If the GOP Intended to Stall the Finance Bill, They’re Winning

Sigh.

http://washingtonindependent.com/60602/if-the-gop-intended-to-stall-the-finance-bill-theyre-winning

If the GOP Intended to Stall the Finance Bill, They’re Winning
By Mike Lillis 9/23/09 11:33 AM


There were 564 amendments filed to the enormous health reform bill being considered this week in the Senate Finance Committee. This morning — 26 hours after the debate began — the panel is still arguing over the first.

A provision sponsored by Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) would force committee leaders to draft legislative language — in lieu of the plain English provisions currently being considered — and post the bill on the panel’s Website for at least 72 hours prior to the committee vote.

The argument is entirely partisan. “This is fundamentally a delay tactic,” said Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).

“Time is our ally, not our enemy,” responded Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).

At this pace the panel will vote out a bill by Easter.


And speaking of Bunning...

Bunning falls asleep during health care bill mark-up.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8667434

and they whined not being able to debate it any longer

The Rushicans are going to keep delaying this until sometime in 2010

They want to see how some of the state elections turn out and if there are a lot of Democratic defeats then they can go to the Conservadems and try to sway them to vote with them instead of the Dems

They have the OTHER Senate bill and whatever becomes the House bill once they consolidate their 3. Hell, for all we know, someone could drop H.R. 676 onto the floor for an up or down and that would make all the rest moot if they can cut off debate in the Senate.

finance has power over medicare/medicaide and of course the taxing parts they could markup the other bill and add those parts. But this committee needs to weigh in some form.

Rangel's Ways and Means committee, which voted its bill out months ago, has more authority in that regard.

The Senate can theoretically simply pass whatever comes out of the House (or can amend it. but usually prefers to reconcile).

This faux hysterical emphasis by the media on this ONE committee and its bill, as if it is "THE" bill, is a disgrace.

Baucus bill as is.

"THE" bill will be whatever is reconciled between the House and the Senate. What the Senate Democratic leadership needs to do - and that means spineless Reid and dodging Durbin, is to WHIP the hell out of the Blue Dogs to cut off debate when the time comes.

And as a sidenote - I know many of those amendments are there to restore the public option, etc. But they may be able to find some way to roll amendments into bundles and pass them by majority Committee vote (I remember Waxman doing something like that in his committee - and as another sidenote for him, HIS version of the bill needs to be altered big time, which it probably will be when the reconcile the House bills).

Can she look at them in the face and say time is their ally, not their enemy?


How many people have to die because the republicans are getting paid off by health insurance industry? How many MORE!