i hate to ask again,but please help me fact check Kay Hutchison's column

[w8liftinglady]

I hope someone is bored.I want to reply intelligently.

Health care bill ramifications felt now
Published: Sunday, March 28, 2010 1:49 AM CDT
Kay Bailey Hutchison
U.S. senator

During a marathon voting session in the United States Senate (lasting until 3 a.m. Thursday, March 25), my Republican colleagues valiantly fought to try to improve the massive health care reform bill that was pushed through the House of Representatives by Speaker Nancy Pelosi just days earlier. As we brought amendment after amendment up for a vote, the Democratic majority stayed in lockstep to defeat any attempt to remove even the most onerous provisions of this legislation.

In the middle of a war on terror, the Democrats even refused to vote for an amendment to remove this bill’s new excise taxes on medical devices, such as prosthetic arms and legs, for our wounded warriors! What’s more, they also voted to keep the new taxes on pediatric medical devices for children.

They also voted down my amendment to allow states the opportunity to opt out of the federal takeover of health care. The states, and their taxpayers, will be forced to pay for the significant mandates included in this bill. The Democrats also rejected another of my amendments to make permanent a tax credit to small businesses to help them pay for the mandated health insurance for their employees.

“When the dust finally settled,” as they used to say in the movies, the Senate Democrats passed their fatally flawed bill on a vote of 56 to 43, with no Republicans voting “aye.”

And the serious ramifications of this legislation are already being felt. Just one day after the bill was signed into law by President Obama, the new taxes on retirees’ drug benefits are hitting many of America’s largest employers. AT&T announced that it will take a $1 billion first-quarter loss related to the new taxes and said it will be “evaluating prospective changes to the active and retiree health care benefits offered by the company.” Verizon also said that the bill “may have significant implications for both retirees and employers.” Other major employers, such as farm equipment manufacturers John Deere and Caterpillar, also announced significant first-quarter losses due to the retiree drug benefits taxes in this bill.

This legislation will make drastic cuts to Medicare, reducing access and quality of care for our senior citizens. It penalizes and punishes businesses at a time of tremendous economic uncertainty. It could drive many doctors and other health care providers to stop taking Medicare, Medicaid and insurance program patients. It could force many hospitals, particularly rural facilities, to close their doors. It is a giant step toward a federal takeover of health care in this country.

The closed-door negotiations, the sweetheart deals, the denial of any bipartisan suggestions, and the smoke and mirrors procedures used to steamroll this bill through the House and Senate have rightfully disgusted the American people. Poll after poll shows that the American people did not want this bill passed in this form at all. They wanted us to begin fresh, take the parts of health care reform we could all agree on – no pre-existing conditions, insurance portability, and exchange pools for small businesses – and build on those.

Instead, this Obama-Pelosi-Reid legislation will make the federal government a part of every health care decision you make for yourself, your family or your business. It will raise taxes and premiums. It puts the Internal Revenue Service in charge of enforcement of its provisions. It is laden with mandates and fines. And it rings in an era of big government growth that will burden all of us – and our children and grandchildren

[joeybee12]

1. Tell the c*w that last year, Jim DeMint made it clear they needed to make

healthcare fail, not offer an alternative, but just to make it fail, and like the good sheep she is, Kay Bailey hutchinson and the rest of the Republicans offered nothing in one whole year, not one thing, and now she tries to rewrite history, when in fact she has done nothing, just like she has accomplished nothing during her entire tenure in the Senate.

[emulatorloo]

2. Great Resource for you a few threads down - What HCR does for your Cong. District - great resource

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8043037

As to Kay Bullshit Hutchinson, most of the crap she is peddling has been debunked by factcheck.org and politifact.

[mstinamotorcity]

3. Okay here are some facts that might help

I will come back later today and provide links.
1. This is not a government take over of health care.-It is legislation to make insurance companies more accountable to consumers and to expand coverage for those who don't have insurance and for those who may lose their insurance. Basically it stops a lot of unfair practices.Like higher premiums for women or using pregnancy as a pre existing condition. You can go to c-span and check out congressmen in action. In fact all the health care reform bill was our government in action for the people of America against unfair practices.
2. From day one 01/20/09 the repug party put out a memo to its party members that what ever agenda "this President" puts forth they are to vote no. This was exposed on the Chris Matthews Hardball, Rep.Clyburn of S.C. is the one who found out about the memo and exposed it on national television.Msnbc may have it archived.
3. The bill is bipartisan. Repugs have at last count had over one hundred amendments in this bill.The bill was voted on in several stages. It was a republican who had the end of life consultation,I think it was Rep. Brown, that is when your you betcha Sarah Palin and Beth M. started the death panels. This was brought out when the health care debated stared. This also may be archived msnbc.
4. Kay Bailey Hutchinson is a hypocrite (liar) They have begged repugs to work with them openly for over a year now.The repugs said no,no,no.But they have their shit in the bill too.

[Redbear]

4. The "improving" the bill quote is a non-starter

If any of the "improvements" were passed, it would have destroyed the reconcilliation process and there would be no bill at all.

[w8liftinglady]

5. Thank you guys so much-I'm a few weeks away from brain surgery,

but just can'tlet this go unchallenged

[Winterblues]

6. Is she suggesting our "wounded warriors" have to purchase prosthetic

arms and legs? I would hope that the US government would be the one paying those bills.