Harry Reid’s Christmas Gift of Health Care Reform

By Doug Carlson - Dec 22, 2009 - 2 -

With Christmas just days away, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has not kept quiet about his gift to the American people—sweeping health care reform. Yet tucked inside this package, many of its contents tightly concealed until last Saturday in a 383-page amendment, are unwelcome offerings like $518 billion in new taxes, nearly a half-trillion-dollar cut to Medicare, and most disturbingly, mandates for federal funding of abortion, all wrapped in strong government control that could lead to rationing of care. Thanks but no thanks, millions of Americans are saying.

The gift-giving has already begun. Late Sunday night—1:08 a.m. Monday, more precisely—the U.S. Senate cleared its steepest hurdle on Sen. Reid’s health care reform bill by heading off a filibuster to cut off debate a mere 36 hours after the majority leader disclosed to other senators and the public his nearly 400-page amendment, written behind closed doors. With not a single vote to spare, the 60-40 vote along party lines sets up a likely Christmas Eve vote on final passage of the 2,700-page monstrosity.

The last holdout, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), crossed over to become the sixtieth vote with a deal brokered on abortion. Perhaps caved is a better word. After weeks of declaring strict restrictions on abortion as necessary to garner his support on any bill, Sen. Nelson agreed to little more than accounting gimmicks on federal funding of abortion.

Under the bill, individuals enrolled in private insurance plans that receive government subsidies would be required to issue two checks—one for premiums, a second for coverage of elective abortion. As part of the abortion compromise, state legislatures can opt out of providing elective abortion coverage. But the people of those states would still be forced to pay for abortions in states where such coverage is permitted. So much for Sen. Nelson’s commitment to “fight hard to prevent tax dollars from being used to subsidize abortions.”

Also under the final terms of agreement, Sen. Nelson’s state of Nebraska will be the lone state granted an exemption from paying future increases in state Medicaid payments. The other 49 states will pick up the Cornhusker state’s tab. The “Cornhusker kickback,” as some have dubbed it, is just one of many sweetheart deals secured for senators who have lined up behind the bill.

Sen. Reid is intent on meeting his arbitrary Christmas deadline on reform. So much so that, come the final vote on Christmas Eve, the upper chamber will have been in session for 25 consecutive days, Sundays and record-breaking snowstorms in the nation’s capital notwithstanding. But would the health care system crumble, as the public is led to believe, if Congress scraps its bills and starts over? Hardly. Most of the Senate’s $2.5 trillion measure would not be implemented until 2014, though Americans would begin footing the bill much sooner.

Fortunately, health care reform is not a done deal yet. The House and Senate must reconcile their different bills and agree upon a single measure to send to President Obama. Abortion negotiations could make or break a final bill. In contrast to the Senate bill, the House-passed bill includes the Stupak-Pitts Amendment that draws a distinct line in the sand, barring federal dollars from funding any elective abortions.

All told, abortion funding, higher taxes, Medicare cuts, rationed care, and poorer service are gifts worth asking to be exchanged. If you agree, you may wish to express to your senators your appreciation or disappointment on whether they voted to move forward Sen. Reid’s health care reform bill, and tell them that you don’t want this package this Christmas—or ever.

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1 On Dec 23rd, 2009, at 11:51pm, Richard Edds wrote:

Thank God for our Kansas Senators who refused to sign a health care bill that will destroy America and will move us toward a Socialistic Nation. 
Our President and Senate do not care about doing what is right for America, all they care about it their leftist agenda.  It is wrong to force Americans to buy insurance and to fine them if they do not.  This is not health care reform it is only a government take over of health care and it will destroy the best health care in the world.

2 On Dec 28th, 2009, at 5:38pm, Kent and Suzanne Hirschelman wrote:

I am very dissapointed in the leadership of this country. We need to have a confidence vote like other countries and vote them out.

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