Senate GOPers: We'll Block Health Care Under Reconciliation

The Hill:

Sen. Judd Gregg has hundreds of procedural objections ready for a healthcare plan Democrats leaders want to speed through the Senate.

Read the whole story: The Hill

Comments

[BKFactor]

11:29 AM on 09/04/2009

About 346 people die every week from lack of health care (health insurance). Thousands of people are losing their health insurance every day because they lost their job, couldn’t (or can't afford to) pay their premiums, or were kicked out by their health insurance company.

These events/occurrences are happening every day while our federal workers and Senators and members of Congress enjoy excellent health care benefits and other benefits at tax payer expense.
It is shameful, morally reprehensible, and outrageous.

We pay about 72% of federal employees (and that includes members of Congress and the Senate) health insurance premium. Yep, that’s right, the tax payer pays about 72% or slightly less of federal employees health insurance premium; and if you think about it, we really pay the entire premium because we pay federal employee’s wages and salary (which from that, they pay their share of the balance of that premium).

What is most reprehensible, is that we (the tax payer) are making the corrupt health insurance companies richer while they turn around and deny you coverage/insurance, won’t pay for certain treatments, or they kick us out after they’ve paid an expensive claim or series of claims (which by the way, they’ve reported to the medical information bureau [MIB] for other health insurance and life insurance company members to see … so those other companies can deny you coverage if they so choose).

see the entire comment:
http://clevelandssecretclub.blogspot.com/2009/08/morally-reprehensible-acts-by-members.html

[BKFactor]

07:48 PM on 09/04/2009

Sorry, meant health insurance and not health care. If you read my entire comments at link provided, you'll understand better what I'm trying to get at.

It's simply this ... The taxpayer is picking up over 72% of their (Congress/Senate) insurance premium. The premiums go to health insurance companies that deny insurance to non federal government workers who have pre-existing conditions, kick non federal government workers off their rolls if there are too many claims, raise premiums to an unaffordable level, or won't pay for treatment, etc.

While this is going on, uninsured people are dying.

While these Senators and members of Congress are afforded the best that the medical community offers (while we pay most of their premium), they are haggling over whether to give all tax payers (etc) quality, affordable, can't be kicked off the rolls (unless you don't pay your premium), guaranteed renewable, can't be denied insurance for any reason, health insurance.

I don't hate government workers or members of Congress or Senate. We want at least the same as we give them, but they seem unwilling to do it.

[SRAC]

01:27 PM on 09/02/2009

Republicans can hardly wait to surrender. Who's cutting and running now? Is the Republican party's goal the actual destruction of the United States?

[unionave]

09:47 AM on 09/02/2009

Does anyone know what happens to Catholic Cardinals when they refuse to elect a Pope ? Each one of the Cardinals want to be the next Pope so when it comes to voting they vote for themselves . When dealing with a Cardinal one is dealing the most egotistical conceited person on this planet . Except a U.S. Senator . The rain dance the Repubs are doing with their assualt on any non-existent health care plan for Americans gets them plenty of facial exposure and enhances their ego even more . Let's invite the Mayor of Rome over for a demonstration on how to deal with egotism .

[seattle music]

12:21 AM on 09/02/2009

Gregg: Why don't you go sit in the corner and count your money from health insurance companies and drug companies?

Let the people who actually care about Americans more than their own short-sighted self-interest take care of this.

[patsydecline]

12:06 AM on 09/02/2009

sen. gregg,

as a person whose family(both sides) are some of the original settlers of n.h.,
i find you a disgrace to their work and commitment to others...
your lack of compassion and divisiveness is unconscionable...
my ancestors would be very disheartened to know the likes of you
are a voice for the state...i am glad that i am not a resident of the state, as your voice is so very far from my own...and makes me wonder how you look at yourself in the mirror...
but hey that is rye beach where many of your monied folk can look out at the ocean and not at the reality of the other residents...

and on a personal note... i do find amusement in the fact that you can find endless amounts of time to fight a bill and little time to pay them...of all the ebay customers i ever had you were the only one i had to send multiple requests to...luckly i didn't need to money pay for a health issue...

[LovelyGirl]

12:06 AM on 09/02/2009

I don't know I stopped worrying about the crazy right wing nuts. It's so obvious that they are morally bankrupt, hateful and sanctimonius. History is full of examples of people who in their arrogance try to set traps for others only to have that trap close on them. I cannot wait to see them reap what they've sown. I almost feel sorry for them. Not!!!

[JohnSawyer]

04:14 AM on 09/02/2009

I haven't stopped worrying about them. "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good people to do nothing."

[alice09]

11:39 PM on 09/01/2009

Repubs should fear that they will reap what they sow. The way they've behaved since this President took office is disgraceful. They like to tout their high moral credentials but they are behaving immorally. They are thinking of nothing but their own quest for power, no matter what the price others will pay.

[FR]

11:14 PM on 09/01/2009

If their arguments are so valid, their intentions so pure, and their support so overwhelming, why must these intellectual titans resort to "procedural objections" ????

[SheamusK]

10:07 PM on 09/01/2009

The lesson learned here is that unlike 30 - 40 years ago , most GOPers are not people who will allow the majority to win - unless it is the GOP.

So, do we institute death poanels for recalcitrant GOPers? GOPers, apparently, have no calms about letting the insurance companies run death panels for the MAJORITY of Americans. Yes but they are really trying to be bi-partisan.

Well, if you believe that please contact me. I have the rights to controlling access to the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and I am willing to sell both to you. To finance the purchase I will cede to you my right to charge tolls to those who use it. Up to this point, I have had no reason to charge people for the privilege to cross these bridges but you may.

[rjcottrell]

10:05 PM on 09/01/2009

Good for Republicans. And best of luck to Republicans.

If Democrats want to take a we'll ram it down your throat approach with health-care reform, then by all means, Republicans should hit back just as hard with a no way in hell approach toward health-care reform.

[BillForObama]

11:13 PM on 09/01/2009

Your T.H.U.G.L.I.C.A.N.S do it all of the time!!!

[Matt7]

12:01 AM on 09/02/2009

Did you wish Pugs luck with their "Bi-partisanship means we beat you into submission, and then you do what we tell you" approach? Or their "you're weak and lame for trying to reach out to us, but we'll keep stringing you along anyway" approach? How about their, "yeah, sure, we'll take a seat at the table to prevent anyone else from sitting in it, but we have no intention of contributing positively to the issue at hand" approach? Or, of course, the ever-famous, "it doesn't matter what you do or don't do, we'll move heaven and earth to block, hamper and obstruct you to keep you from moving the ball one inch forward, even if we harm America and her citizens in the process" approach?

[nobillary1]

09:58 PM on 09/01/2009

I hope the Dems have the tape ready to roll in Chambers showing Sen Gregg's infamous defense of reconciliation when the GOP was in the majority. Oh, I forgot. The GOP thinks everything is okay to do, as long as it's their party doing it.

The GOP = the Party of Hypocrites!

[FloridaDem]

10:58 PM on 09/01/2009

51 votes is only OK if the Republican's do it. If the Dems do it ,then it's bad. Everybody should know that.

[FR]

11:12 PM on 09/01/2009

Yup, that was the caption under his picture tonight on Rachel Maddow:
I.O.K.I.A.R.D.I
It's O.K. If A Republican Does It

[Rnactivist]

09:10 PM on 09/01/2009

this healthcare battle is between corporate america that owns our country and we the people...
Here is what it all comes down to....money and greed. Insurance companies want their trillions and they do not want to be regulated. They are only concerned with the bottom line and they are spending over 1.5 million per day to kill the public option. They are paying off our elected officials and they are controlling and distorting the truth on our airways.

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/6993

[Supplysideeconomist]

09:19 PM on 09/01/2009

I will throw my buck in to k!ll the public option

[Quitcherbichin]

10:18 PM on 09/01/2009

I'll see that buck, and raise you 10.

[nobillary1]

10:08 PM on 09/01/2009

"...they are spending over 1.5 million per day to kill the public option. "

If the insurance industry cared at all about the general welfare of the American people they could direct that money to help secure coverage for most of those who are uninsured. Just think how many people that would help! But NO, they'd rather spend it trying to defeat health care reform because, as you said, all they care about is the bottom line.

BTW, just where IS all that money going? How many legislators pockets are being lined in this process? The conservatives keep insisting that there's nothing in the Constitution saying the government should run health care. (Actually it does. It allows for "the common good" of the people, but that's another story for another day.) I say: There's nothing in the Constitution saying legislators should take money to defeat something that IS for the common good!

[DestinationsUnknown]

08:55 PM on 09/01/2009

We should be revolting with that Bush Tax Cut you- GOP- passed with RECONCILIATION -

You think we all have the MURDCOH Mentality?

John McCain and his Economic advisor- Phil Graham- said it was all in our head?

Remember the DENIAL of the DO nothings? That was the GOP CONGRESS!

THE DO NOTHINGS!

8+ years of a 'C' mentality and what did we get? We were attacked with your party’s mentality!

FREEDOM?

FREEDOM FRIES!!!!

Attacked on September 11, 2001- the worst ever in our history!

The WORLD warned us not to invade Iraq- What did we do?

We renamed French Fries and INVADED Iraq.

The USA does not even rank within the top 25 countries in the world for education!

We were warned:

Australians warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch to infiltrate our free press standards

England warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch to infiltrate our free press standards

Sir Richard Branson said something like "if we let him, Murdock will destroy democracy".

We ignored Australia and England- look at the dumb down we got!

WSJ- Dumb it Down President!

Wall Street Journal- Once the most trustworthy news in the WORLD

Pitiful and shameful!

WSJ: Dumb it Down Mr. President!

[heartsick]

08:46 PM on 09/01/2009

Judd Gregg is a hypocrite. He asked to be Obama's Secretary of Commerce. He sent emissaries to ask for the position. He backed out when he realized that his vetting and confirmation would likely unearth his using his Senate seat for profit making in a land deal that involved him and his brother. Instead of owning up to his conflict of interest, he claimed to have ideological differences. He is full of it.

[JohnSawyer]

08:43 PM on 09/01/2009

I have a health insurance reform 101 question:

Can anyone here explain to me their take on why (or if) a properly-run public option would be substantially worse than a single-payer plan? How similar, and different, would a properly-run public option plan work for its clients, compared to a single-payer plan?

[tiredlady]

09:15 PM on 09/01/2009

Any public option has to "compete" with for-profit plans. This would be an HMO paid for by the government. Most people with HMO's are not thrilled with costs, choices, availability, etc. This also limits premium savings, drug price negotiation, portability (the coverage follows the person, not any job), pre-existing condition exclusions. What is the point in establishing another beauracracy to duplicate the same level of non-care that the insurance companies provide? Single-payer means you pay a much lower premium to an expanded Medicare-type system, you see your doctor, you get to see specialists if you need them, you pay no out-of-pocket, no deductibles, the government cuts the doctor(s) a check. This system allows for negotiating national drug prices, costs for care, and great economies of scale. It also removes profit ans share-holder payouts from our care cost equation. Seems like a better way to spend a buck.

[Quitcherbichin]

09:27 PM on 09/01/2009

Either one will cause somebody to bankrupt. Public option, the insurance companies go belly up. Single payer the American people go belly up.

[tiredlady]

10:00 PM on 09/01/2009

Can't follow your logic. If everyone is paying in, how does single-payer go bankrupt? And the insurance companies still have home, auto, life, and enhanced medical coverage policies to sell. They will have a smaller chunk of the healthcare pie, but many people will want some bells-and-whistles coverage. Too many people act like single-payer must be funded out of some new, unknown revenue stream, not so, if you aren't paying premiums to the for-profit insurers, you will pay a smaller premium for single-payer coverage, everyone will, and some taxes on those with huge incomes can be added to the pot.

[elfish]

10:24 PM on 09/01/2009

Nobody has to go bankrumpt; you obviously don't understand how insurance works. The average life-time medical cost for an American is about $3,500 per year. If medical expenses were spred evenly across you lifetime, you could just save that amount each year and you'd be covered. Since medical expenses come in big, expensive chunks, you may not have enough money saved to cover a big expense. The solution is to pool your money with thousands of other people, so the average works out. If you invest all that polled money, the cost goes lower because of interest payments. The costs go even lower, because you bypass all kinds of insurance company overhead of 35%. With that out of the way, the cost goes down to $2,000.

Unforntuately, we can't pool our money, so we rely on insurance companies to do it for us. Normally, when you have someone escrow money for you, they work for you. Not insurance companies, they work for their stock holders. They spend our pooled money on lobbying congress ($1.4-million per day) and hiring CEOs, Lawyers, Doctors and Accountants whose only job is denying our claims. Insurance is a legalized racket.