The Political Bridge

Democrats Say Final Health Bill Will Look Like the Senate’s Version

 
Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Any health-care legislation that reaches President Barack Obama’s desk will be close to the version the Senate passed last week, top Democrats said yesterday. Bloomberg's Peter Cook reports.

To watch the accompanying video to this story, click the url below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5bIohAqK9M

Buried Deep in the Senate's Health Bill, There is a Very Progressive Measure

From the Nation

Without fanfare, the good Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, has continued to work behind the scenes to champion community health centers--something he has done for years (also here). These non-profit, community-based facilities provide primary healthcare, dental care, mental health services, and low-cost prescription drugs on a sliding scale...Sanders made sure that a $10 billion increase in funding for the health centers was included...

To read more click Senator Sanders

 

The AFL-CIO's Problems with the Senate Health Care Revision Bill: "Bailout of the Insurance Industry"

From Workday Minnesota

The federation is frustrated with the health care revision bill for several reasons:

• Gone are cost-control measures such as enactment of a “public option” to compete with private insurers and  letting people aged 55-64 buy in to Medicare.

• Provides a tax on everyone’s health insurance, above a floor of $8,500 for an individual and $23,000 for a family.  

 

Many (labor) leaders now view the developing Senate health bill as “a bailout of the insurance industry."

Sweetners in the Senate's Health Care Vote

Information from the NY Times

A Few of the Giveaways for Votes:

· Increased Medicare payments to States with (at least) 50% frontier counties(less than 6 people per square mile)--presumably Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming

· Additional Medicaid money for Nebraska

· $100 million to an unmanned “health care facility”

· “Doctor-owners can continue to refer Medicare patients to the hospital” in eastern Nebraska.

· Increased Medicare payments to certain “low-volume hospitals” treating limited numbers of Medicare patient

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The Senate Kills Sanders' Single-Payer Amendment; The Obama Plan Moves Towards Passage

 The Sanders’ single-payer amendment died Wednesday night in the Senate. Senator Sanders of Vermont vowed it will return when the realization dawns that private insurance companies "are no longer needed."

The proposal's demise came as Senate Democratic leaders and the White House sought agreement with Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., to become the 60th supporter of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul - the number needed to overcome a Republican filibuster.

Information from AP

A Must See Video: Senator Bernard Sanders(I-VT) Refuses to Be Counted as a YEA Vote on the Health Care Reform Bill

Senate Roll Call on the Lauterberg(D-NJ) Amendment to Provide for the Importation of Prescription Drugs

Home > Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote XML U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 111th Congress - 1st Session as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate Vote Summary Question: On the Amendment (Lautenberg Amdt. No. 3156 ) Vote Number: 378 Vote Date: December 15, 2009, 07:06 PM Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Amendment Rejected Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 3156 to S.Amdt. 2786 to H.R. 3590 (Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009) Statement of Purpose: To provide for the importation of prescription drugs. Vote Counts: YEAs 56 NAYs 43 Not Voting 1 Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Yea Alaska: Begich (D-AK), Nay Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Arizona: Kyl (R-AZ), Nay McCain (R-AZ), Nay Arkansas: Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Nay California: Boxer (D-CA), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Nay Colorado: Bennet (D-CO), Nay Udall (D-CO), Yea Connecticut: Dodd (D-CT), Yea Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea Delaware: Carper (D-DE), Yea Kaufman (D-DE), Yea Florida: LeMieux (R-FL), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Nay Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea Hawaii: Akaka (D-HI), Yea Inouye (D-HI), Nay Idaho: Crapo (R-ID), Yea Risch (R-ID), Yea Illinois: Burris (D-IL), Yea Durbin (D-IL), Yea Indiana: Bayh (D-IN), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea Iowa: Grassley (R-IA), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Nay Kansas: Brownback (R-KS), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea Kentucky: Bunning (R-KY), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Nay Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Nay Maine: Collins (R-ME), Nay Snowe (R-ME), Nay Maryland: Cardin (D-MD), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Massachusetts: Kerry (D-MA), Yea Kirk (D-MA), Yea Michigan: Levin (D-MI), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Minnesota: Franken (D-MN), Nay Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Yea Wicker (R-MS), Nay Missouri: Bond (R-MO), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Nay Montana: Baucus (D-MT), Yea Tester (D-MT), Yea Nebraska: Johanns (R-NE), Nay Nelson (D-NE), Yea Nevada: Ensign (R-NV), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea New Hampshire: Gregg (R-NH), Nay Shaheen (D-NH), Nay New Jersey: Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Menendez (D-NJ), Yea New Mexico: Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Udall (D-NM), Nay New York: Gillibrand (D-NY), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Yea Hagan (D-NC), Yea North Dakota: Conrad (D-ND), Nay Dorgan (D-ND), Nay Ohio: Brown (D-OH), Nay Voinovich (R-OH), Yea Oklahoma: Coburn (R-OK), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Yea Oregon: Merkley (D-OR), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Nay Pennsylvania: Casey (D-PA), Yea Specter (D-PA), Yea Rhode Island: Reed (D-RI), Yea Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Nay Graham (R-SC), Nay South Dakota: Johnson (D-SD), Yea Thune (R-SD), Nay Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Yea Corker (R-TN), Nay Texas: Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea Utah: Bennett (R-UT), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Nay Vermont: Leahy (D-VT), Nay Sanders (I-VT), Nay Virginia: Warner (D-VA), Yea Webb (D-VA), Nay Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea West Virginia: Byrd (D-WV), Not Voting Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea Wisconsin: Feingold (D-WI), Nay Kohl (D-WI), Nay Wyoming: Barrasso (R-WY), Yea Enzi (R-WY), Yea

U.S. Senate Candidate Dr. Daniel Mongiardo (D-KY) Supports Dorgan-McCain Amendment Allowing For Importation of Prescription Drugs

NEWS RELEASE

December 11, 2009 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Contact: Kim Geveden
(502) 682-2010
[email protected]

Annette Lee
(502) 498-4008x230
[email protected]

Urges  Kentucky Senators To Support Measure To Reduce Costs and Increase Competition in Drug Market for Kentucky's Families and Seniors

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FRANKFORT --- Lt. Governor and U.S. Senate Candidate today voiced his support of the “Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act” that would allow for the import of FDA-approved prescription drugs.  Costs of these drugs from overseas are often much cheaper than in the United States. The amendment was introduced this week by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Sen. John McCain (R-A.Z.).   The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has stated this plan would save the government $19.4 billion over the next decade.
 
“I strongly support allowing the importation of FDA-approved prescription drugs from Canada and other countries with safety standards comparable to the United States.  I urge Senators McConnell and Bunning to support this common sense measure to lower prescription drug costs. The last thing people should have to worry about is whether to fill a prescription or put food on the table. This bill would increase competition and drive down healthcare costs. As a doctor, I feel that this is a long overdue step to make sure Kentucky families and seniors get the prescription drugs they need at a cost they can afford,” Mongiardo said.

 

 

A Must Watch Video: Congressman John Yarmuth(D-KY) Takes on Senator McConnell Concerning Health Care Reform

AP Reports: Senate Democrats Have Tentatively Agreed to Drop the "Public-Option Plan"

WASHINGTON – After days of secret talks, Senate Democrats tentatively agreed Tuesday night to drop a full-blown government-run insurance option from sweeping health care legislation, several officials said, a concession to party moderates whose votes are critical to passage of President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

In its place, officials said Democrats had tentatively settled on a private insurance arrangement to be supervised by the federal agency that oversees the system through which lawmakers purchase coverage, with the possibility of greater government involvement if needed to ensure consumers of sufficient choices in coverage..