Congress Hard At Work Passing Health Care Bill
Mar 14th, 2010 by Frank Knotts
Ignoring Pres. Obama’s call to remove any state specific pork barrel spending from the health care bill currently in the Senate, both the House and the Senate are working to pass the Senate version as is. First of all since the Senate bill has already been voted on and passed, I don’t believe any changes can be made at this point in the process.
Just a few of the provisions in the bill that are clearly there to garner votes for a bill that is wildly unpopular with a majority of American citizens are, six hundred million dollars to be paid to Vermont over the next decade and nearly as much to Massachusetts in added federal Medicaid payments.
Connecticut would get a hundred million dollars to build a new hospital.
Around eight hundred Florida senior citizens could keep certain Medicare benefits.
Asbestos-disease victims in the tiny town of Libby, Montana and some coal miners with black lung disease or their widows in West Virginia would get special help. There are also prizes for Louisiana, the Dakotas and Wyoming, such as more money for doctors and hospitals.
James Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said” We are going to do what we have to do to get “A” bill out of the House and Senate”.
It would seem as if the hogs of Congress are willing to spend any amount of money to lower our health care cost. WHAT? It would also seem as if the quality of the health care bill is not as important as the passage of the health care bill.
This bill is a bill to reallocate health care spending, expand government and drive a bigger wedge between Dr and patient. It will not lower costs in any way.
The only ‘bending’ is you and I instead of the cost curve. The government will be the prime driver in every part of health care.
Need proof? Which unfunded government liability dwarfs all others? Medicare. Which government program is wrecking every state budget? Medicaid.
The citizens of Greece laugh at us.
Mike Protack
What they don’t realize is that pork won’t help. This is a bill which affects people where they live. They won’t be bought off by projects for the few.