Baucus' bill gets more than 550 amendments

[ProSense]

Baucus Debacle Amendments

by mcjoan

As David says, over at Congress Matters

What happens when the hottest legislation to hit DC in decades falls to the jurisdiction of a committee with nearly a quarter of the entire Senate serving on it, but the Chairman locks three-quarters of them out of the drafting of that legislation?

Five hundred forty-three amendments. That's what.

So Happy Baucus Debacle Amendments Day.

Many are duplicative. Many, particularly from the Republicans, are bullshit. For our purposes, the meatiest are "Amendments related to expanding health coverage" . As Kitsap River has diaried, Rockefeller has amendment 187, "Establishment and administration of a public health insurance option as an exchange-qualified health benefits plan."

Other highlights from the coverage set of amendments:

• 185, Rockefeller, "Strike state exchanges, multiple competing exchanges, and regional exchanges, and create one national exchange"
  
• 191, Rockefeller, "Strike health care cooperatives"
  
• 196, Rockefeller, "Increase Medicaid eligibility to 150% of poverty"
  
• 201, Rockefeller/Hatch, "Remove the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from the exchange"
  
• 206, Rockefeller, "Allow early retirees between ages 55 and 64 to buy into Medicare"
  
• 226, Kerry/Schumer, "Replace the Free Rider provision with an employer mandate"
  
• 248, Wyden, "To ensure affordable access to health insurance exchange plans for all Americans"
  
• 261, Schumer/Cantwell, "Public option as passed by HELP Committee"
  
• 274, Stabenow/Wyden/Kerry, "To ensure parity for mental health services within the exchange"
  
• 275, Stabenow, "Give states the option of including family planning as part of their Medicaid programs"
  
• 312, Menendez, "Providing a reduction in the out-of-pocket maximum for those between 300%-400% of poverty"

That's just an overview of some of the amendments to help fix deficiences in the Baucus debacle, the number one of which is the lack of a public option. Some that are key but haven't gotten as much attention include the Kerry/Schumer employer mandate. Ezra has a very good explanation of Baucus's Free Rider provision and the disincentive it creates for employers to hire low-income workers. There's also a basic fairness issue--if there's going to be an individual mandate, there should also be an employer mandate. The Wyden amendment, 248, would open the exchange to all comers. Combined with a public option, that exchange expansion is critical to providing real choice and competition.

more

Summary of Delivery Amendments 1-180 (full text)

Summary of Coverage Amendments 181-464 (full text)

Summary of Finance Amendments 465-564 (full text)

Kerry amendments:

28
Kerry D1
Ensure Consumer and Patient Involvement in Decisions affecting the Delivery of Health Care
This amendment will not result in increased cost.
29
Kerry/ Stabenow D2
Easing the Impact of Home Health Cuts
Amendment will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
30
Kerry D3
Enabling Physicians from Various Specialties to Participate in Accountable Care Organizations
This amendment will not result in increased cost.
31
Kerry D4
Pediatric Accountable Care Organization Demonstration Project under Medicaid and CHIP
This amendment should result in a reduced cost.
32
Kerry D5
Inclusion of Medicaid and CHIP in CMS Innovation Center
This amendment will not result in increased cost.
93
Nelson/ Schumer/ Cantwell/Kerry D6
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction
Offset to be provided when amendment is offered.
98
Menendez/ Kerry D1
226
Kerry/Schumer C1
Replace the Free Rider provision with an employer mandate
None required
227
Kerry/Snowe/Schumer/Lincoln/Cantwell C2
Modify the small tax business credit to allow non-profits to be eligible
Offset will be
228
Kerry C3
Would allow for the establishment of a "Medicaid Global Payments" demo project in those states that are currently providing premium assistance to low-income individuals through a Section 1115 waiver
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
229
Kerry C4
Providing an option for medical power of attorney for children aging out of foster care
None required
230
Kerry C5
Medicare patient access to home IVIG treatment
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
231
Kerry C6
Building a successful public/private partnership to assist exchanges
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
232
Kerry/Stabenow C7
Reinsurance for early retirees
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
233
Kerry C8
Empowering state exchanges to be prudent purchasers
Savings from the amendment will be used to improve the premium subsidy in future years
234
Kerry/Menendez C9
Making health coverage more affordable to Low-and Moderate-Income individuals and families
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
235
Kerry C10
Ensuring that premium tax credits continue to make health insurance affordable
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
236
Kerry C11
Adjustment to FMAP language to include individuals covered under section 1115 waivers
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes, if necessary
237
Kerry C12
Creating an open, transparent, and inclusive process for establishing benefit standards
None required
238
Kerry C13
Community based outreach for fishermen, farmers, and ranchers
None required
239
Kerry/Hatch C14
Religious non-discrimination in health care
None required
240
Kerry C15
Narrow the age rating band
None required
241
Kerry C16
Improved access to home and community based services under Medicaid
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
242
Kerry C17
Expand access to Medicare Advantage for ESRD patients
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
243
Kerry C18
Expand access to Medigap for individuals with disabilities and ESRD
Will be offset by closing corporate tax loopholes
244
Kerry/Schumer C19
Protecting state consumer protections
None required
274
Stabenow/ Wyden/Kerry C2
To ensure parity for mental health services within the exchange
No offset needed
297
Nelson/Kerry C1
Strike Interstate sale of insurance
Budget neutral
300
Menendez/ Kerry/ Bingaman/ Schumer C1
Making premiums more affordable
Increase annual fee on health insurance providers by amount necessary to offset the increase in spending
Application of budget neutrality on a national basis in the calculation of the Medicare hospital wage index floor for each all-urban and rural state.
No cost anticipated
465
Rockefeller/Kerry/ Schumer/ Menendez F1
Exempt workers in high-risk professions from the excise tax on high cost insurance
capping itemized deductions at 35 percent
469
Kerry/ Rockefeller/ Schumer/ Stabenow/ Cantwell/ Menendez F1
The amendment would make various changes to the excise tax on high cost insurance. No change would be made to the transition relief.
closing corporate tax loopholes
470
Kerry/ Snowe/ Cantwell F2
The amendment would make various changes to the excise tax on high cost insurance. No changes would be made to the transition relief.
provided when the amendment is offered
471
Kerry F3
The amendment would make various changes to the excise tax on high cost insurance. No change would be made to the transition relief.
capping itemized deductions at 35 percent
474
Schumer/ Kerry/ Cantwell/ Menendez F2
Tax equity for Domestic Partners
Offset will be determined when the amendment is offered for consideration

[BlooInBloo]

1. Baucus is pure fail. Remove him from the chair.

[old mark]

13. He was just re-elected and has 5 more years in Congress. nt

[BlooInBloo]

14. That's nice, and doesn't come remotely close to contradicting anything I said.

[Why Syzygy]

2. . bookmarking for later ..nt

[malletgirl02]

3. Amendments

Usually a bill with this many amendments dies sooner or later. Also Prosense I apologize for unintentionally derailing one of your threads a few weeks ago.

[SpartanDem]

4. This is gonna be a long markup

[ProSense]

7. Nope, voting scheduled for Tuesday. n/t

[malletgirl02]

9. Let me amend my post

than it probably won't pass since is has so many amendments. The reason I'm saying that is i heard that members of Congress load up a bill with amendments if they don't want it to pass.

[ProSense]

11. This is not the case.

The bill is going to be passed out of committee.

[democrat2thecore]

20. Probably. Rockefeller has the ability to maybe stop it if he WANTS

But, reconciliation and 'the process of sausage making' may create a better bill once out of Finance. Baucus has FINALLY been outed (with lots of publicity) as a tool of big insurance and he has been for years. He, and others on that vulnerable committee (it takes spine) should be ashamed for how blatant the Finance bill is with its giveaways to Big Insurance. Baucus denies it with such a straight face that it's nauseating. He's the epitome of the deal-making, trade-a-vote politician with no real principles. Frankly, there's too many of them - on BOTH sides of the aisle.

[SpartanDem]

10. That is just when it starts

the HELP bill took about a week to get through all its amendments

[ProSense]

12. This will likely go as quickly.

There were a lot more amendments from Repubs to the HELP bill.

[Honeycombe8]

5. Oh, gawd. What a nightmare this has become. What a mess. nt

[ProSense]

8. This is not going to be that bad.

These are Democratic amendments offered by Senators who are almost in near agreement. They know what to pull out of the bill and what to add. The negotiating process will not be that long. They also have a deadline.

[grantcart]

6. This is the rest of the committee giving their response to the closed negotiations

with the gang of 6.


Putting aside the content of Baucus's bill, his strategy of ignoring the rest of the committee is a complete disaster.

[andym]

15. Committee has 13 Democrats and 10 Republicans, it takes 12 to pass an amendment

The Finance committee:

Democrats:

MAX BAUCUS, MT
JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, WV
KENT CONRAD, ND
JEFF BINGAMAN, NM
JOHN F. KERRY, MA
BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, AR
RON WYDEN, OR
CHARLES E. SCHUMER, NY
DEBBIE STABENOW, MI
MARIA CANTWELL, WA
BILL NELSON, FL
ROBERT MENENDEZ, NJ
THOMAS CARPER, DE

Republicans:

CHUCK GRASSLEY, IA
ORRIN G. HATCH, UT
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, ME
JON KYL, AZ
JIM BUNNING, KY
MIKE CRAPO, ID
PAT ROBERTS, KS
JOHN ENSIGN, NV
MIKE ENZI, WY
JOHN CORNYN, TX


So to pass anything progressive, will require 12 Democrats or 11 Democrats and 1 Republican (Snowe).

The problem is that there are 4 very "moderate" Democrats on this committee that can not be counted on:
Max Baucus
Kent Conrad
Blanche Lincoln
Bill Nelson

Let's assume the other 9 Democrats will vote for the public option amendment.
So to get the public option (let's see where we stand)
http://standwithdrdean.com/where_congress_stands?chamber=Senate&party=&state=&hc_status=1&commit=Filter

Max Baucus YES!!
Kent Conrad DON'T KNOW
Blanche Lincoln DON'T KNOW (she has made public statements against)
Bill Nelson DON'T KNOW
Olympia Snowe DON'T KNOW (made statements in both directions, lately appears against)

If Baucus will really vote for the public option then we need 2 of the remaining Senators to go along. I assume Bill Nelson is really possible, but he should be lobbied hard by the public just in case. Then we need one more, will any of them vote for the amendment? If you live in their state, now is the time for a last minute push.

[ProSense]

16. Don't bank on

those four Democrats voting against the final committee bill.

[msallied]

17. I thought I had a pretty good handle on the status of the legislation until now...

But now I'm so confused over this Baucus bill. Am I right that there is no public option in this bill? Is THIS the main bill being considered by the Senate, then? What about the House bill? At what point do we see a public option enter the picture? Are we even at that point yet? Gah. Sorry. You've been really good at helping me keep all this straight in my head, but now I have no idea what's going on.

[ProSense]

18. Baucus' bill is in the Finance Committee, which

has to vote a bill out. The HELP bill has already been approved by that Committee. Once the Finance Committee votes out a bill, it will then be reconciled with the HELP bill before voting occurs in the full Senate.

[TomCADem]

19. Thanks for all the research!