Senate rejects bid to repeal healthcare law

I don’t think this was a wise move by the senators. This will be used against them in 2012. I would have let it ride through the Senate fully knowing that Obama could veto it.

The votes have been recorded. If just three Democrats had done the right thing we would be one step closer to having this albatross removed from our necks. We now know who to target in 2012. If the Democrats did not get the message last November they will surely hear us in 2012 when we vote them out of office.

Let’s see: the Republicans tried to push through an item they knew would be defeated. Too bad Henry Hyde is no longer alive, for if he was, they could claim victory and make statements such as “there will be more dragons to slay”.

We have 30 million people in this country that won’t have health insurance if this law is repealed. Republicans: do you suppose that people who get sick will just have to die? What do you do if a person shows up gravely ill at the emergency room – turn them away? I tell you Republicans, you need to have your health care taken away, then we will see how you feel. We have a horrific problem in this country with health care. The costs are way out of line. It has been getting worse and worse for at least 30 years now. Until the Republicans face up to this we are in danger of horrible consequences. Anyone who can’t see this has their head in the sand – or maybe somewhere else.

I have an artificial hip due to an accident caused by another person when I was 23. I was unable to obtain any healthcare coverage without a permenant rider excluding anything related to my hip (pretty much that whole leg). This medical coverage had a 5000.00 deductible and cost 350.00 per month. I am a healthy person with absolutely no other medical conditions than my hip so you can see I basically would be paying 350.00 for nothing as I would never meet the deductible and if anything wrong with my hip would not count. Now with Obamacare I can buy a policy that covers my hip with only a 2000.00 deductible for 370.00 per month. Still a lot of money but at least I feel like I now live in a civilized country. The only death panel I faced was the insurance companies. My thought was if a person gets hurt really bad in an accident and will need care in the future with the way things stood they should just euthanize them on the spot as the for profit wealthcare system we had before said they were not insurable as they could not make money off them.

This is why it is important for our Congressmen and Congresswomen to review and pass important laws in a non-partisan manner, thoughtful, and careful manner. Both parties represent the country, both parties should agree on such huge and impactful legislation. I like the idea of helping people with pre-existing conditions to obtain healthcare, but I abhore the manner in which this legislation was passed and the serious lack of critical review before it was passed. Our government should not rush through such important decisions which affect so many of our citizens in so many different ways. All these legal reviews and political decisions should have been discussed as a unified Congress before deciding to make it law.

@ the_piano_man

Do you realize that about 3/4 of that number are illegal immigrants? Not to sound insensitive, but why should our citizens pay for their healthcare? Also, I think you’re being overly dramatic. People who are sick today don’t go without care. There are many not for profit hospitals who provide millions of dollars of free care every year, as well as various private and government sponsored funds to help those who don’t have the money to pay.

Also, please keep in mind that this bill does not provide health care. All it does is mandate that people buy insurance. Most of the people who can afford to have insurance already have it, so what is the point of telling people they have to buy it? Obama actually opposed a mandate such as this when he was a senator and said something to the effect of, “If something like this worked, then we could solve the homeless problem by mandating that everyone buy a house.”

I am an very strong Republican, but I do not understand what there problem is with health care available for everyone. Now days with companies offering less and less benefits, insurance plans costing a fortune, and so many people without affordable health care in there reach, not to mention how filthy stinking rich the insurance companies have been for a long time now it really bugs me… It would be next to impossible for me to vote other then republican but this issue really makes me think, as I’m sure it does a lot of other people..

About a month after the healthcare law passed, my parents health insurance payments rose by about 20% according to my father. They are both senior citizens and have been paying roughly the same amount for the last several years. This is no coincidence. They are also not the only ones who’s costs rose. Their friends did as well. Anyone who thinks health insurance will be cheaper are fooling themselves. I’m 33 years old and my premiums went up as well, albeit not a whole lot, but they still increased.

I’m tired of both of the sides getting attention in this debate. Between the statements out of Reid and McConnell, absolutely nothing was said.

Here’s Reid’s statement:
“They want to replace patients’ rights with insurance companies’ power. They want to replace health with sickness. They want to replace the
promise of tomorrow with the pain of yesterday.”

The first sentence is absolutely fine. Most of the point of Healthcare Reform is to give more power to the consumer. The second sentence is hyperbole. Not one Republican said that and, if they did, we would have seen Jon Stewart making fun of it. It almost seems that he tried to slip it in between a rational statement and a powerful statement.

Here’s McConnell’s statement:
“The case against this bill is more compelling every day. Everything we learn tells us it was a bad idea. That it should be repealed and replaced. The courts say so. The American people say so.”

Mitch makes no strides to actually make a statement of his own or provide any reasons as to why this bill is bad idea. He only stakes claims to other people who say that they want it repealed with rather uncertain terms like “courts” (which courts?) and “American people” (in January, polling has shown 47/40 in favor of repeal on average, but this takes no credence into how well informed pollers are on health care reform, which is important in this age of cable news misinformation).

Please. This affects the American population far more than it does the people debating it. Send copies of the health care reform bill out. Have people take quizzes at the door. Make sure they know what the bill entails. Then, let the well-informed vote.

The Republicans have no argument here. When one considers the back room deals they, themselves conducted in passing the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (also called the Medicare Modernization Act or MMA) in 2003. You can find more information about that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_Prescription_Drug,_Improvement,_and_Modernization_Act#Costs

Oh, and for all you supposedly devout and “good Christians” (ha!) here’s something else to chew on: from Proverbs 28:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

The Democrats appear to want to sink the country into a debt hole that we cannot get out of. Their solid Dem states (CA, NY, IL, etc) are all in the hole now, and they are compelling the rest of the country to join them. Last year we were beyond the tipping point where a majority of the countries voters get more from the government then they put in, so of course they voted themselves a pile of free stuff ! The pendulum has swung back a little so maybe the tide will turn for a while, but my G_d this country is in big trouble from this trend.

Lol. Maybe the GOP will stop pulling publicity stunts and actually work towards real healthcare reform– like ensuring costs remain reasonable by promoting competition, stamping out collusion between companies, and passing medical malpractice reform.

Then again, I don’t trust the GOP to do anything reasonable.

“If this law is constitutional, congress can make Americans buy anything”. They already do. They make Americans buy car insurance, seat belts, air bags, motorcycle helmets, life preservers, and on and on. Mostly they do it indirectly by bribing and coercing state legislatures to pass these laws, as a way of getting around the tenth amendment to the constitution. What is different about this law is that it is a federal rather than state mandate. Thus the politicians have finally come out into the open and expressed their contempt both for the constitution and their oath of office, and declared, in effect, that in the future they will be bound by neither. From the standpoint of the average citizen it makes little difference, when the police arrest you for not having bought whatever they want you to buy, whether it is because of a federal law or a state law the federal government forced on the states. The reality is that any industry with enough money to bribe the members of congress can get a law passed forcing citizens to buy their product or service. It is an immensly profitable business. In the case of the new health care law, for a measly $40 million in “campaign contributions”, the insurance industry got a law forcing Americans to pay them an additional $40 billion dollars a year. Not many investments yield that kind of a return.

The GOP is completely in the pocket of the insurance industry. They have used scare tactics assisted by the right wing press to convince people that no health care for 30 million is better, that denying insurance because of pre-existing conditions is better. The US has the most backward healthcare insurance system in the developed world and the Republicans, bought and paid for by their industry sponsors, want to keep it that way.

Well, now we know whom to vote out in 2012. Democratic Senators, you have just shown yourselves the door.

I cannot wait until 2012! Reed needs to be kicked out of office along with other libdemwits.

Hello piano man, If you clear out the 30 million illegals that are going to the emergency room with their gold cards, we might be able to afford giving medical care to our citizens.

mbsfca – While you’re digging into your bible, check out the passage that says “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s” and tell me how you can defend a law that was put in place to support our Illegal community.

Once the Pelosi/Reid/Obama illegal healthcare law has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court and Republican control of the House, Sendate and White House has been reestablished in 2012 then you will see real healthcare reform. The Republicans have plans to insure that all American citizens will have access to the best the healthcare system in the world. No one will be denied healthcare due to a preexisting condition. Tort reform will pass and doctors will not have to pay 20% of their income for liability insurance. We will be able to purchase healthcare insurance across state lines which will spur competition and lower our cost. Republicans will read the bill before they pass it. They will let us read the bill before they pass it. It is coming right after we kick the crooked Democrats out in 2012. Less than 23 months before we are free again.

You think the Republicans would put something in it’s place before trying to kill Obama’s – NO!. The Repubs never wanted any healthcare legislation passed, they were more interested in handing Obama his waterloo – whatever that is. And right now all you’ll hear the Repubs talk about is medical malpractice reform. Real nice, take away your right to compensation to fix healthcare. Talk about UNCONSTITUTIONAL! Go look at how many deaths are caused each year from Doctor / Nurse screw-ups, then ask yourself it you want some Republican Hack taking away your right to compensation. And medical malpractice reform won’t solve anything when it comes to healthcare, just look at the research, as usual, the Repubs numbers are lies. The just want to hand their friends an extra million to add to their 11 million dollar paychecks,

@ogre12 Congratulations. It took an incredible 70 minutes for the adolescent name-calling to begin. Hope you’re proud.

I prefer having thousands of insurance companies to choose from for my healthcare than having only one choice – Obamacare. The government has no right to force me to buy my healthcare from the bureaucracy. I love competition. When insurance companies are free to compete the consumer will win and be free to choose what is best for themselves. Having government bureaucrats dictating our care and forcing us to buy is a major loss for us, the people. Obamacare will not be cheaper and it will not be better than private healthcare. We lose freedom, money and great healthcare with Obamacare.

In reply to HemiHead66 who wrote:

“You think the Republicans would put something in it’s place before trying to kill Obama’s – NO!”

HemiHead please tell me how the Republicans could have put something in place before trying to kill Obamacare. They have not been in control of Congress since 2005.

Why are all the doctors,hospitals and everyone else at the healthcare trough not blamed for the massive ripoff prices charged.All the blame goes on the insurance companies.

Write a new bill that will replace all the old ones with a new, comprehensive set of laws that lack the problems of the current and past ones.

Don’t repeal it, replace it

This is exactly the stuff we are sick of. More fighting and less agreement to move forward. I did not send my senator and representative to Washington to waste time on what they all know won’t work. They are awfully well paid for wasting their time, don’t you think?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scoffed at Republican efforts, saying: “They want to replace patients’ rights with insurance companies’ power. They want to replace health with sickness. They want to replace the promise of tomorrow with the pain of yesterday.”

what a liar, uh harry, we want to repeal it because you reconciled it.

Take note independents, democrats are protected their tails.

Conservatives are not backing down on this reconciled offensive against freedom and the constitution and more federal reach.

No progress will be made until an actual bill is created through an actual legistlative process and passed by both sides of the aisle. Until then peace on healthcare is as much a pipe dream as peace in the middle east

@msvoltaire,

sounds like you didn’t have coverage when you were first injured – how is that the fault of the insurance companies?

@Johd777,
the problem with healthcare for everyone is that “everyone” includes those who have chosen not to cover themselves and those who are illegal aliens. That is the problem. Other problems included ZERO provisions to bring down the actual costs of HC which is truly the problem with the system.

Oh, and then there is that thing called reconciliation that was shoved down our throats – but hey you’re right, whats the big deal – its just freedom

“What is clear is that IF this law is constitutional, Congress can make Americans buy anything that Congress wants”

exactly, game, set, match -> freedom

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell countered: “The case against this bill is more compelling every day. Everything we learn tells us it was a bad idea. That it should be repealed and replaced.”

Replaced with what, Mitch? You just want to end it and start over to grab those millions being spent by lobbyists.

The system is broken, but everyone wants to blame the fix. You need proof of insurance to drive a car, why not to enter a hospital? Right now everyone waits until they are VERY SICK before going to see a doctor and eating the deductible…or they go with no insurance and declare bankruptcy or skip the bill which then gets sucked up by those paying insurance premuims as the cost is passed along. For those against the ‘Constitutionality’ of the bill, maybe you are for the free lunch being handed out today? And the legal protections afforded to insurance companies to determine if you are ‘good enough’ to get insurance (and what those premiums are?)

What is the fix, Mitch?

Man I love free health care. I get sick, I’m taken care of; no treatment bills.

The latest decision by Judge Vinson has hit the appropriate issues right on the head. They include the severability clause which was deliberately taken out of the bill by the writers of the bill. They can’t change their minds mid-stream after they find things are not going as they had planned.

The other issue is the Commerce Clause and the ability to regulate ‘inactivity.’ It is clear that they Courts have allowed the Commerce Clause to be stretched almost to the breaking point over the years in order to regulate ‘activity,’ but it is clear (at least to me a non-Constitutional scholar) that it would not extend to regulating ‘inactivity’ by any citizen in any state. If that were true then they could mandate us to buy Kelloggs instead of Post cereals; Chryslers instead of Chevrolets; or any other analogy you might want to make.

This bill is not going to be repealed by the Congress and even if it were, Mr. Obama would veto it immediately. It is the US Supreme Court htat is going to settle this issue and hopefully it will be sent there on an expedited basis forthwith. It can’t happen too soon in order to stop the states and agencies from running up more millions of dollars of costs that we do not have and putting us further and futher in debt. Thank you.

Our debt is now 100% of GDP in the US and our $14+ trillion represents 25% of total world debt! Doesn’t include unfunded entitlements, state/pension defiicits/debt, Fed deficit projection for the next 10 years, etc etc etc! What makes anyone think bigger government holds promise-I don’t get it! The US hs a moral obligation to cut spending not increase it! I’d make the case the moral obligation of reduced debt is greater than expanding healthcare coverage! Imagine what we could have done for the least of us with $14 Trillion plus interest? 80 million boomers lining up folks-time to get it right and embrace change! Canada did it (cut spending dramtically)-look to our neighbors to the north for best practices FYI!!

Harry, your state is a real role model for the rest of us-it’s number 1 in most categories-social/financial ills that is! Give us best practices not failed leadership!

Clearly what the house should do is pass a “government option” then costs will go down (and the greedy guts who are 20% of tyhe MD population can quit while the “good docs” can thrive)

I love how the repubs like to bash everything the president tries to do while from 2000 – 2008 they were all drinking the George W kool-aid; where was the concern for the budget, healthcare, deficit, etc. then? I hate to beat a dead horse but the fact is that when W came to office there was a budget surplus!

There is no “health care law.” There is an Insurance Health Care Law that was the biggest betrayal of the America citizens since the invasion of Afghanistan. This law needs repealed and a single-payer system installed.

My preferences in order:
A) Repeal the Healthcare bill but only if it is replaced with Single Payer (Medicare for All, government option; whatever you want to call it). Let the Government compete against insurance companies the way the Post Office ‘competes’ with UPS and Fedex. It is the government’s job to provide it’s people basic human services. Medical help is one of those.

B) Keep the bill and tweak it.

C) Let conservatives repeal the bill to remain in the good graces of the insurance companies, their largest contributors.

I find the comment amusing.

Republicans thing we have forgotten Bush’s disastrous 8 years with two wars and the highest debt in the world’s history, the largest expansion of government, and the corruption of the Constitution and destruction of science-based government policy.

Democrats think we forgot what Obama promised and that we’re to stupid to see the fake health care law is about mandating we pay billions of dollars to insurance companies that will provide less and less health care. Hey, we’re not that stupid, are we?

@msvoltaire

First I am sorry about your injury. With that said, you don’t purchase auto insurance after you have an accident and expect them to cover your accident. If you had insurance prior to the accident there would be no problem. If you choose to not get insurance when you are healthy and then when you get sick/injured and see decide you want the benefits from insurance you should be out of luck. Insurance requires people who don’t need insurance to pay into it for it to have money available to people who do need it, and for ther to be money there when you do need it. Your choice to not pay for insurance is your choice, however forcing everyone else to pay for your mistake is not something that I support. This does nothing to lower healthcare costs, it will only increase the costs for everyone.

@robert1234 Robert you are right an absolute disastrous 8 yrs. of George W. Bush. Let us not forget the unprecedented assault on civil liberty never before in America. Have you seen your electric bill. We have to thank somebody for the privatization of a public utility. Don’t tell me I can’t pay 10 dollars for a tomato and I pay that. When it comes down to it, the choice has always been between two evils. When I -an American- choose republican I choose the greater of two evils by a distance greater than the Grand Canyon. God blesses America not the inmates running the asylum.

I think these comments are missing the point; they have become more about democrat Vs. republican – When the article is about repealing health care. This country has known that there is a problem with health care and every president since L.B.J has acknowledge this problem and tried to do something about it. I know that the current health care law isn’t perfect (because we are a two party system that must agree to pass laws; I hope everyone understands that the health care law that President Obama wanted isn’t the one that is currently in effect because he still needed some from the other party to vote for it) but the fact that Obama was able to accomplish something thats been in the works for 30 years is worth noting (even though some think health care was rushed). So I think we should be discussing why or how to fix things instead of going back to the status quo.

You think your threats of not voting for the Dems in 2012 is going to scare them into voting to repeal the law – well don’t vote for them. Out of all of you who threat the Dems job, your one vote will cost them the re-election (ok). They must have a strong conviction about this law. If Obama counld not save their job in 2010, then he can’t do it in 2012. That tells me they are serious.

@varela It is refreshing to hear the truth. To those who shamelessly oppose it Our President has lain a compelling trap that wreaks of single payer public option. I hope that the Supreme Court were only as smart as you all.

All those opposed to the health care bill–exactly what is wrong with universal health care coverage?

Is there anyone without coverage who opposes the bill?

All the Rand-ians out there, even if they can’t see it from the viewpoint of those who’d benefit, ought to recognize how virtuously selfish it is to promote and underpin everyone else’s good health.

5tudentT there is not even one American person with a pre-existing condition that I can count . Add that to the zero from your count. That equals a fatter zero. Nobody who needs coverage is against this Law. Our Prez signed it, it is the Law right now. Thanks for your interest.

If the Constitution were a conservative issue, the Patriot Act, detention in Gitmo, extraordinary rendition to Egypt, spying on Americans, listening to phone calls, deregulating finance, contracts without competitive bids, holding Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, and Honduras hostage…I am out of breath…all would not have happened.
Civilized countries have what Congress has: Universal Single Payer Health Insurance.
bobby99

It is good to have a ringside seat to merciless greed played out on the American People. November 2012 will be even more interesting.

Be cool Bobby let the pseudo-intellectual republicans dance us right back into a Super Majority. I can see single payer, public utilities, endless possibilities. That’s why the Virginia a g asked for a fast track from the Supreme Court. Once the people taste the benefit I lose.