The Political Bridge

From the Rural Blog: Is the Cap and Trade Energy Legislation Dead?

 Now after President Obama's call for climate legislation in the State of the Union address, lawmakers are discussing proposals that would reduce carbon emissions, but not include a cap-and-trade system for emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases, Richard Cowan and Timothy Gradner of Reuters report. "It's open to how you price carbon," Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John Kerry told the reporters. "People need to relax and look at all the ways you might price carbon. We're not pinned down to one approach."

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

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

 .

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

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

U.S. Senate Candidate Dr. Daniel Mongiardo's(D-KY) Statement on President Obama's Address on the Economy & Jobs

NEWS RELEASE 

December 8, 2009  
  
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

 

 

 

FRANKFORT --- Lt. Governor and U.S. Senate Candidate Daniel Mongiardo released the following statement today following President Obama’s address on jobs and the economy:

  

With Kentucky’s unemployment rate almost 11% and with working families and small businesses struggling to survive, this is no time for partisan games or political posturing.  I strongly support President Obama’s efforts to spur economic growth by investing more in rebuilding our nation’s roads, bridges and public transportation infrastructure.  Providing tax breaks and access to capital for small businesses that directly lead to job creation are also  key elements of any new investment plan. However, in any jobs proposal, we must make sure real jobs are created and we must make sure Kentucky gets its fair share of jobs and federal dollars. I also support extending unemployment and healthcare benefits to the millions of Americans who are unemployed. 
 
While I share concerns about too much federal spending,  I believe creating jobs and expanding economic opportunity now is the best and quickest way to put America back to work and create long term economic growth. The President's proposals are sound steps to creating sustained economic development and job growth that Kentucky and America needs. 

-- Daniel Mongiardo

  

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..