Republican in ‘Gang of Six’ wants health care reform in ‘smaller parts’ instead of one bill.
Republican in ‘Gang of Six’ wants health care reform in ‘smaller parts’ instead of one bill.
Earlier this month, Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), the most conservative member of the “Gang of Six” working on a compromise health care bill in the Senate Finance Committee, argued against a Sept. 15 deadline for the bill by saying that he was “committed to getting health care reform right, not finishing a bill by some arbitrary date.” “We’re making progress, but we still have several significant, outstanding items to work on,” said Enzi. But, as Huffington Post’s Sam Stein points out, Enzi indicated to a local crowd yesterday that he disagrees with the entire approach the Finance Committee is taking:
Congress should approach health care reform in steps, instead of trying to put together a comprehensive package said U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.
Health care is so massive that reforms can’t be made with one major bill, which is what the Obama administration and congressional Democrats are pushing, Enzi told members of the Casper Rotary Club on Monday at the Parkway Plaza Hotel. [...]
“We do need to have health care reform,” Enzi said.
“We do need to get it right. We need take the time to do it. I think the only way it will happen is we need to break it down into smaller parts than we have now and put it through one at a time.”
Enzi also said that he supported Sen. Kent Conrad’s (D-ND) co-op idea. “Small business health plans are one way of increasing choices,” said Enzi. “Co-ops will increase choice.”
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So is splitting it into smaller parts a way of delaying it by being able to hem and haw at each part ?
Or by insisting on small parts, making sure the major changes won’t be made ?
Or giving the gang of 6 a line-item veto ?
August 18th, 2009 at 4:13 pmCan I pay my insurance in smaller parts instead of one big bill?
August 18th, 2009 at 4:16 pmIf Enzi needs a bill that’s simple enough for anyone, even him, to understand, then, with one sentence you could redefine the eligibility requirements for Medicare to include everyone.
OK, all done here. Let’s move on to the next big legislative endeavor.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:18 pmButt Enzi, your colleague, Sen Kyle just went on record as saying that there will NEVER be ANY concession or compromise with the Democrats on any health care reform that they will ever agree to.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:18 pmGuess you did NOT get the memo.
with one sentence you could redefine the eligibility requirements for Medicare to include everyone.
OK, all done here. Let’s move on to the next big legislative endeavor.
That may be the best idea I’ve heard yet
August 18th, 2009 at 4:21 pmOne word:
Reconciliation.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:22 pmChuck, that was Thom Hartmann’s idea, yes?
August 18th, 2009 at 4:22 pmSpeaking of smaller parts, Wyoming, Montana & North Dakota have three of the ‘gang of six’.
Think about that.
These rural yokels are deciding what’s good for the huge Urban populations.
These 3 States have a total population equaling less than one medium sized American city.
Baucus, in November ‘08, stated the most important part of health care reform would be a public option. By May of ‘09, he wouldn’t let ONE public option representative at the table, but did invite 41 industry connected to the same table.
Predictably, yesterday’s NYSE plunge did NOT include health care insurers or providers…they saw big increases in stock value.
Why are 6 people deciding you & your families medical fate?
August 18th, 2009 at 4:23 pmAre we talking 3 parts or 300 parts?
August 18th, 2009 at 4:23 pmWhy!?
August 18th, 2009 at 4:24 pmWhy are we dealing with these people?
They are NOT going to vote for any health care reform bill no matter how many hoops the Democrats jump though.
Their ONLY goal is to hurt President Obama and cost Democratic seats in 2010.
That is it.
Caption: “And this,,,this is the secret teabagger hand sign”
August 18th, 2009 at 4:25 pmRUCerious says:
Chuck, that was Thom Hartmann’s idea, yes?
I think it was. Smart man, that Thom.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:25 pmHow about we split Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota into six territories, and take their statehood away. That’ll solve the problem of these misproportionately empowered Solons dicking the rest of us over.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:32 pmChoice is wonderful. It really is.
However, we seem to be missing the big picture – this isn’t JUST about choice. It’s about costs.
Yes, we want choices….but we NEED cost control. Co-ops will be utterly useless to that end.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:33 pmthat sounds fantastic, no?!?! one question . . . how small will the parts be . . . one paragraph or two at a time?
August 18th, 2009 at 4:36 pmOne could call such an arragement a “death panel” if one were so inclined. :)
August 18th, 2009 at 4:36 pmWhy are the democrats acting like they’re in the minority? These groups working on bills should not be split 50/50 – dems won and have the majority. I wish they would start acting like it.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:37 pmSo if that’s a Death Panel, the Senator Enzi would be…
A Death Star?
August 18th, 2009 at 4:38 pmThe American people voted in a US Senate that is 60% Democratic and 40% Republican.
So why have Democrats thumbed their noses at the voters and created this panel that is 50/50?? Why has the Senate Democratic Leadership given Republicans more power than the voters did?!?
This is just bizarre. Hell, the Republicans would have put maybe ONE Democrat on such a committee! And those Democrats would have bargained in good faith, unlike these Republicans.
What a joke of a party. On one of their most important bills!
August 18th, 2009 at 4:38 pmExcept you have certainly heard this idea before, they just didn’t say it like that. They called it by its name. And that name, my friend, is single-payer healthcare.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:39 pmSen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), the most conservative member of the “Gang of Six”
– - This Gang of Six, which is comprised of some of the least populous states making up not even 8% of the total US population but is determining the health care fate for the entire country, is guilty of extortion.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:39 pmTundra says:
with one sentence you could redefine the eligibility requirements for Medicare to include everyone.
OK, all done here. Let’s move on to the next big legislative endeavor.
That may be the best idea I’ve heard yet
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
That is basically what HR 676 says. It is more than one sentence
August 18th, 2009 at 4:41 pmThis is a preliminary to not vote for the bill because he did not get what he and the Republicans want in the bill. I would think that these negotiations are for the benefit of the two Republican senators from Maine to give them cover to vote for the bill.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:49 pmDid anyone catch Brad Blakeman on MSNBC say that the GOP does not have to offer any ideas for health care reform? The sooner Obama realizes that he is not going to get any Republicans on board, the sooner he can grow a back bone and give Americans what they need.
Here is the clip of Brad Blakeman:
http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2591
August 18th, 2009 at 4:49 pmwith one sentence you could redefine the eligibility requirements for Medicare to include everyone.
The more I see that the more I like it. Basically it makes it available to all Americans (Public Option), then the Executive Branch can run it.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:50 pmAttention all Democratic candidates for political office:
I have had enough of your whining and whimpering about “bipartisanship”. If you don’t pass health care reform with at least an affordable public option, I will not vote for you. I don’t care what level of government you are running for office, whether it is national or local, I WILL NOT VOTE FOR YOU. I don’t care if you have anything to do with health care or not, I will not vote for you.
I will not vote for a Republican candidate on principle, so that just leaves third party candidates. I may be “throwing away” my vote for a few years, but in the long run, if more people start voting third party, then we may get the choices we need in politics.
August 18th, 2009 at 2:26 pm Vote
August 18th, 2009 at 4:50 pmExcept you have certainly heard this idea before, they just didn’t say it like that. They called it by its name. And that name, my friend, is single-payer healthcare.
I still like it, couldn’t they just rewrite the law to change medicare eligibility and funding? 2 lines, no pork, everyone makes out. Executive branch then has to “manage” it.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:52 pmI still like it, couldn’t they just rewrite the law to change medicare eligibility and funding? 2 lines, no pork, everyone makes out. Executive branch then has to “manage” it.
Well, that’s what we progressives have been screaming for, but everytime we mention it, some nutter comes out of the woodwork to call us socialists, commie, pinko, librul bastards or something else just as stupid.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:54 pmMaybe Enzi should start twittering healthcare bills.
/snark
August 18th, 2009 at 4:54 pmZimzone says:
Predictably, yesterday’s NYSE plunge did NOT include health care insurers or providers…they saw big increases in stock value.
Why are 6 people deciding you & your families medical fate?
It’s time to ignore whatever the hell Wall Street wants. We’re too psychologically tied to the Dow…OMG health insurance stocks fell?! We must bow down more and more!
August 18th, 2009 at 4:56 pmThe reason of course for six bills is so the GOP can stand FIRM against any public option or any idea that would stop all government money spent on healthcare from being filtered through a rich mans pocket while going along with the rest of it and saying SEE we arent standing in the way of healthcare reform. Just that pesky REFORM part
August 18th, 2009 at 4:57 pmWell, that’s what we progressives have been screaming for,
Then get rid of 1999 pages worth of misc crap and say “The Bill is as follows: All Americans will have access to medicare, the funding is now…..”
Close book.
August 18th, 2009 at 4:59 pmHealth care reform is dead. Same is true with supporting gay rights, reigning in financial institutions, climate change legislation and the other progressive promises made by Obama. Unfortunately, we are losing because we deserve to lose.
The Republican ability to obstruct and conduct outrageous demonstrations against the Democrats has succeeded simply because we allowed it to happen. The Democratic party has been showing all of the classic signs of “battered spouse” syndrome. We are afraid to stand up against the abusive right wing even though we have the political support of a large majority for the reforms that we propose.
A lot of the blame rests upon us for failing to pressure the President onto the right track. It is time for all of us to get behind the policies that need to be implemented. The Republicans and right wingnuts are over the top. However, their tactics are succeeding because they know that they can push the Democrats around.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:00 pmI get nazi socialist a lot these days. It brings a smile to my face despite the fact that I am looking into the eye of ignorance and hate.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:01 pmUncle Ho says
August 18th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Butt Enzi, your colleague, Sen Kyle just went on record as saying that there will NEVER be ANY concession or compromise with the Democrats on any health care reform that they will ever agree to.
Guess you did NOT get the memo.
____________________________________________________________
It’s possible that Enzi and Kyle didn’t attend the GOP meeting where they get all their talking points straight.
Or, it’s also possible that Enzi realizes that if the GOP treats the co-op proposal the same way they’ve treated the public option, they may overplay their hand. Eventually the Democrats will see that the Republicans aren’t going to play with them no matter WHAT they do, so they’re going to put together the bill they want and ram it through with reconciliation if they have to.
Just as a coy seductress knows there’s a limit as to how much she can play hard-to-get before her victim loses interest and gives up, so the Republicans recognize the value of pretending they’re still in the game.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:02 pmHow dumb does Enzi think the American people are? All of the parts of health care reform are interrelated. They must be tackled as a unit, otherwise the parts won’t fit. What kind of car would you have if you took a Dodge Ram V8 engine and matched it up with a Ford Focus transmission then put those on a Honda chasis then dropped a Kia body on top of that. That is what Enzi is proposing here. It is just plain stupid.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:06 pmMaybe you’re trying to push buttons to get people to do something but I don’t believe that your predictions are true.
We have only just begun and we will make more gains in 2010 and that is when real change will start to happen.
It took the right a long time to gain the majority and it will take us some time to get full control back. When we do, and we will, the right will go back to being the minority obstuctionist party for many years, even generations.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:07 pmTundra says:
Then get rid of 1999 pages worth of misc crap and say “The Bill is as follows: All Americans will have access to medicare, the funding is now…..”
If my wife and I could drop our individual policies, we could absorb increased taxes and still be better off than we are now and would likely be in the future, not having 20% premium increases every year.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:07 pmDallasNE says:
How dumb does Enzi think the American people are?
If he saw that clip of the woman yelling ‘heil hitler’ at the Jew from Israel or any of the clips from the other town halls, he already knows how dumb too many of our fellow citizens are.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:10 pmmisscoleopteramolly
I wish your statements were true. However, the Democrats have plunged forward like delusional, love sick puppies who are willing to sell their very souls despite the fact that they are publicly scorned and humiliated by the Republican temptress at every step of the process.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:10 pmFred:
No, you are just wrong. Traditionally, the party in power loses seats. This will be true in 2010. A major reworking of health care will not come in little pieces. You either get it done, and the vast majority of it done at one setting or it will not happen. Fred, you now sound like the Republicans who have suggested breaking this down into little parts.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:13 pmIf my wife and I could drop our individual policies, we could absorb increased taxes and still be better off than we are now and would likely be in the future, not having 20% premium increases every year.
I go to the doctors once a year (if that) and pay hundreds a month, I hear ya. I always figure hey, someome else is going more than what they pay so it all evens out. I’m not looking for a solution that “saves me money” because honestly I could drop insurance and horde my own. If I get that sick, quit my job and go on Medicare. But it’s not a very productive thing to do.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:15 pmJMOHR: “Unfortunately, we are losing because we deserve to lose.”
I hear you, but I’m not sure the American people have a say in television corporate messaging. The fact that the few “liberals” on television have been unable to craft a cogent argument for universal health care says more to me about who signs their checks than it does anything about the public.
To me, this entire exercise just reinforces the idea that we need to publicly fund all federal elections.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:22 pmTo me, this entire exercise just reinforces the idea that we need to publicly fund all federal elections.
I hope you mean this: “To me, this entire exercise just reinforces the idea that we need to publicly fund all elections.”
August 18th, 2009 at 5:25 pmTraditionally, from 1929 until 1996 that was not true and we have come full circle.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:25 pmmore delaying tactics – cant they just get over long held resentments from the new deal of fdr and be honest—these scare tactics are also not going to work anymore–im letting all my friends and family in on their ingeniuous methods. va benefits are and have worked medicare, medicaid with all their faults work–hmmmm r these govt programs? wow they are by the way reform means to address the abuses and work on solutions…not take away choices…these death panels are already in place via insurance and pharmaceuticals thanks to none other than ronnie reagan-the deregulator…thanks ronnie…luv ya!
August 18th, 2009 at 5:25 pmJMOHR: “Traditionally, the party in power loses seats. This will be true in 2010.”
I’m not so sure about that this year. There has been a consistent demographic move towards Democrats. Latino support for Republicans will continue to fall, probably quickly because of the Sotomajor hearings. The young voters entering the process are overwhelmingly liberal, compared to previous generations. And, I’m going to have to see it to believe that voters will NOT blame Republicans if we failure to get universal health care – not one of them will support it and I don’t think the public will forget that. Keep your head up, JMOHR!
August 18th, 2009 at 5:29 pmCo-ops don’t provide the cost cutting impetus that a public option would.
Blue Cross / Blue Shield started as a co-op, they are no longer a co-op because they couldn’t compete with the insurance companies that way.
Co-ops = Epic Fail for consumers.
If Enzi wants to do reform in bits & pieces, do what Nader talked about on Democracy Now, in reference to an idea put forth by Dr. Marcia Angell, by having Medicare kick in for those 55 & over, then phase in to those 45 & over, etc.,
Universal Single Payer Healthcare; H.R. 676 is the way to keep 18,000 to 22,000 Americans from dying a year, 60% from being forced into bankruptcy and an untold number of others from suffering from poor health because they have no $$$.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:30 pmlefty: “I hope you mean this: “To me, this entire exercise just reinforces the idea that we need to publicly fund all elections.”"
All elections would be great, but right now, the problem is corporate money flowing into the legislative branch of the federal government. And, it doesn’t work without forcing the television networks to honor their original promises to provide public service and give candidates free air time. That’s partly how they originally got the airwaves for free.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:34 pmH.R. 676 is only about 30 pages long…
H.R. 3200? 1017 pages long…
Makes me think that if it’s too long, there’s more opportunity to confuse us and muddy the issue.
Also seems to make it easy to mislead people who would not make an effort to read 1017 pages to find out if they’re being lied to.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:38 pmNinerFan said,
And, it doesn’t work without forcing the television networks to honor their original promises to provide public service and give candidates free air time. That’s partly how they originally got the airwaves for free.
That’s the vicious circle that needs to be broken, because the bulk of campaign money goes for television ads.
The broadcast licenses used to have a ‘in the public interest’ provision, but that was too socialist for Reagan and got in the way of maximizing profits.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:39 pmThe Dems are on the verge of passing another bold and ambitious bill that will fundamentally alter American society, much like Social Security and Medicare. This has been talked about for decades and the Dems have a chance to get their initiative passed. This comes down to senators voting for what is right instead of what the lobbyists want. It is myopic to think about re-election over the public good because in the end, the Dems will have given the people what they need. If they pass a public option they would virtually guarantee that they will be the majority party for the next decade or longer. This is what happened after Social Security and Medicare.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:41 pmoh by the way–did u know that hmos were originally a scam set up by an addicted dr. from calif. in the 70’s? kaiser and nixon met and spoke on it….kaiser hmmm is that kaiser as in kaiser permanente????
August 18th, 2009 at 5:41 pmcric@53
DING DING DING DING!!!
Kaiser Permanente, live, thrive….oops it should be live to theive…
August 18th, 2009 at 5:44 pmIn other words, lets break up the bill so we can put in bs amendments that actually screw over more Americans and advance the conservative movement.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:44 pmcric says:
oh by the way–did u know that hmos were originally a scam set up by an addicted dr. from calif. in the 70’s? kaiser and nixon met and spoke on it….kaiser hmmm is that kaiser as in kaiser permanente????
As included in Michael Moore’s movie Sicko.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:49 pmTake something big and break into pieces.
I call that a puzzle.
August 18th, 2009 at 5:54 pmactually chuck i didnt know it was in sicko–i like true crime stories and it happened to be in one of those–boggs was the dr.s name and some accomplices in ohio i forget their names–its public records tho im sure!! thanx
August 18th, 2009 at 6:35 pm… stall…
stall…
stall…
obstruct…
stall…
August 18th, 2009 at 6:49 pmThey want to split it up so they can take credit for something and veto out the stuff they don’t want. (I.E. the public option.)
This is just another attempt by the Republican’s to try and get their way and hurt the American public.
August 18th, 2009 at 7:42 pmAnd why do we care what the Republicans want. We had an election. They lost. Elections used to have consequences. When did that stop happening?
August 18th, 2009 at 8:36 pmGo over to HP and read Thomm Hartman’s proposal. It makes so much sense. He wants the government to allow anyone to buy into Medicare at a rate based on their ability to pay. No muss, no fuss. Can be implemented immediately and it can be revenue neutral. If people want to keep their for-profit health plans, they can continue to pay into them and make the industry rich. If all you want is decent health care at a price you can afford, then allowing all Americans into Medicare is the answer.
BTW, I heard the best question today to ask anyone who is against reforming our health care system. Ask them “Do you think that I should have the right to have access to decent health care”? If they say “yes”, then tell them that the only way that can be guaranteed is with a public option. If they say no, ask them to tell you why not.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:40 pmNO COMPROMISE WITH THE KKKonservanazi republiKlans.
THEY WILL ONLY SCREW THE PEOPLE AND THE DEMS.
NO COMPROMISE WITH THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:03 pmInsurance companies gave over $13 million in contributions to the Blue and Red members of the Senate Finance Committee. The Gang of Six got almost $4 million of the total.
Max Baucus (D-MT)–$1.2 million (#3)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)–$830,000 (#2)
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)–$160,000 (#11)
Total donations to “Gang of Six” Democrats–$2.2 million
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)–$930,000 (#1)
Mike Enzi (R-WY)–$240,000 (#5)
Olympia Snowe (R-ME)–$430,000 (#2)
Total donations to “Gang of Six” Republicans–$1.5 million
http://stateofthedivision.blogspot.com/2009/08/gang-of-six-million-smackers.html
August 18th, 2009 at 10:57 pmThe number in parenthesis (#1) above are the insurance industry’s ranking in that Senators top 20 industrial donors.
Data is from Open Secrets.
August 18th, 2009 at 10:59 pmAnd we should give a crap about what the three repuplicants in the gang want because…???
August 19th, 2009 at 9:44 amSplitting the health bill serves NO useful purpose but to (1) make it look like the republicans are still controlling things (2) insurance companies will have time to find ways around the bill (3) wasting our tax dollars with meaningless meeting and bs that accomplish NOTHING.
August 19th, 2009 at 10:32 amDid you hear about the death book that is contained in the Veterans Admin. handbook. Thankfully, President Bush had ordered that it be rescinded, but the Obami Admin nuts have reinstated it and it is back. So not only do the seniors have to worry but now our dear Veterans, who is next on the list
August 24th, 2009 at 4:25 pm