In addition to the House announcement that the reconciliation bill will not contain Bart ‘Coat Hanger’ Stupak’s abortion language, and Harry Reid informing Mitch ‘Filibuzzard’ McConnell that Democrats will pass HCR using reconciliation, HCR enjoyed a couple more positive news items yesterday.
The numbers from the CBO are in.
Estimate of the Budgetary Effects of the Senate-Passed Health Bill
CBO has just released an estimate of the budgetary effects of the health bill, H.R. 3590, that passed the Senate on December 24. Today’s estimate differs from the estimate for a slightly earlier version of the legislation that we released on December 19 in that it encompasses all of the amendments that were adopted by the Senate, reflects a revised assumption about its enactment date, and incorporates some technical revisions. We and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) prepared this updated estimate in preparation for further consideration of health care legislation. However, the changes we have made do not result in an estimate that differs substantially from the earlier one.
CBO and JCT now estimate that, on balance, the direct (mandatory) spending and revenue effects of enacting H.R. 3590 as passed by the Senate would yield a net reduction in federal deficits of $118 billion over the 2010–2019 period. (Direct spending—as distinguished from discretionary spending—is spending that stems from legislation other than appropriation acts.) In our earlier estimate, the budgetary impact was a net reduction in deficits of $132 billion.
… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Daily Kos>
The more this bill will save, the more Republicans say it will cost.
In addition, one of the Nation’s premiere progressive organizations conducted an email poll of its members.
Here’s a pretty clear indication that the left, whatever its disappointment with the Senate health bill, still overwhelmingly sees passing it as by far the best course of action.
As I noted here yesterday, MoveOn polled its members to ask whether the organization should support or oppose passing the Senate bill. Check out these results, sent over by a MoveOn official:
Should MoveOn support or oppose the final health care bill if it looks like the plan recently proposed by President Obama?
Support 83
Oppose 17
Not terribly surprising, perhaps, but MoveOn’s membership is comprised of pretty hard-core liberal activists, and this shows pretty clearly that among this crowd, the kill-the-bill camp overwhelmingly lost the argument. [emphasis added]
Inserted from <The Plumline>
Holdouts can no no longer claim that they represent the progressive position, as this clearly demonstrates that progressives overwhelming support passage. While I respect and admire their idealism, this is not an ideal world. This bill will save lives and provide a higher plateau, on which to base more reform.
22 Responses to “HCR Gains Momentum”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Tom I agree with you. While not perfect, with the latter often being the enemy of the good, this is a start. Millions of people will find relief from the tyranny of the insurance fat cats. Those who do not support the current language because they are waiting for the impossible, such as MoveOn, do little more than cut off their nose to spite their face.
Actually, Mike, It’s MoveOn that conducted and published this poll. Therefore they are supporting passage.
Yeah! Finally a non-partisan org, the CBO weighs in – for deficit reduction. I’d like to see the Repubs turn that around and you know they will – numbers don’t lie.
Numbers don’t lie. Republicans do.
The Republican filibuzzard in the Republican health care reform obstruction mine shaft is slowly but surely running out of time and hot air. It won’t be long now, and then we can move on to the next and better step. I LOVE Rep. Alan Grayson’s “Medicare for all” proposal which he just introduced!
Jack, I agree with you and Mike on Grayson’t proposal.
Grayson is one impressive dude and I am also down with his proposal.
Then there’s this bit of good news. The tide is truly turning on health care reform.
http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/03/healthcare-looking
That is good news, Dave. Only Rasmussen is low and they’re way GOP biased.
Proud to have been one of the 83 percenters in the MoveOn poll. Now it’s time to
Pass. The. Damn. Bill!
I was too.
Alternet likes to crow about how it’s all or nothing. Bullshit, I say. If Social Security had been an “all or nothing”, it wouldn’t exist today. Neither would Medicaid/Medicare exist today had they been “all or nothing.”
Bee, that’s an excellent point. Both were very limited when first passed. The originals were used as a foundation to build more.
Why are Obama supporters so opposed to reforming health care ? I really, really don’t get it. Poll after poll shows the American people overwhelmingly support affordable health care. Obama opposes it, opposes single payer, opposes a public option. His legislation makes things worse.
He campaigned on it. During his campaign the Obama Health Plan at their website specifically called for a Public Plan for those who didn’t have private insurance. This got votes from his base but was dropped following his election. This changed once he was elected. It changed because he is a politician. Like George Bush, like Bill Clinton, like Ronald Reagan. He is a politician. He is not a beacon of hope. He’s a guy who likes being president and pocketing the lobbyist money like all the others. If that wasn’t true he’d support health care reform which we desperately need.
It’s not the Republicans, it’s the Democrats. Other than principled people like Kucinich and Grayson who stand up to Obama and the lobbyists, the Democrats have sat on their hands.
Why, why support bad legislation which will make things worse and talk about changing it ten or twenty years down the line? Why not do it right the first time?
Oso, I think he changed his mind when this bi-partisanship BS started. And he doesn’t want to take the blame for it failing I think the latter is the true motive here – too many Repubs and Blue Dogs will vote against it, no matter if we doubled their pay and let them take all the lobbying money they can get their little hands on. Thank you bought off Supreme Court. I agree they should have done it right the first time – even people in the red states support it overwhelmingly – but their elected Congressmen/women are too bought off by the insurance/healthcare/Big pharma money to do anything that is good for the people.
Well said, Lisa.
Oso, your comment that those of us who want to bass this bill and build on it oppose health care reform is unfair. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even Alan Grayson has said that this bill should pass even without a public option. Please see today’s lead article on the subject.
Good news for Obama supporters-it appears you guys will get what you all obviously want.
http://rawstory.com/2010/03/pelosi-public-option-dead/
So it’s official. Meanwhile I had to take my youngest kid in to the emergency for a Urinary Tract Infection which could have been covered by some fucking antibiotics. Instead we got to come up with 5,300.00 dollars. No insurance. Thanks. Good to know there’s no motherfucking hope for the future now either, since you guys would rather glorify that POS in the White House than support health care reform.
Don’t you have an acute care center near you? Next time, take them there. It’s much cheaper than the ER.
Oso, I’m very sorry your son is ill and that you were royally screwed. But you were screwed by the present system, not the bill. Has this bill been passed and in effect, your son would have been covered under Medicaid, because the bill expands SCHIP to cover all children.
So Harry Ried DOES have some Balls! Nice to know he a little bit more than useless.
He does, Eddie. The problem is that he usually empties them humping GOP and Blue Dog legs.