By Alex Wayne
Senate Democrats have been knocked off balance in their push for a health care overhaul stalled by controversy over the plans cost criticism of its limited impact and the absence of their leader on the issue Sen.
Edward M. Kennedy . The Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday began writing legislation intended to solve the problem of the nations 46 million uninsured and reduce the growth of health spending. Ideally Democrats thought they would even have some bipartisan support for the bill.
But instead the session began with withering criticism from Republicans who blasted both the cost estimates of the bill and the fact it had many incomplete sections.
When are we going to have cost estimates?" asked Sen.
John McCain R-Ariz. This is the most incredible markup Ive ever been in my entire time at the United States Senate." McCain called it a joke."
How do you mark up a bill that you dont know how much it costs when youre trying to amend the bill because youre concerned about costs?" asked Sen. Judd Gregg R-N.H.
The last 24 hours have seen a barrage of criticism from Republicans over a preliminary cost estimate for the Democrats starter bill.
The cost estimate called a score" by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said portions of the measure would cost $1 trillion over 10 years while accomplishing only a modest increase in insurance coverage. More than 30 million people would remain uninsured if the bill were enacted CBO estimated although the agency cautioned that it had not examined other proposals to expand coverage including an expansion of Medicaid the health entitlement for the poor or a new government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurance.
Sen. Christopher Dodd D-Conn. said all would be solved in the coming weeks. We have to start the process thats my view and thats why were here today" Dodd said. Weve left certain sections open because theyre controversial" he said.
Dodd has been left in charge of the bill by Kennedy the committees chairman who is being treated for brain cancer.
Kennedy had been counted on to be the Democratics pivotal player in pushing forward the health care overhaul and his absence from the Capitol was never more apparent than on Tuesday as Democrats scrambled with uneven results to rebut the GOP criticism and prepare for the committee to begin voting on amendments to the initial version of the bill.
Democrats and their allies said the Republican criticism was off-target because the CBO score was based on a June 9 draft of the Kennedy bill not the current version. By the time it is finished they promised the bill would meet the goals the party and President Obama had set for themselves.
Democrats defense of the bill amounted to a plea for patience noting that it is incomplete and likely to be significantly altered over the next week.
The Senate Finance Committee is also involved in the process of developing health care legislation and its chairman Sen. Max Baucus D-Mont. had planned to release his own draft of a bill this week. But he has also been trying to keep the total cost below $1 trillion over 10 years and court Republicans both tasks that may take more time.
In the House Democratic leaders announced plans to release their own version of an overhaul later this week and hold hearings on it next week; they have provided only a brief outline of its contents.
Kennedys Starting Point
Kennedys bill would set up a system of state-run gateways" to help people without health insurance shop for it. Anyone earning less than five times the poverty level about $110000 for a family of four this year would be eligible for federal subsidies to help pay their premiums.
The bill would impose new regulations on the insurance industry forbidding them from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions limiting their profits and limiting variations in premiums due to age health status gender and occupation among other requirements.
Read the rest of this article HERE
*This article is from www.CQPolitics.com
Senate Democrats have been knocked off balance in their push for a health care overhaul stalled by controversy over the plans cost criticism of its limited impact and the absence of their leader on the issue Sen. Edward M. Kennedy . The Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday began writing legislation intended to solve the problem of the nations 46 million uninsured and reduce the growth of health spending. Ideally Democrats thought they would even have some bipartisan support for the bill.
But instead the session began with withering criticism from Republicans who blasted both the cost estimates of the bill and the fact it had many incomplete sections.
When are we going to have cost estimates?" asked Sen. John McCain R-Ariz. This is the most incredible markup Ive ever been in my entire time at the United States Senate." McCain called it a joke."
How do you mark up a bill that you dont know how much it costs when youre trying to amend the bill because youre concerned about costs?" asked Sen. Judd Gregg R-N.H.
The last 24 hours have seen a barrage of criticism from Republicans over a preliminary cost estimate for the Democrats starter bill.
The cost estimate called a score" by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said portions of the measure would cost $1 trillion over 10 years while accomplishing only a modest increase in insurance coverage. More than 30 million people would remain uninsured if the bill were enacted CBO estimated although the agency cautioned that it had not examined other proposals to expand coverage including an expansion of Medicaid the health entitlement for the poor or a new government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurance.
Sen. Christopher Dodd D-Conn. said all would be solved in the coming weeks. We have to start the process thats my view and thats why were here today" Dodd said. Weve left certain sections open because theyre controversial" he said.
Dodd has been left in charge of the bill by Kennedy the committees chairman who is being treated for brain cancer.
Kennedy had been counted on to be the Democratics pivotal player in pushing forward the health care overhaul and his absence from the Capitol was never more apparent than on Tuesday as Democrats scrambled with uneven results to rebut the GOP criticism and prepare for the committee to begin voting on amendments to the initial version of the bill.
Democrats and their allies said the Republican criticism was off-target because the CBO score was based on a June 9 draft of the Kennedy bill not the current version. By the time it is finished they promised the bill would meet the goals the party and President Obama had set for themselves.
Democrats defense of the bill amounted to a plea for patience noting that it is incomplete and likely to be significantly altered over the next week.
The Senate Finance Committee is also involved in the process of developing health care legislation and its chairman Sen. Max Baucus D-Mont. had planned to release his own draft of a bill this week. But he has also been trying to keep the total cost below $1 trillion over 10 years and court Republicans both tasks that may take more time.
In the House Democratic leaders announced plans to release their own version of an overhaul later this week and hold hearings on it next week; they have provided only a brief outline of its contents.
Kennedys Starting Point
Kennedys bill would set up a system of state-run gateways" to help people without health insurance shop for it. Anyone earning less than five times the poverty level about $110000 for a family of four this year would be eligible for federal subsidies to help pay their premiums.
The bill would impose new regulations on the insurance industry forbidding them from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions limiting their profits and limiting variations in premiums due to age health status gender and occupation among other requirements.
Read the rest of this article HERE
*This article is from www.CQPolitics.com
