Breaking: Senate Finance Committee Dropping Democratic Health Goals/Public Option, Employer Mandate

[flpoljunkie]

Senate Finance Committee Dropping Dem Health Goals: AP

DAVID ESPO
07/27/09

WASHINGTON — After weeks of secretive talks, a bipartisan group in the Senate edged closer Monday to a health care compromise that omits a requirement for businesses to offer coverage to their workers and lacks a government insurance option that President Barack Obama favors, according to numerous officials.

Like bills drafted by Democrats, the proposal under discussion by six members on the Senate Finance Committee would bar insurance companies from denying coverage to any applicant. Nor could insurers charge higher premiums on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

But it jettisons other core Democratic provisions in a reach for bipartisanship on an issue that has so far produced little.

The effort received a boost during the day from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, normally a close ally of Republicans. In a letter to committee leaders, the business group called for the panel to "act promptly, preferably before" the Senate's scheduled vacation at the end of next week. In doing so, the business organization dealt a blow to the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other GOP lawmakers who have called repeatedly for Democrats to slow down.

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/27/senate-group-dropping-dem_n_245839.html

[grasswire]

1. there is no justice; there is just us.

We're on our own, kids.

[tinrobot]

2. Screw "Bipartisanship"

We have the votes, we don't need to water it down for the GOP.

[Botany]

4. this from Max Baucus

[SeattleGirl]

22. Baucus is an insurance industry tool.

But I know you already knew that.

:hi:

[Botany]

3. paid off fuckers ..... Max Baucus

The senators involved in the negotiations are all members of the Senate Finance Committee, and include Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the
chairman, and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the senior Republican. Others participating are Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad of North Dakota a
nd Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, and Republicans Olympia Snowe of Maine and Mike Enzi of Wyoming.

[PretzelWarrior]

5. I have a huge headache. I cannot believe this is where we're at.

It's like 4th quarter. Up 7-0 and then our guy fumbles the ball to the other team and you have to wonder if he did it on purpose or not. Fortunately, there is still time remaining in the game to fight this out.

[Jennicut]

6. Its Baucus. He is preventing the public option.

He should get no backing from anyone come election time for him.

[Botany]

8. He should be dragged from his office and then tar & feathered

[debbierlus]

18. It is hardly just Baucus. If all the other dems stood together & demanded a STRONG public option

We would get it.

He is one of many

[high density]

7. What's the point? Most Repukes will still vote against it.

Any hope of it getting patched up in conference? I am not hopeful after seeing what conference committee did with the stimulus.

[Mass]

9. Nice. No major surprise, unfortunately. Sadly, when the Dems did not protest because Baucus

decided to negotiate with only 6 people, it was clear it would end this way.

[flpoljunkie]

10. Baucus did succeed in stopping Senate and House from passing a bill before their August recess.

What will Pelosi do now?

[Mass]

11. Somehow, I do not think Baucus cares. He got what he wanted; show that he is a little king

and that he is moderate and bipartisan enough.

[backscatter712]

12. A Finance Committee bill with co-ops?

At least now that we're somewhat closer to the Finance Committee actually crapping this turd onto the Senate Floor, we can get to work on demanding it get flushed.

Push for the House to pass H.R. 3200, then demand that Senators dump the Finance bill and go for the HELP bill.

[Sebastian Doyle]

13. Not. Fucking. Acceptable.

If anyone here is "monitoring" this website on behalf of the Obama administration, please give him this message.

REJECT this piece of shit, or YOU will be rejected in 2012.

[Uzybone]

14. this bill will not make it to the floor

[Davis_X_Machina]

15. There are five committees...

...the three in the House that collectively emitted the HELP bill, and the other committee in the Senate.

The absence of the public option in only one of the five is actually quite remarkable. Six months ago I'd have guessed the reverse -- that it'd be included in only one of the five.

[backscatter712]

17. Close...

There are the three committees in the House: Energy & Commerce, Ways & Means, and Education & Labor - we're just waiting on Energy & Commerce to finish its markup and send its version of HR3200 to the floor. Then the three House versions of HR 3200 go to the Rules Committee, where they'll get merged, then they go to a floor vote in the House.

In the Senate, the HELP Committee released the HELP Committee bill already, and we're still waiting for the Finance Committee to crap out its bill.

But yeah, four out of five is not bad, and since it looks like H.R. 3200 is on track for passage, that's a big stick that can be used to wallop the Blue Cross Dems in the Senate, along with the HELP bill to eat a public option.

[CTyankee]

19. Obama will stop it. He will not allow this to go forward. nt

[Thrill]

16. Rockafeller already pretty much said Baucus is doing this shit behind closed doors

Not good at all.

[SeattleGirl]

24. Who the hell made Baucus King of the Country?

[karynnj]

25. The Senate - he is the chair of the committee

which does give him considerable power. I never knew though that he could exclude 17 of the 23 members from the key mark up of the bill.

[vaberella]

20. Obama is not about to sign this; and I'm not supporting this shit if it's true. n/t

[wroberts189]

21. But the individual mandate/penalty to boost big INS. profits stays in right? nt

[wroberts189]

23. When bushie was in charge all pubs marched in lockstep ...

What is wrong with the majority leader aka "whip"?

[quantass]

26. Cenk predicted this precisely today on TYT -- No surprises...It'll be scraped. eom