And so it begins in earnest in the U.S. Senate.
Democrats got the 60 votes they needed to bring a health care reform bill to the floor for debate.
Is it a done deal from there? Not by a long shot, as Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire noted yesterday on CNN.
When all is said and done, she predicted, the health care bill that's likely to emerge will be a compromise, but a necessary one, she feels.
"It's important to point out that this bill is not just about how do we deliver health care in a way that is more cost-effective, because families can't afford it anymore, business can't afford it anymore, and the economy can't afford it," she said.
After the 60-39 cloiture vote on Saturday, Republican U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire said that health care reform puts the country on a path toward a "European-style, government-run health care system."
As with any of the entitlement and bailout programs of late, Gregg points to the future and the deficit's effects.
"This bill will fundamentally change the way health care is delivered by creating a new multi-trillion dollar entitlement program that massively grows the size and role of the federal government, significantly increases taxes, especially on small businesses, and cuts Medicare by over a trillion dollars," said Gregg.
With the Republicans lined up against reform, it will take Shaheen and the Democrats to carry the bill. But there is some concern about the Democrats who lean more right than left some times.
There may not be enough votes among the critically needed 60 to approve health care reform if it includes the government-run option for Americans lacking insurance, as it does now.
It's the middle that will hold sway on health care reform.
Here's the bill in its entirety ... all 2,074 pages of it.
Related story:
Gregg, Shaheen now consider health care reform bill
Comments
For those who keep blaming Republicans you better get off that 'high horse" This bill is the equivalent of throwing the baby out with the bath water- the cart before the horse- If your house needed work would you knock the whole thing down? Reform is needed, but not at the expense of killing more jobs. How the heck would you get successful reform if you eliminate small and large business who are paying for this? With higher taxes they won't have money to 'reform' anything. It is a backwards movement- illogical, and insane. Pushing it down Americas throat to appease Obama is the death of America, literally.
The healthcare legislation is probably the most damaging and dishonest piece of legislation I’ve seen in my lifetimeThe bill has numerous gimmicks, such as starting taxes now and delaying benefits until 2014. It’s trying to be sold as a free lunch.Under the present path we’re on and the attitude of the administration now, a defeat is going to be the inevitable result in Afghanistan. He’s obviously more concerned about an exit strategy than being aggressive on this matter and doing what just about all the military people are advising him to do. The problem is that the president has a lack of resolve. We have to recognize that we are spending ourselves into bankruptcy. Our debt is getting toward third world status.Obama’s poor performance will help Republicans in next year’s elections.The president is trying to do some things that the American people see through and don’t want.
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