As it has all along throughout Democrats' health care reform initiative, the White House is projecting confidence that it will get a bill to the president's desk. After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled his bill yesterday (available in its entirety here), White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer praised it today on a conference call with reporters and said he's confident Reid's bill will make it through the Senate.
"We've come a long way; we've made a lot of progress. We're very confident that we're going to get this bill to the president's desk and have him sign it and prove, once and for all, that here in Washington we can still bring people together to solve the very big challenges facing this country," Pfeiffer said, trumpeting the bill's Congressional Budget Office score--which says it would cut the deficit by $130 billion and spend $848 billion over 10 years.
Also on the call, White House Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle trumpeted the CBO score as well: "From day one, the president's goal has been to enact legislation that offers security and stability to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don't, and that lowers costs," DeParle said. "...We are really pleased to see that this bill from the Senate does do that."
Is this Dan Pfeiffer dude joking???
"...and prove, once and for all, that here in Washington we can still bring people together to solve the very big challenges facing this country..."
How has the White House brought people together? That's the biggest lie of the year!! They're doing nothing but dividing people further.
Mr. Good: We'd appreciate some analysis, not a regurgitation of White House press releases.
The people who this is made to "benefit" will have to pay the $750 penalty because they cannot afford insurance. So what we end up with is a tax on both the rich and poor, nothing else.
So why do it at all? Easy, increased taxes for the federal government through $750 fines (big surprise). Increased profits for the medical conglomerates (who donate the money to their campaigns), prescriptions have already gone up 10.5% in anticipation of the bill,increased taxes for the plan itself (about 1,000,000,000 over 10 years), insurance industry gets to continue gouge, drug companies can charge more for prescriptions (when we already pay more than any other industrialized nation. Dishonest practices in hospitals will continue (unnecessary tests, admitting patients just to fill beds when slow, over billing, $20 Kleenex etc.), drug research omitting at risk results, and on and on
Both the House and Senate bills have 0 benefits to American public, and 0 fixes for our problems but do have huge profits for the medical industry and government.
Personally i am not against some form of socialized medicine or helping the poor because many governments do it well. But our current government is incapable of running the easiest business without massive corruption.
Scamming the American public! Again
The only people that qualify for benefits from the senate bill are those making less than 133% of poverty level. That's $14,403.90 a year for an individual.
Lets examine the idea.
Best case scenario, is if you make the full $14,403. So subtract say $6000 for low cost housing, $2,200 for food ($2 a meal), $2,400 for phone, gas and other utilities, $500 for gas (if you live close to work), car $500, (junker including repairs), insurance, $800, clothing $200.
That leaves $2,200 for health insurance -- if you can't think of other bills, LOL.
Also, couples and families have a fa lower per person poverty rate, about 50% less per person than above.
Of course, if you make less, are unemployed or homeless, you are far worse off from the above scenario.
It is obvious that these people cannot afford insurance, ($2,200 won't buy insurance) which is why they don't have it now and won't in the future.
Further the "public option" according to the budget office is likely to cost as much or more than regular insurance. So even the benefit has no benefit.
Insurance is mandatory under the plan, if you don't buy insurance you pay a penalty of $750 a year.