GAO Report:Health-Insurance Exchanges Are Falling Behind Schedule | House Votes To Protect Pain-capable Unborn Children
Today in Washington, D.C. - June 19, 2013
The President is out of the country. Nothing of much value to report other than Europeans are less inclined to embrace Mr. Obama now that tarnish has rubbed off. The Teleprompter has tried to save the day, but is having trouble with the mental lapses of the speaker.
The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today. They resumed consideration of S. 744, the immigration reform bill. Votes on amendments are likely today.
Yesterday, the Senate rejected an amendment to S. 744 offered by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) which would have required completion of border fencing before immigrant statuses are changed by a vote of 39-54. Also rejected, by a vote of 36-58, was an amendment offered by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) which would have delayed provisional legal status to illegal immigrants until the Homeland Security Secretary and Congress certify that a border check-in and check-out system has been implemented. Senators voted 94-0 to approve an amendment from Sen. John Tester (D-MT) to include tribal government officials in a border oversight task force.
The House reconvened at 10:00 AM today. They will consider House Farm Bill - H.R. 1947 — "To provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes."
Yesterday, the House moved forward the consideration of the House Farm Bill H.R. 1947. The House also passed the following bills:
H.R. 475 (Voice Vote) — "To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include vaccines against seasonal influenza within the definition of taxable vaccines."
H.R. 1151 (424-0) — "To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan at the triennial International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly, and for other purposes."
H.R. 1797 (228-196) — "To amend title 18, United States Code, to protect pain-capable unborn children in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes."
H.R. 1896 (394–27) — "To amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to ensure that the United States can comply fully with the obligations of the Hague Convention of 23 November 2.
The Wall Street Journal reports today, “Government officials have missed several deadlines in setting up new health-insurance exchanges for small businesses and consumers—a key part of the federal health overhaul—and there is a risk they won't be ready to open on time in October, Congress's watchdog arm said. The Government Accountability Office said federal and state health officials still have major work to complete, offering its most cautious comments to date about the Obama administration's ability to bring the centerpiece of its signature law to fruition. ‘Whether [the government's] contingency planning will assure the timely and smooth implementation of the exchanges by October 2013 cannot yet be determined,’ said the GAO in twin reports to be released Wednesday. . . . The small-business exchanges in particular have had some early setbacks. The federal government said in April that contrary to initial plans, it wouldn't allow workers in the first year to choose between a range of insurance options offered through employers. For the first year, companies will select one plan to offer to workers. In some states, only one insurance carrier has expressed interest in the small-business exchange. In Washington state, officials have had to postpone the exchange altogether because they couldn't find a carrier willing to offer small-business plans for all parts of the state. . . . Regulators in New Hampshire have said they received applications from only one carrier, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, a unit of WellPoint Inc., to sell small group plans or individual policies through the exchange next year.”
News of the GAO report and problems with the small business exchanges is just the latest evidence of the “train wreck” implementation of this complicated, unpopular law is turning into. In just the last couple weeks, Americans have seen reports about questions and concerns over the cost of the law to individuals, premium increases in Ohio and Georgia, Aetna leaving the individual insurance market in California, companies forced to comply with new rules and mandates having to hire a swarm of new lawyers, employers saying they expect their health care costs to go up, workers having their hours cut to avoid massive costs and fines, and the fact that “President Barack Obama's health care law may turn out to be unaffordable for many low-wage workers, including employees at big chain restaurants, retail stores and hotels.”
On the Senate floor this morning, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “Obamacare must have been discussed hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of times over the past few years. That includes political debates. More speeches than any of us care to count. Issue ads, both pro and con. And guess what? Americans still don’t like the idea of Obamacare. Not because they’re unable to understand, or because they just haven’t ‘seen the right messaging.’ It’s because most of them like their health plan and want to keep it. It’s because they don’t want to pay more to the health insurance companies. And it’s because they just don’t think the law is going to work as promised. And yet, the Washington Democrats’ explanation for Obamacare’s enduring unpopularity still seems to be that the law is just too complicated for their constituents to understand. And the Washington Democrat solution seems to be not to actually change the policy, but to spend millions in a campaign-style P.R. blitz. News flash: If you still don’t think Americans are able to understand a law you passed more than three years ago, then there’s something wrong with your law – not with the American people. . . . So, at a minimum, they at least need to do this: the President, members of his Cabinet, and the Congressional Democrats who voted for this law need to get out and explain to Americans what’s headed their way. Not feed them the sunny picture painted in the Obamacare ads that the President’s campaign team is running, but actually explain the reality of the situation to them.”
The reality, of course, is shaping up to be the “train wreck” a number of Democrats have publicly worried about for months.
Tags: Senate, Amnesty immigration bill, House , fetal pain bill, Obamacare To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
The President is out of the country. Nothing of much value to report other than Europeans are less inclined to embrace Mr. Obama now that tarnish has rubbed off. The Teleprompter has tried to save the day, but is having trouble with the mental lapses of the speaker.
The Senate reconvened at 9:30 AM today. They resumed consideration of S. 744, the immigration reform bill. Votes on amendments are likely today.
Yesterday, the Senate rejected an amendment to S. 744 offered by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) which would have required completion of border fencing before immigrant statuses are changed by a vote of 39-54. Also rejected, by a vote of 36-58, was an amendment offered by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) which would have delayed provisional legal status to illegal immigrants until the Homeland Security Secretary and Congress certify that a border check-in and check-out system has been implemented. Senators voted 94-0 to approve an amendment from Sen. John Tester (D-MT) to include tribal government officials in a border oversight task force.
The House reconvened at 10:00 AM today. They will consider House Farm Bill - H.R. 1947 — "To provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes."
Yesterday, the House moved forward the consideration of the House Farm Bill H.R. 1947. The House also passed the following bills:
H.R. 475 (Voice Vote) — "To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include vaccines against seasonal influenza within the definition of taxable vaccines."
H.R. 1151 (424-0) — "To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan at the triennial International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly, and for other purposes."
H.R. 1797 (228-196) — "To amend title 18, United States Code, to protect pain-capable unborn children in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes."
H.R. 1896 (394–27) — "To amend part D of title IV of the Social Security Act to ensure that the United States can comply fully with the obligations of the Hague Convention of 23 November 2.
The Wall Street Journal reports today, “Government officials have missed several deadlines in setting up new health-insurance exchanges for small businesses and consumers—a key part of the federal health overhaul—and there is a risk they won't be ready to open on time in October, Congress's watchdog arm said. The Government Accountability Office said federal and state health officials still have major work to complete, offering its most cautious comments to date about the Obama administration's ability to bring the centerpiece of its signature law to fruition. ‘Whether [the government's] contingency planning will assure the timely and smooth implementation of the exchanges by October 2013 cannot yet be determined,’ said the GAO in twin reports to be released Wednesday. . . . The small-business exchanges in particular have had some early setbacks. The federal government said in April that contrary to initial plans, it wouldn't allow workers in the first year to choose between a range of insurance options offered through employers. For the first year, companies will select one plan to offer to workers. In some states, only one insurance carrier has expressed interest in the small-business exchange. In Washington state, officials have had to postpone the exchange altogether because they couldn't find a carrier willing to offer small-business plans for all parts of the state. . . . Regulators in New Hampshire have said they received applications from only one carrier, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, a unit of WellPoint Inc., to sell small group plans or individual policies through the exchange next year.”
News of the GAO report and problems with the small business exchanges is just the latest evidence of the “train wreck” implementation of this complicated, unpopular law is turning into. In just the last couple weeks, Americans have seen reports about questions and concerns over the cost of the law to individuals, premium increases in Ohio and Georgia, Aetna leaving the individual insurance market in California, companies forced to comply with new rules and mandates having to hire a swarm of new lawyers, employers saying they expect their health care costs to go up, workers having their hours cut to avoid massive costs and fines, and the fact that “President Barack Obama's health care law may turn out to be unaffordable for many low-wage workers, including employees at big chain restaurants, retail stores and hotels.”
On the Senate floor this morning, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “Obamacare must have been discussed hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of times over the past few years. That includes political debates. More speeches than any of us care to count. Issue ads, both pro and con. And guess what? Americans still don’t like the idea of Obamacare. Not because they’re unable to understand, or because they just haven’t ‘seen the right messaging.’ It’s because most of them like their health plan and want to keep it. It’s because they don’t want to pay more to the health insurance companies. And it’s because they just don’t think the law is going to work as promised. And yet, the Washington Democrats’ explanation for Obamacare’s enduring unpopularity still seems to be that the law is just too complicated for their constituents to understand. And the Washington Democrat solution seems to be not to actually change the policy, but to spend millions in a campaign-style P.R. blitz. News flash: If you still don’t think Americans are able to understand a law you passed more than three years ago, then there’s something wrong with your law – not with the American people. . . . So, at a minimum, they at least need to do this: the President, members of his Cabinet, and the Congressional Democrats who voted for this law need to get out and explain to Americans what’s headed their way. Not feed them the sunny picture painted in the Obamacare ads that the President’s campaign team is running, but actually explain the reality of the situation to them.”
The reality, of course, is shaping up to be the “train wreck” a number of Democrats have publicly worried about for months.
Tags: Senate, Amnesty immigration bill, House , fetal pain bill, Obamacare To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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