The Washington Post reported, “Some of the country's most prominent health insurance companies have decided to stop offering new child-only plans, rather than comply with rules in the new health-care law that will require such plans to start accepting children with preexisting medical conditions after Sept. 23.” As The Post noted, “Three insurers - WellPoint, Cigna and CoventryOne - all cited uncertainty in the health insurance market for their decisions. That incertitude and the resulting decision of other insurers to drop their child-only plans, according to WellPoint spokeswoman Kristin Binns, ‘has created an unlevel competitive environment.’”
Today’s New York Times story adds, “At the Principal Financial Group, the company’s decision reflected its assessment of its ability to compete in the environment created by the new law. . . . More insurers are likely to follow Principal’s lead, especially as they try to meet the new rules that require plans to spend at least 80 cents of every dollar they collect in premiums on the welfare of their customers. . . . “It’s just going to drive the little guys out,” said Robert Laszewski, a health policy consultant in Alexandria, Va. . . . Mr. Laszewski is worried that the ensuing concentration is likely to lead to higher prices because large players will no longer face the competition from the smaller plans.”
Of course, this isn’t what Democrats promised when they were trying to sell their health care bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said last year, “In fact, one of our core principles is that if you like the health care you have, you can keep it.” Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the Finance Committee chairman who had a hand in writing the bill, said, “Folks who are satisfied with their current health insurance coverage could keep it. People would not be required to change health plans.” And another senator heavily involved in crafting the health care law, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), said, “I say at the outset, if you like what you have, you get to keep it, choose your doctor, hospital, choose the insurance program you have.”
But Americans were rightly skeptical of these unrealistic promises, and they were very clear that this wasn’t the kind of health care reform they were looking for. Yet Democrats arrogantly rushed the bill to passage. The bill was so poorly thought out that companies are already asking for waivers from some of the innumerable mandates in the bill so that tens of thousands of their employees won’t lose their health coverage.
As Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has said, “Along with most Americans, the entire Republican conference opposed this legislation. We listened to the public and argued strenuously against its passage at every opportunity. . . . And since its passage, our arguments against this bill have been repeatedly vindicated, even as the Administration’s many promises about the bill have been called into question again and again.” Today’s news is just one more broken promise capping six months of stories showing the American people and Republicans in Congress were right all along in opposing Democrats’ health care law.
November is Coming! Beware of the Democrat attack machine trying to derail the projected tidal wave projected to remove many progressive liberal elites from power. Remember, when Democrats are projected to loose, their attack machine attempts to paint everyone with tar in hopes of discouraging voters so as to retain their control. Big lies often work even though they are not morally right. It is time to remain committed to electing conservatives to help stop Reid, Pelosi and Obama train before they totally destroy the American economy.
Tags: Washington, D.C., US Senate, recess, Rahm Emanuel, White House, health care, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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