Health Care (the last) Week In Preview

I am listening to the House Budget Committee hearing on the Health Care reconciliation bill. A few interesting amendments were offered:

Motion to do nothing on Health Care until the US pays off it's debt; FAIL.
Note to self: Shouldn't this have been brought up 15 years ago?

Motion to close "the doughnut hole" and save seniors on drug costs: PASS
Note to self: Duh.

Motion to direct savings from Medicare cuts to pay only for Medicare: FAIL
Note to self: You will never get a penny out of Medicare, even though you paid all your life.

Motion to eliminate annual/lifetime caps on heath benefits from a plan: PASS
Note to self: DUH! No brainer... McHenry (R-NC) waffled, but went NO. Republicans want you to go bankrupt if you get sick!

Motion to let states structure their own health plans (no standards): FAIL
Note to self: States can't determine the best plans any better than HHS, and would just leave a gaping opening for states to fuck their citizens. The blue states would too.

Motion to include creation of an "insurance rate authority" in package: PASS
Note to self: This should lead to a single payer system within ten years, so I back this 200%. We will joining the rest of the developed world and they will applaud us.

Motion to not use federal funds on abortion: FAIL (17 to 19, very close)
Note to self: Unneeded, this is already settled law (Hyde), so don't push it DUH or that might go away! I hate abortions, so get off your unattentive asses and tell your little girls to stop getting pregnant.

We Can Pass Health Care Reform!

We might need Chuck...
We could use Jean C...
Arnold can't help, really.

Could you see Chuck Norris on the Senate Floor. "You will sign the Bill".