The pressure must be enormous! Following last week's elections when the Democrats even managed to lose New Jersey, it is understandable that there are members of the House who have at least one eye on their own futures. But yesterday the President, White House Chief of Staff and "Closer" Rahm Emanuel, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and even Education Secretary Arne Duncan were hitting the phones trying to turn those who plan to vote against the health care Bill.
And with each passing hour - and another broken promise by Nancy Pelosi (this one to publish the Bill on line 72 hours before a vote), details emerge that make passage of the Bill harder for her and her enforcers.
For example - a measure that was removed in Committee Stage is back. The Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.
I would love to go through the letter and detail its contents, but this blog is going to be long without that. The link to the letter is above.
MEANWHILE those lovely moveon.org people have issued threats. The organisation has reportedly raised $3,578,117 in contributions to fund primary challenges against 'any Democratic senator who blocks an up-or-down vote on health care reform with a public option,' according to an e-mail sent to group members on Thursday.
A civil war in the Democrat Party is not something I lose any sleep over, but the Chicago-style politics of this group is certainly something to behold right now. Just for good measure, the e-mail it sent out highlighted Democracy for America - the largest progressive group in the country which was founded by former DNC Chairman Howard Dean and THAT organisation's urging of Senate Democrats to strip committee chairmanship from "any Democrat who filibusters health care."
MEANWHILE AGAIN there appears to be a small civil war erupting in the AMA which endorsed the President's health care proposals last week. Fox News reports the following: The American Medical Association's much-touted endorsement of the House health care reform bill has triggered a revolt among some members who want the endorsement withdrawn. Some members are outraged that the group's trustees made the endorsement without the formal approval of the organization's House of Delegates. On Monday, delegates will vote on a resolution offered by some members that, if approved, will withdraw the AMA’s endorsement of the bill.
Now this is EXTREMELY relevant because the President made such a huge deal of the endorsement when it came - along with that of the AARP. "They're endorsing this bill because they know it will strengthen Medicare, not jeopardize it," he told reporters. "They know it will protect the benefits our seniors receive, not cut them. "So I want everyone to remember that the next time you hear the same tired arguments to the contrary from insurance companies and their lobbyists and remember this endorsement the next time you see a bunch of misleading ads on television," he added.
Hmmmm - interesting reading don't you think? There are still HUGE issues facing Pelosi and her cronies. Abortion is one. Right now, the Bill does allow Federal funds to be used for this. She has a tough job to find a compromise here. If she doesn't take it out, then I don't think she has the votes. If she DOES take it out then the left of her party could abandon it.
She has similar issues over illegal immigrants - one is reminded of that now famous "YOU LIE" call. This from AP - As drafted, the legislation permits illegal immigrants to purchase coverage with their own money inside the insurance exchange that would be created — a provision that the 23-member Hispanic Caucus wants retained in any final compromise that reaches Obama's desk.
So there you have it. The news could change hourly today. Pelosi might even shoot for a Sunday vote - BUT one thing I know for sure. She will not risk losing on the floor of the House. If you hear its up for a vote, then she strongly believes it will pass. As part of the phone round yesterday, members were told by the President that to pass nothing would kill the Bill. They had to pass SOMETHING which would then be changed before it reached his desk.
One would hope that with 234 millionaires in Congress, they have enough intelligence not to buy that particular snake oil.
You know what you have to do...
STAND UP AMERICA!
You can comment on this blog by e-mailing me at simontalkshow@gmail.com
Picture by AP is a link from Yahoo.
___________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment