ALERT: Call 202-224-3121 TODAY to oppose the Democrats’ latest “health care” monstrosity
Why does U.S. Senator Ben Nelson call himself a conservative Democrat? Because conservative sounds good to most Nebraskans and Nelson calls himself pro-life on abortion.
But proving himself to be more Democrat than conservative, after two days of internal pressure, Nelson has thrown his support to a big new government health insurance program that will increase healthcare costs for taxpayers, ratepayers, and businesses, dramatically increase the national debt, and yes…continue to spend federal taxpayer dollars for abortion, despite Democrat managers claiming it doesn’t!
Nelson’s agreement — actually, his cave-in — to become the 60th vote in favor of Democrat Senate leader Harry Reid’s latest draft of the government health insurance bill means Reid will push, push, push to pass the bill on Christmas Eve to meet an arbitrary, politically-correct deadline that he and Barack Obama agreed on. The first test of the 60-vote threshold will be on a procedural item schedule for Monday 1 a.m.
VIEW PORTIONS OF TODAY’S U.S. SENATE DEBATE (Debate resumes Sunday 1 p.m. Eastern Time)
Bob Schieffer, to Katie Couric, on last night’s CBS Evening News, said “No one can say exactly what’s in it, how much it’s going to cost. What we’re hearing and seeing here tonight, Katie, is the legislative process at its worst.”
This morning, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the new bill is a “legislative train wreck of historic proportions” with “massive tax increases” at a time of double-digit unemployment. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said, “This is not about health care reform; this is about the Democratic Party trying to save themselves.”
In this mad rush to pass something that’s liberal that Democrats can label “healthcare reform,” eight Democrats (including Independent Joe Lieberman), who earlier signed a letter demanding a full 72 hours of public inspection of the bill with complete cost analysis, are violating their own pledge.
PLEASE TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION
At the same time that Democrats in the U.S. Senate want to give Americans a bad Christmas gift, it’s up to you, me and every principled American to resist this awful proposal:
Please call Ben Nelson and the other Democrat senators who signed the letter demanding an orderly process and who have publicly expressed qualms about higher costs and more government control of the private sector. Demand that they “Oppose the Reid amendment to HR 3590. This is the wrong way to reform healthcare. This is much bigger government, higher costs, higher premiums, and greater debt on every American. It will lead to rationing of health care and eventual total government control of health care in our country.”
Here are their Capitol office numbers. If there is no answer, please call them through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
REPUBLICAN SENATE LEADERS ASK AMERICANS TO RISE UP AND FIGHT THE NEW BILL
SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL:
If they were proud of this bill they wouldn’t be doing it this way. They wouldn’t be jamming it through in the middle of the night on the last weekend before Christmas. And that really sums up what we’ve seen on full display here as they try to bob and weave and hide from the American people, who’ve made it abundantly clear they do not support what they know about this bill. Now, we’ve got, as you know, an expanded version of it now. It’s important that we are having it read so we can figure out, like 300 million other Americans and all of you,
I’m here with a message for the American people. This morning, Democratic leaders in Washington stood on the Senate floor and sprang a new piece of legislation on the American people that will have a profound impact on our nation. This is not renaming a post office. Make no mistake, this bill will reshape our nation and our lives. And Democrats are forcing a vote on it, as I indicated, over the weekend, and counting on the fact that the American people are preoccupied with Christmas and not paying much attention to what they’re doing. And the reason for that, obviously, is we know from all the survey data that Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to this bill. This bill is a legislative train wreck of historic proportions.
SENATOR AND BABY DOCTOR TOM COBURN:
For the first time in the history of the country, under this bill, federal tax dollars will be used to pay for abortions. The negotiations, whoever did ‘em, threw unborn babies under the bus.
If you read the language, it circumvents and violates the clear intent of the Hyde, the Stupak and the Nelson amendments. What will happen is federal funds throughout the county, even with the opt-out, will be used to provide abortions. That is a drastic change in policy in this country.
Read Coburn’s analysis of how the Democrat’s bill continues to fund abortions with the taxpayer dollars of every taxpayer in every state
SEE THE GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF INSURANCE IN THIS BILL (as described by this morning’s Washington Post):
GOVT-MANAGED ‘AFFORDABLE COVERAGE’: “A complete ban on the practice would take effect in 2014, when the legislation seeks to create a network of state-based insurance exchanges, or marketplaces, where people who lack access to affordable coverage through an insurer can purchase policies.”
GOVT-CONTROL OF INSURANCE INDUSTRY: “Insurers competing in the exchanges would be required to justify rate increases, and those who jacked up prices unduly could be barred from the exchange. Reid’s package also would give patients the right to appeal to an independent board if an insurer denies a medical claim. And all insurance companies would be required to spend at least 80 cents of every dollar they collect in premiums on delivering care to their customers.”
GOVT-MANDATE OF HEALTH INSURANCE, FINES AGAINST INDIVIDUAL ‘VIOLATORS,’ FINES AGAINST EMPLOYERS: “Every American would be required to obtain coverage under the proposal, and employers would be required to pay a fine if they failed to offer affordable coverage and their workers sought federal subsidies to purchase insurance in the exchanges. Reid’s package would offer additional assistance to the smallest businesses, however, increasing tax credits to purchase coverage by $12 billion over previous versions.”
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