.jpg)
The Senate filibuster may last into the night. AP Photo Alex Brandon
Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has finally unveiled the Democrats Senate version of health care reform and now the fight begins. Tomorrow Democrats will attempt to bring the bill to the floor to start debate on the bill. This motion will require sixty votes and while Sen. Reid does not yet have those votes Politico reports that he is close and expected to be able to pull it off.
While this vote will have some significance as it moves the bill closer to passage it is important to note that this will simply allow the debate on the bill to actually begin. In order to vote on the bill another motion must be made and passed with sixty votes. Until that motion passes the Senate will be in what is commonly called a filibuster in which Republicans (or anyone else opposed to the bill) can speak for as long as they like in order to stall the process in hopes of killing the bill all together. A full explanation of the filibuster process can be read here.
How a filibuster actually occurs is quite different from common perception. In recent history the Senate has not even required the Senator to actually speak to stall the bill. Instead the Senator merely has to announce their intention to filibuster and the bill is then shelved. When a Senator is forced to speak rarely do the other Senators stick around to actually listen to what is a long and relatively boring speech. Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell explains his own first experience with the filibuster below. The humorous account describes Mitchell desperately trying to avoid waking other Senators like Ted Kennedy and Jesse Helms while he tries to gain access to a cot for some sleep. Remember Mitchell and the other Senators are sleeping while the filibuster is occurring.
Comments
This bill must not pass. It MUST be trashed. It is a socialist program that will bankrupt this country.
Chefs Dad: Can you back that up? The CBO says it will actually save this country money.
Back what up? Add 38 MILLION people to a program that relies on new taxes and savings from fraud and abuse and it will SAVE money?
Can the government run Medicare in the black? Medicaid in the black? Can they run the post office in the black?
How about the stimulus with $6 billion gone unaccounted for?
Are you serious?
I have some ocean front property in Arizona to sell you!
CD: So in other words, no?
Joe, the plan the CBO scored includes 10 years of taxes to pay for it and only 6 years of benefits being paid. Is that kosher with you? And they only score 10 years out.
Chef's Dad: You are wrong again. They scored it twenty years out. Over the second ten years they save many billions more. May want to check your facts.
Show me the CBO document and where it does that Witt.
The comments here apparently don't allow you to link to anything. But I googled "CBO scores senate health bill," which brought me to the CNN article titled "Senate leader unveils $849 billion health care bill". The key quote in it:
"In addition, they said at a news conference, the budget office estimated that the proposal would reduce the federal deficit by $127 billion over the next 10 years and by more than $600 billion in the following decade."
Actually the same CBO says the Senate Bill will cost twice as much.
"In its true first decade(2014 to 2023), CBO projects the Bill's costs to be $1.8 Trillion--double the price Reid is advertising."
Chefs Dad ....There is an Examiner named Hans Bader who is very up-to-date on this issue. The above quote was from yesterday Nov 17 5"06PM.
Jamie: You do not account for the savings. In the end we save more money than we spend. The deficit would be LARGER under CBO estimates if we DO NOT pass the bill. Yes technically we spend 1.8 trillion but if we DO NOT pass the bill we will spend around 3 trillion.
Americans don't want this bill.
News has it that this bill bribes Louisina Senator Mary Landrieu with $100-300 million to get her vote. I love when tax payers get stuck paying the bribe for something they DON'T WANT!
Hope these politicians are having a good time; their careers will be over very soon!!! Do they not remember 1994! This bill has even less support than Hillary Care did!
I'm not finding your 3 Trillion # Ryan.
But as Gigi said, MUCH of the American Public do not want this bill. Because of it's being run Thru the IRS. Because of it's Jail terms if you do not Comply with Government mandates. Because of Rationing of Medical care. I noticed that they are already targeting women same old attack of the Socialists. First in Breast exams then in Pap exams.
Here are 5 other freedoms you will lose with this Health care Bill.
money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/news/economy/health_care_reform_obama.fortune/index.htm
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!