[sphinx]

With the President and Congress’s plan to pass comprehensive health care reform reaching increasingly high levels of unpopularity, and reconciliation becoming an impediment, the leadership of the Senate is rumored to be preparing a new secret plan to railroad the bill through the Senate in record time by using a seldom used parliamentary procedure.

Their plan is to proceed to a House passed non-health care bill to provide a shell of legislation to give Obamacare a ride to the House then to the President’s desk. Sound confusing? We lay out the steps below, but essentially the Senate would pass health care reform as an amendment to a completely unrelated bill so the Senate and House could act quickly and without further debate. Even worse? Nobody really knows what that legislation looks like but they plan on voting for it anyway.

Right now, the Senate Finance Committee is in the midst of marking up health care reform “legislation.” Due to Senate procedure, what they are actually marking up is a 200+ page conceptual framework of the actual legislation, not a real bill. That means that not only has no Senator even read the bill but, there is a high probability that the bill hasn’t even been written yet. If the Committee sticks to their artificial deadline of completing work by this Friday then they would have passed a conceptual document reforming the nation’s health care system, spending trillions, without ever seeing an estimated 1,500 pages of legislation, which may or may not be written.

The current plan is to start debate on Obamacare as early as next week under the following four-step scenario:

STEP ONE: The Senate Finance Committee will finish work on the marking up of Senator Max Baucus’ (D-MT) conceptual framework for legislation by this Friday. Baucus has not unveiled final legislation and, according to the Associated Press, he added some new language to the mark up today. AP reports that “under pressure from fellow Democrats, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee decided to commit an additional $50 billion over a decade toward making insurance more affordable for working class families.”

Senators have not been provided any real legislation and are offering amendments this week to Baucus’ 200+ page outline. It is expected that at the end of the process the Senate Finance Committee may produce a bill longer than the 1,000 page House bill that proved so controversial over the August recess. Many Senators are upset that they don’t have final language for a bill, yet still they sit in a Committee Hearing Room this week marking up a draft document that is not in the form of legislative language. The plan is to have this document voted out of the Senate Finance Committee by Friday.

STEP TWO: Next, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will take the final product of the Senate Finance Committee and merge it with the product of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee. This was the late Senator Kennedy’s (D-MA) bill, introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), which passed the HELP Committee on July 15, 2009 on a party line vote. Remember, most Senators will still not know what they voted for in the Finance Committee.

STEP THREE: Senator Reid will then move to proceed to H.R. 1586, a bill to impose a tax on bonuses received by certain TARP recipients. This bill was the bill passed by the House in the wake of the AIG bonus controversy and is currently sitting on the Senate Legislative Calendar. Reid will move to proceed, and he will need 60 votes to act on this bill. After the motion is approved, he will then offer a complete substitute bill purportedly including the combined Senate HELP and Finance Committee products. This means that the entire health care reform effort will be included as an amendment to a TARP bill that has been collecting dust in the Senate for months.

STEP FOUR: For this strategy to work, the proponents would need to hold together the liberal caucus of 57 Democrats, 2 Independents (Senators Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont), and a potential new member replacing the late Senator Kennedy. This scenario would most likely be implemented after the Massachusetts state legislature gives Governor Deval Patrick the power to appoint a new Senator and that Senator is seated by the Senate. According to CQ, the state legislature may pass a bill and present it to Governor Patrick by next week.

Once the Senate passes a bill and sends it to the House, all the House would have to do is pass the bill, without changes, and President Obama will be presented with his health care reform measure thereby transforming within a few weeks 1/6th of the US economy. If this plan does not work, the Senate and House Leadership may consider using reconciliation to pass the legislation. For a more detailed explanation of the reconciliation scenario, please see the Heritage Foundation’s Fact Sheet on Reconciliation here or a handy guide on Reconciliation published in Human Events earlier today.

Does this sound like a transparent, bipartisan and effective way to change the way millions of Americans get their health care? Of course not.

Passing a Shell of A Bill: Congress’ Secret Plan to Ram Through Health Care Reform The Foundry

[strtrcr50]

Well, if nothing else, it appears the dems forget what happens to them when they decide they know what's good for the public even when it goes counter to their wishes. This may be their assault rifle bill.

[Venom351R]

I hope so, and if America discovers the under handed sneaky way they are trying to do this then I hope it spells their demise for next years elections.

[Wart]

Anything to support that this is more than another fantasy of a Right Wing blogger?

I know, theres some truth in there but the best lies and propaganda have to have some element of truth to carry the BS.

Just curious.

[90mustangGT]

Originally Posted by Wart

Anything to support that this is more than another fantasy of a Right Wing blogger?

I know, theres some truth in there but the best lies and propaganda have to have some element of truth to carry the BS.

Just curious.

A vast majority of the population, both people on the right as well as left, do not like what they have come up with, and they are trying to push an agenda.

There are things in that bill that the government wants, things that don't bennifit us, but bennifit the goverment and add power to politicians, and when it comes down to it that was what all this was all about, and they don't want to give it up. It is a must to the state to get these things passed.

What are these things? The people in power want to have some sayso to what and who gets this healthcare, and what exactly we get, as well as access to records and such. Things that are not in the consitution and they have no buisness to. That all is just for starters.

Here is another thing I have to edit/add: They want to make it so that if you don't qualify to get aid, then you HAVE to have health insurance or they will come and put you in prison. If they get that passed, and if I can't afford what they will require me to have, then I will take it out on a Obama supporting liberal. If I'm going to prison, I'm going to make it worth it.

[D.Hearne]

Originally Posted by Wart

Anything to support that this is more than another fantasy of a Right Wing blogger?

I know, theres some truth in there but the best lies and propaganda have to have some element of truth to carry the BS.

Just curious.

You just don't get it do you ? Your party has a death wish. Here comes 1994 all over again.

[90mustangGT]

Wart just thinks that the government should be all powerful, anything that takes rights away from Americans and gives authority to the government, anything that tells us what to do he is for, because he seems to believe that we need to be told what to do, the goverment knows best. I'd like him to name one politician I can't pick apart thier character. Just name one.

[Venom351R]

Originally Posted by 90mustangGT

There are things in that bill that the government wants, things that don't bennifit us, but bennifit the goverment and add power to politicians, and when it comes down to it that was what all this was all about, and they don't want to give it up. It is a must to the state to get these things passed.

Just like the pork bill AKA Stimulus bill was not about creating jobs and fixing the economy. It was about paying back special interest groups, paying back Acorn. The ecnomeny was going to get better no matter what but any gains it does make they take all the credit by saying if we did nothing it would have been worse.

Well the last time I looked 9.8% unemployment is a lot worse then 8 which is where they said it would not go over if the stimulus was passed.

[strtrcr50]

Originally Posted by 90mustangGT

Wart just thinks that the government should be all powerful, anything that takes rights away from Americans and gives authority to the government, anything that tells us what to do he is for, because he seems to believe that we need to be told what to do, the goverment knows best. I'd like him to name one politician I can't pick apart thier character. Just name one.

FWIW, I'd be very suprised if that is what Wart thinks. However, his Bush Derangement Syndrome runs so deep that to him, it's still better than GWB.

[Kilgore Trout]

Did you really think the baby boomers were going to just roll over and die? Hell no they are setting themselves up with primo free health care even if it destroys the country for future generations.

Its us against them, the oldsters MUST BE STOPPED!

[rbohm]

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

Did you really think the baby boomers were going to just roll over and die? Hell no they are setting themselves up with primo free health care even if it destroys the country for future generations.

Its us against them, the oldsters MUST BE STOPPED!

no, its progressives in government that want to take over the government completely and run a cradle to grave socialist agenda.

[Kilgore Trout]

That is what they want you to think...

[RookieOne]

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

Did you really think the baby boomers were going to just roll over and die? Hell no they are setting themselves up with primo free health care even if it destroys the country for future generations.

Its us against them, the oldsters MUST BE STOPPED!

There is quite a bit of truth to this. Scary situation we are coming into,

The largest generation of individuals about to retire since the inception of many of our social systems. Decades of conditioning the Baby-Boomers has resulted in a generation that has never been told "No" by the gov't. They hold wildly unrealistic expectations having been re-enforced by decades of political pandering to them. Many are ill-prepared for a self sufficent retirement, and will turn to the taxpayer doles for an expected posh retirement, that they feel they are entitled to.

Couple these unrealistic expectations with a gov't that has bowed to them many times before and the significant size of the voter base that they represent, and you can see a storm rising in the future.

We can not afford the expectations that the Baby Boomers have, nor can we even afford the promises that were made to them previously. It will break us.

Our issues now, financially with gov't services, are a drop in the bucket compared to what they will be 10 years from now when the majority of Baby-Boomers are retired.

[D.Hearne]

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

Did you really think the baby boomers were going to just roll over and die? Hell no they are setting themselves up with primo free health care even if it destroys the country for future generations.

Its us against them, the oldsters MUST BE STOPPED!

We've WORKED for our stuff, what have you done so far And WHO changed your diapers ? Fed your sorry ass when you were hungry ? Let you play nintendo while we worked ? You want to take me out ? Go for it. I'll be waitin on the front porch.

[BlackArtemis]

Uhhhh do you know how old Kilgore is?

[Kilgore Trout]

Uhhhh, do you?

[rbohm]

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

Uhhhh, do you?

OH OH, I DO I DO!!!!! you are 8 years younger than i am

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by D.Hearne

We've WORKED for our stuff, what have you done so far

Uh, the same

Originally Posted by D.Hearne

And WHO changed your diapers ? Fed your sorry ass when you were hungry ? Let you play nintendo while we worked ?

Who did that for YOU? And did they ask for free health care so that they could still afford to not work AND be able to drive around in a great big motor home? I doubt it. They probably saved for their retirement instead of expecting to live it out in style on the public dole.

Originally Posted by D.Hearne

You want to take me out ? Go for it. I'll be waitin on the front porch.

First of all you are the only one saying "take out". I did not say that but like all old conservatives it is easier to argue when you put words in the other person's mouth. And like all old conservatives you go right to the "I will shoot you" and the "get off my lawn". Its pathetic really.

What's next after free health care for the oldsters? Free housing? Free internet? Free vehicles and gas?

We can't afford it PERIOD.

Also, I was born in 1966 and I will not need any help with my retirement. I bite the bullet every pay period because I am growing a MONSTER 401k account.

[D.Hearne]

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

Uh, the same


Who did that for YOU? And did they ask for free health care so that they could still afford to not work AND be able to drive around in a great big motor home? I doubt it. They probably saved for their retirement instead of expecting to live it out in style on the public dole.


First of all you are the only one saying "take out". I did not say that but like all old conservatives it is easier to argue when you put words in the other person's mouth. And like all old conservatives you go right to the "I will shoot you" and the "get off my lawn". Its pathetic really.

What's next after free health care for the oldsters? Free housing? Free internet? Free vehicles and gas?

We can't afford it PERIOD.

Also, I was born in 1966 and I will not need any help with my retirement. I bite the bullet every pay period because I am growing a MONSTER 401k account.

Now who's putting words in who's mouth ? Where did I say "I will shoot you" and "get off my lawn" ? I've been paying medicare taxes since it started. Ditto for SSI taxes (since I started working 35 years ago). I want back what I put in. Plus the interest I would have earned off that money had I not been forced to pay into these programs. As for who changed my diapers and fed me, she's been gone these past 6 years. And the old man? The rate he's spending money on my sister (who never could learn to care for herself, and she's 5 years older than me) I'll be lucky to be left with enough to bury him in a pine box.