Posts Tagged - ‘senate’

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Scott Brown Warns Democrats Against Passing Healthcare Reform

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

(Image: Boston.com)

New Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown has largely stayed under the radar since his election in January, although the impact of his win has reached far and wide. With 41 seats in the Senate, Republicans can now use the filibuster. The Obama administration has now resorted to pushing for budget reconciliation to avoid that and pass affordable health insurance reforms.

Brown thinks that wouldn’t be a smart move. He sees his victory as a message America is sending to Washington: kill the current bill. Whether or not the newly proposed changes (which include a handful of Republican proposals) are any more appealing to him than the bill he previously ran against is unknown, but the process by which they would become law appears somewhat unseemly. According to Brown, his state will be especially hurt, largely because there has already been Massachusetts health insurance reform–they’ll be subsidizing other states that didn’t take those steps, when it should be each state’s individual decision. Like many GOP politicians, he believes that Democrats will face massive losses in the fall elections if they go it alone and ignore their wishes.

President Obama has said that healthcare reform can’t wait, and that he is willing to be a one-term president in order to achieve the goals that he feels have been neglected by previous administrations. Do congressional Democrats have the same lack of self-preservation?

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McCain and Obama Face Off on Health Insurance Reform

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

(Image: Chesi – Fotos CC under CC 3.0)

One of the most famous attendees of the bipartisan healthcare reform summit is Republican Senator John McCain. The Arizona senator and President Obama’s opponent in the 2008 election has been a feisty counterpoint. Some would speculate that some bitterness from the bruising campaign was in play.

John McCain wants each state to be treated equally in any bill, and is concerned with legislative process. He spoke up against the budget reconciliation option the Obama administration is considering to push this health insurance plan through.

At one point, Obama agreed with one of his comments, which took McCain aback with shock. However, there was still some back-in-forth. His presence is slightly puzzling, since he is not a ranking member of relevant committees. Although McCain has previously been known for bipartisan cooperation with Democrats (such as the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill), he is currently facing a more conservative Republican primary opponent. Therefore, he may not have the flexibility to compromise, even though there is a surprising amount of common ground when it comes to affordable health insurance.

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Cadillac Health Insurance Tax Hurts Non-Union Workers, Too

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

(Image: Manuel Van De Weijer under CC 2.0)

The so-called tax on “Cadillac” health insurance plans has been very controversial. However, most of the talk surrounding it is focused on the impact a tax on high-cost health insurance would have on union members. With relatively few Americans represented by organized labor, the Obama administration has appeared to think that it is a small price to pay in order to encourage companies and individuals to keep health care costs down.

However, a recent study from the Berkley Labor Center in California predicts that up to 80% of those affected would be in non-union jobs. The tax is approved of by Senate Democrats as a way to pay for comprehensive healthcare reform, but Democrats in the House are wary. They received some concessions in Obama’s proposal, but it will still have a far reaching impact on group health insurance.

Supporters believe that less spending on health insurance will result in higher wages, but many are skeptical. People also fear that the quality of their plans will deteriorate, and that the tax will not effectively distinguish between plans that are expensive due to heavily female or older workforces and those that are high-cost due to nonessential coverage (i.e. massage, acupuncture).

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Health Insurance Summit Cheat Sheet

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

(Image: SEIU International under CC 2.0)

Wondering about the bipartisan healthcare reform summit proposed by President Obama? Despite skepticism that it is nothing more than an attempt to call their bluff, the Republican party is planning to participate. Here are more details. Remember that any of these facts can change at any time.

The Date: February 25th, one week from today.

The Participants: A total of 12 Democrats and nine Republicans, many of whom have played key roles in the affordable health insurance legislation’s path. Big names included are:

  • President Barack Obama (D)
  • Vice President Joe Biden (D)
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (D)
  • Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle (D)
  • Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D)
  • Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D)
  • Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R)
  • House Republican Leader John Boehner (R)
  • as well as four members of Congress personally selected by each congressional leader.

In addition, both parties will have representation from the following committees, which had large roles in crafting the health insurance bills:

  • Senate Finance Committee
  • House Ways and Means Committee
  • House Energy and Commerce Committee
  • Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
  • House Education and Labor Committee
  • House Education and Labor Committee

The Schedule: The summit process is scheduled to take place in this order:

  1. Opening remarks by Obama
  2. Remarks from a Republican leader (chosen by the party’s top officials)
  3. Remarks from a Democratic leader (similarly selected by party leaders)
  4. Open discussion among summit participants

The Topics: Expanding affordable health insurance coverage while containing costs. Republicans will be seeking answers on how healthcare reform will affect the national deficit.

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If Democrats Dump Reform, Will GOP Back Off?

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Democratic political adviser David Plouffe is encouraging his party to move ahead on healthcare reform. Right now, doing so seems like the last thing any political strategist would recommend. Why would a man largely responsible for getting President Barack Obama elected suggest doing so, especially after the bruising loss in staunchly blue Massachusetts?

According to Plouffe, recent polls show that the majority of Americans still agree with the overall objective of the Obama administration: to expand medical insurance coverage while simultaneously lowering costs. While the public is very skeptical of the Democrats’ specific proposals, scaling back or abandoning the legislation may not help that. After all, the party and its members are already associated with the issue. Even Congressional Democrats turn against it, Plouffe believes that Republicans will continue to attack them for having the audacity to put forth such comprehensive reforms in the first place. If the legislation is actually passed, he thinks that the public will have the opportunity to eventually measure its positive aspects; whereas failure would not stop the attacks.

Do you believe that the heat would come off of Democrats if they let their comprehensive health insurance bill die, or would it just humiliate them further?

(Image: David Ortez under CC 2.0)

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Would The Public Warm Up to Healthcare Reform After the Fact?

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

According to Al Franken, the public needs to experience healthcare reform before they fully support it. Such a statement may sound pompous and elitist from the comedian-turned-Minnesota Senator, but the Democrat isn’t minimizing the significance of Republican Scott Brown’s victory, or the impact that health insurance issues had on the Massachusetts race. Nor is he encouraging Democrats to push through a bill before the senator-elect–who won by a 52%-to-47% margin–is seated.

Franken is just pointing towards history: a Harvard study showed that while reform in the Massachusetts health insurance system was initially greeted with skepticism, 70% of the state’s residents were content with it. Only 11% of Massachusetts residents wished that the reforms were repealed today; granted, it is a generally liberal state. The results of the special election to fill the late Ted Kennedy’s seat belie those statements, except that Brown has not hid his initial support for healthcare reform in his state. The Massachusetts reforms are quite similar to those proposed by Democratic legislators in the Senate, but Brown believes that enacting a “one-size-fits-all” national program is wrong.

For what it’s worth, Franken also claims that Medicare was also initially unpopular. Of course, now it is a public program prized by senior citizens, albeit one plagued with some budget issues. Attempts to make some cuts in Medicare reimbursements were part of what has derailed general individual health insurance reform.

(Image: Official Senate Website)

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Pelosi: House Not Voting For Senate Health Insurance Bill

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

A potential option for Democrats looking to pass healthcare reform despite losing their 60-vote super-majority is for the House of Representatives to accept the bill passed by the Senate in December, with no modifications. Some party members have proposed this as a solution to the health insurance crisis, with some promising to schedule a package of future improvements and amendments as soon as possible.

However, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has shut down that avenue almost entirely. Although she is committed to passing reform this year, she claims that she is not in a rush to pass an imperfect bill she simply lacks the votes for. Pelosi is a supporter of the government-run health insurance public option. When the chances of such a plan being passed disappeared, she and other House liberals negotiated for more comprehensive reform. In her eyes, the Senate’s bill doesn’t go far enough in providing universal health insurance coverage.

What makes the Democratic caucus in the House especially opposed to the current Senate legislation? The embarrassing “Cornhusker compromise”, which secured Nebraska Senator Bill Nelson’s vote in exchange for excluding his state from having to pay for its Medicaid program, is the most prominent example of their objections. They also believe the amount of individual health insurance federal subsidies–which would be given to those falling under a certain income level, in order for them to buy a health insurance plan–is too small, and that a tax on “Cadillac” high-cost health plans will alienate unions.

(Image: Speaker of the House website)

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When Will Scott Brown Be Sworn In, Anyway?

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown has asked to be seated as soon as possible, in order to deliver the vote against health insurance plan reform that he promised. Democrats in Washington, D.C. have publicly agreed. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has vowed to seat Brown as soon as the proper official paperwork is received. Democratic Senator Al Franken, who was unable to take his seat for several months due to a legal battle with his Republican opponent, also supported Brown’s speedy seating by invoking the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as they will do unto you.”

All of the well-wishes in the world, however, may not get Scott Brown on Capitol Hill any quicker. Standard Senate procedure would have him sworn in about two weeks from now, on February 3rd. That allows time for the state to tabulate absentee ballots and investigate for fraud. William Glavin, Massachusetts Secretary of State, promises to expedite the certification, which normally takes about 15 days in his state.

Depending on the final margin of victory, Glavin can declare Brown the unofficial winner; that way, Brown may be sworn in even quicker than expected. Senate Democrats have effectively decided to hold off on medical insurance reform votes until he arrives. The sooner Brown is seated, the sooner debate can continue.

(Image: ockam under CC 2.0)

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Anti Health Insurance Reform Scott Brown’s Daughter On American Idol?

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

New Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown is now most well-known for breaking a Democratic stronghold on the seat formerly held by the late Ted Kennedy. Just a few years ago, though, he was a regular state senator, as well as the proud parent of an American Idol contestant.

His daughter, Ayla Brown, narrowly missed the finals in Season 5. She was just 17 years old at the time. According to her official American Idol biography, her father is one of her role models. She also acknowledged him for his service in the National Guard. Ayla released an independent-label album before enrolling in Boston College and playing on their basketball team, while continuing to work on her music career. No doubt her student health insurance got put to good use! Scott Brown is also a devoted athlete.

Ayla was a prominent presence throughout Brown’s campaign, and was the first to announce his victory to supporters. While his opposition to health insurance reform was the driving factor behind his election, her local fame couldn’t have hurt. During his winning speech, Scott Brown informed the public that his now 21-year-old daughter is currently single, which resulted in her embarrassment!

Her music career has also received greater attention after Scott Brown’s win. She capitalized on her family’s increased by pledging to donate a portion of her album sales on election night to Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

Do you remember Ayla Brown from American Idol?

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