Health Care Aftermath and Reconciliation
Mar 24th, 2010 by Timothy Pancoast
So the health care bill is passed and signed, but the party may just be getting started. There is a lot of work to be done still. The most notable order of business is probably reconciliation. The Senate has to approve of the changes that the House bill made to the bill they passed last year. If they change anything from the House version it must be returned to the House for another round of voting. Reports are coming out that there are a lot of things than need to be looked at. The Senate may be sorely tempted to send the bill back or maybe the President will just slap some more executive order band-aids on the bill. Here are two fun items that have come out so far.
They forgot the Children!
It isn’t surprising that things can get lost in a multi-thousand page bill, but really, the children!?! How do you forget one of the primary motivators for the bill? According to the AP children with pre-existing health conditions were left uncovered by the bill. I find it interesting that even without fixing the bill the article states that there is already an alternative for uninsured children with preexisting conditions. State High Risk Insurance Pools. So wow! There was already a way of helping one of the primary intended targets of this bill. It makes one wonder if such a bill was needed in the first part.
The Viagra Amendment
Now for the fun one, as part of the reconciliation process the most interesting amendment that the Republicans have proposed so far is to prevent the bill from providing erectile dysfunction pills to sex offenders. I think this amendment is going to provide some interesting fuel for the signs protestors bring to health care rallies.
“On Tuesday, the GOP put its strategy into action, with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okl.) introducing an amendment beyond agreeable. Titled “No Erectile Dysfunction Drugs To Sex Offenders” it would literally prohibit convicted child molesters, rapists, and sex offenders from getting erectile dysfunction medication from their health care providers.”
Well it looks like there is plenty left to see in the health care debate. The story is far from over, though it is about to be joined by another round of the Illegal Immigration debate.
They were in such a hurry to pass a 2700 page bill that they hadn’t read, that they didn’t include things that might actually help. IOW They wer were so busy pushing what we don’t want, they forgot things we do.
Everyone see the front page today? Castle won’t stand up for the people and work to repeal this terrible piece of legislation. Yet another blemish to add to his career full of mistakes. This guy CAN’T be our next Senator. What a spineless weasel.
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