Blue Dogs praise Baucus bill

[babylonsister]

Blue Dogs praise Baucus bill
By Jared Allen - 09/16/09 01:04 PM ET


The leaders of a vital bloc of House Democrats threw their weight behind the healthcare bill crafted by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), adding momentum to the public option-free approach to health reform and likely setting up another showdown with House liberals.

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), a co-chairwoman of the 52-member Blue Dog Coalition, on Wednesday gave her blessing to the Baucus bill, which is rising above the pack as the most likely bill to become law.

“The draft released by Chairman Baucus addresses two central goals of the Blue Dog Coalition and the administration: It is deficit-neutral, and it takes real steps to bring down the cost of healthcare over the long term,” Herseth Sandlin said.

Herseth Sadlin called the release of the Baucus bill "an important step forward as Congress moves to send responsible healthcare reform legislation to the president’s desk."

more...

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/59031-blue-dogs-praise-baucus-bill

[TahitiNut]

1. The Baucus bill is an utter abomination.

Co-ops? Give me a fucking break! :grr: It's a corporatist's wet dream.

[DCKit]

10. Not just co-ops, but mandatory insurance.

If they can't gouge us one way, they'll do it another.

Under what golden, diamond encrusted rock do these Corporatists live that they don't understand one simple fact: People who can't afford to buy coverage NOW will NOT be able to buy a policy simply because it's mandated. No doubt, they also expect we will just remain passive and STFU when people start going homeless over an inability to pay the fines.

"No honey, we're not eating tonight either. We're going to read the benefits package again, instead. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

[DrDan]

2. as did the DOW today

[LSparkle]

3. Hey, Blue Dogs -- if there ain't no Repugs, it ain't BIPARTISAN ...

and I thought that was the entire point. Take a seat,
your 15 minutes are OVER.

[Janice325]

4. WTF!!!!

Jeez....:puke:

[SoCalDem]

5. of course they endorse it.. It's a NOTHING proposal

Basically, it just REQUIRES people to pay fines or premiums for coverage that may or may not be there when they need it.
It's a bon mot to insurance companies who will fall all over themselves to "offer" a whole bunch of "new" polices...bare-bones/nothing policies that only collect premiums (watch for them to be suspiciously close to whatever the fines would be)

It will look a lot like Calif's $5000 auto coverage..cheap & legal, but of little use when someone hits a new BMW and totals it..

[kenfrequed]

9. The fines are absurd

And they are probably unconstitutional as well.

There is almost nothing good about this bill and it does nothing to solve actual healthcare problems. The entire pack of blue dogs needs a good friggin dose of PRIMARY CHALLENGE.

[andym]

6. What is it's CBO score in terms of holding down future costs

Must be bad-- since their is little competition to keep the insurers "honest."

What will the blue dogs say to that?

[Lorien]

7. Well, we all know who holds the Blue Dogs leash

Big Pharma, Health insurers and Wall Street!

[OHdem10]

8. It is a gift to the Insurance Companies, therefore the Blue Dogs LOVE it.

[seafan]

11. These people don't care a WHIT about cost containment!

Blue Dogs praise Baucus bill

September 16, 2009

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), a co-chairwoman of the 52-member Blue Dog Coalition, on Wednesday gave her blessing to the Baucus bill, which is rising above the pack as the most likely bill to become law.

“The draft released by Chairman Baucus addresses two central goals of the Blue Dog Coalition and the administration: It is deficit-neutral, and it takes real steps to bring down the cost of healthcare over the long term,” Herseth Sandlin said.

.....

Blue Dogs have felt emboldened to rally around the Senate Finance bill as opposed to any of the three House healthcare bills since President Obama’s speech to Congress last Wednesday. Obama indicated he would be open to means other than the public option, favored by liberals, to achieve the end of more competition and lower healthcare costs, and he took the additional step of using a cost estimate that matches Baucus’s bill.

The Blue Dogs echoed Obama’s remarks in praising the Baucus bill.

.....

In July, the Blue Dogs showed just how much their votes matter. Seven Blue Dogs on the Energy and Commerce Committee prevented the panel from finishing its markup of the House healthcare bill until just before the August recess, effectively torpedoing the hopes House leaders had of passing a healthcare bill out of the chamber by the end of July.

These people are sinking your ship, Mr. President. And you are making it very easy for them.




No one seems to care that Kent Conrad recently admitted that co-ops WON'T drive down costs of health care.

August 18, 2009


ROBERTS: What would (co-ops) do to reduce costs? Because that is one of the central issues of health care reform.

CONRAD: Well, the important thing is they’d provide more competition. … Beyond that, I think it’s very important not to over-promise here. <...>

ROBERTS: So nothing really in driving down the costs of service then?

CONRAD: Uhhh, no. If you believe competition helps drive down costs, then they would certainly contribute to holding down costs.

*Co-ops* are an F'g FARCE.




Mr. President, you must redefine this issue pronto, because the people are starting to revolt.

[Ardent15]

12. Blue Dogs=Democratic Party cowards who sabotage the process. nt

[NorthCarolina]

13. That says it all right there.

Time to oust the Blue Dogs and DLC during the primaries and replace them with true progressives....excise the "conservative" tumor from the Democratic Party.