Orszag: Republicans Trying To Kill Health Care Reform Through Delay

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President Obama's Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Peter Orszag, accused Senate Republicans on Sunday of trying to kill health care reform by dragging out the legislative process.

Appearing on CNN's State of the Union, Orszag labeled the attempts to push back the health care reform timeline as a "typical Washington bureaucratic game of if you don't have a better alternative just delay in hopes that that kills something."

"We want to get this done by August and we think we can," he added. "There are those that are advocating delay just as a desperation move to try and kill this."

Orszag stressed that not everyone calling for delay had sinister motives. The moderate Democrats in the Senate and Blue Dog Democrats in the House, he said, were "actively participating in the debate and that is great." This past week, Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) Mary Landrieu (La.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.), along with Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) and Maine Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins signed a letter asking to slow down the health care reform debate.

Nevertheless, from Orszag's CNN appearance, it seemed clear that the administration thinks pushing back the health care timeline amounts to a death sentence for reform. On Sunday, the OMB Director repeated that the White House's goal was to have legislation passed through both the House and the Senate by the time both chambers break for August recess.

"It's still the goal," he said. "We think we can make that. We are working towards that."

He added that the White House had been in discussion over the weekend with many of the recalcitrant House Democrats and Senate Finance Committee members to hammer out some sort of agreement.

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Comments

[elakelaiset]

They don't want to kill health reform...just make it so sick it can't go on.

[katooom]

The bill being debated is NOT healthcare reform. At its best it is an insurance subsidy bill. This bill does NOTHING to reduce crazy healthcare costs (ie $5 aspirin at the hospital).

This bill SHOULD be defeated and they should try again - maybe this time get us a bill that will REFORM healthcare and reduce costs.

[jmpurser]

Thank you!!!!

This bill is to health care reform what the "Patriot Act" was to patriotism!

[raker]

"Health care costs" are a red herring. Health insurers and health care providers are fleecing us, charging $5 for an aspirin and $500 for saying "how are you feeling today" to an inpatient and $200 for a month's supply of a prescription because they can, not because they have to. But even if prices were drastically lowered, one illness could still force someone into bankruptcy; even with insurance, high copayments could still force people to forgo coverage.

Health care can never be made affordable, it can only be managed by even distribution of the risk and controlling the fees paid to providers. The way to do it is through universal health care, not mandatory health insurance. The so-called reform bill is not good and should be rejected. Give us universal health care.

[iskra]

Health care costs include the "costs" of all the bad investments the insurance companies made

[Oakland]

"Orszag stressed that not everyone calling for delay had sinister motives. The moderate Democrats in the Senate and Blue Dog Democrats in the House, he said, were "actively participating in the debate and that is great."

That's nothing more than spin. Even Obama and the DNC are raising money to run ads against the Blue Dogs in their own states. Their constitutents need to know that they care more about insurance company profits than the people in their own state. Donate now.............

The Blue Dogs need to go.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/7/20/755312/-Heres-The-Plan-For-Tomorrow-On-Health-Reform

The Blue Dogs need to go.
http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org/

The Blue Dogs need to go.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/health-care-action-center/

If you are sick and tired of conservative Democrats fighting the change we all voted for, now is the time to do something about it. Donate and take them out.

[breakingpoint]

scroll to GET INFORMED
How To Squash Health Care and Health Care Whistleblower
http://jischinger.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/the-health-care-cartel

it's unconscionable

[0emissions]

Americans spend much more on automobile maintenace and public costs for their use than any universal health care program would cost.
Shows what they value more!

[dawnec1957]

One more thing



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unintended Consequence for SINGLE PAYER VOICES

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Winners and More
Go To DC July 30
Blue Ribbon
Dear All,

Here is a case of irony. After shutting down fax machines all over Capitol Hill, HealthJustice became a victim of our own success. You responded so massively to the latest action request that you shut down OUR server for a while. We went overlimit on the CPU allotment because of your remarkably rapid response.

Yesterday I sent this message: We have an urgent action today, Monday, July 20. Rep. Anthony Wiener will move to amend the TriCommittee Bill to essentially replace it with HR 676. Obviously this is a huge step and a BIG PUSH is needed urgently.



So many people clicked in such a short time, that some of you were unable to get through. The IT genius behind HealthJustice, Ken, is working now to fix the problem, but it may mean an expensive upgrade in our service to keep this rate up.

In any case, you should know that we have now sent over 205 thousand faxes supporting single payer Medicare For All to Congress. So don't stop now. keep up the pressure.

[UsofA]

Good work.

[2sunny]

amazing.............foot stomping amazing !

[dawnec1957]

Tie (or Tape) a Blue Ribbon On Your Trees, Mailbox, Door, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A couple of weeks ago, Rick Ford in Florida proposed that supporters of single payer start wearing a blue bandana as an armband to rallies. In Washington DC on June 25, all the single payer people that came with HealthJustice wore blue armbands. We put blue armbands on hundreds more of the people there. We used strips of blue cloth, but even better, we used blue painters' masking tape. It's just the right color, it's cheap and it goes anywhere without leaving a mark when removed.

Go to the local hardware store today. Buy a roll of blue painters' masking tape. Tape a few turns around every tree, maibox or lamppost in your neighborhood. And when people ask, tell them it symbolizes the demand for REAL health reform. It means single payer Medicare For All. Without REAL health reform, we will all have the 'HealthCare Blues."

[UsofA]

This is it, America. Obama has gotten us the opportunity, now we have to deliver the results. We are being challenged straight up by corporate interests. They don't think we have the power or perseverance to pass a public health care option. Call your Congresspeople and leave a message this week. If for no other reason than the generations that will follow you. Don't allow them to be ripped off and threatened with bankruptcy for the sole reason of illness, as we were, and are. America's better than that. Make the call. We'd best take to the streets before we end up on them.

[republicangreed]

I don't like John King of CNN; he is biased against democrats cause. He better join Faux news.

[taquinas]

I totally agree. CNN international's 'Political Mann' has an add for his show where he says "Not a good week for Barack Obama" gets repeated everyday 24/7. If that is not bias faux news is liberal.

[porsche996]

The House "Plan" they're talking about delaying has plenty of WAIT in it.

The weak and watered down public option isn't implemented until 2103

IF the Congress at that time enacts the Public option clause and the then President, (whomever) doesn't veto it.

Trust me, theres' plenty of WAIT already built into the PLAN.

[porsche996]

Might as well be 2103, but it's actually 2013

[NEWLYPOOR]

WHY would the Naysayer "Let's slow down!" GOP/DEM Senators care? THEY already have EXCELLENT Health Care! Gawd, I'd love to see them ALL booted out!

[koleso]

I still think that all of Congress should have their health benfits terminated. All of their arguments are false because they don't know what it's like to be uninsured. How can they, they are monstrously the most self-pampering entity and devoid of any true concern for the needy. They argue against a single payer, public options are set aside, and the world remains the same --- a ball of confusion.

Federal employees are under a form of single payer program with the stated ability to choose a plan based on their income levels. Both the employer and employee contribute, but they are all receiving money from a single payer --- The U.S. Governrnent via our taxes. We, as providers of the US Treasury are paying for both contributions as salary and subsidy, and salary is the smaller contribution. Also, isn't this somewhat of a public option that is offered to federal employees?

Argue all you want but it's still a country whereby the rich can afford anything, and the not so rich scramble for the crumbs. And most congressmen and senators are too rich to even care --- but it would at least send a message as something is finally taken away from them as have had so many average Americans. And if they are rich enough to pay for their own health benefits then why are we even paying it for them in the first place?

[porsche996]

Thanks for sharing nothing of value in a large empty post..

[RJII]

the rich float above us mere mortals. I worked for the fed and lived on Capitol Hill for 16 yrs. The whole lot is living in one big beltway bubble.

[porsche996]

Someone mentioned marches on DC on the 30th of July? Does anyone know anything about that?

[dawnec1957]

Yes, if you can travel to DC the 30th is the anniversary of medicare. They are marching on DC for Single Payer for all.

[dzent1]

EXCELLENT HMO MONEY TO SENATORS EXPOSE CHART:
http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/0907/trans0709hmodonations.html

About the above link to the chart: "Health care reform is currently a major issue before the U.S. Congress. Health insurance providers—who stand to become more regulated or have to compete with a government-run health care service if certain reforms are enacted—currently donate massive amounts of money to the members of Congress who will decide the issue. Our latest Transparency is a look at how much money each U.S. senator is taking from HMOs, and how much money the HMOs are taking from their consumers." From GOOD.

[gemswinc]

No! ;-) we've had 60 years..we need more time? B$!

[dzent1]

Max Baucus took $435,000 from health seector lobbyists last year. He was the top recipient of those funds; available, by the way, in main because of denials of claims by the desperately ill.

That's even more than John McCain, who took over $400,000.

The total taken by federal office holders from the health care sector in 2008 alone:

About $500,000,000.

Yes, FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, IN ONE YEAR ALONE.

Now, any questions on why they have nice big Mc-mansions and we will soon be living in our cars?

[Word]

I cannot find the post....but somebody claimed that Private Insurance did not drive up the cost of Medicare. Were you serious??

[ErnestineBass]

Sounds like the kind of nonsense fairtaxplease or KrugnacTheMagnificent would spew.

[KrugnacTheMagnificent]

How does private insurance drive up the cost of medicare?

I fully support reform of Medicare to make it more efficient. But acting like private health insurers are the primary source of medical inflation is laughable.

[porsche996]

No corruption is the primary source of medical costs inflation.

[Word]

Private insurance has driven up the cost of medicare because of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. Medicare is a Premium Payor in some cases. This has driven up the premiums for everyone in the Medicare system.