Smiling Assassin27
09-24-2009, 08:24 AM
The Republicans in the Senate Finance Committee proposed an amendment that would make any health care reform bill that comes out of this body to be available for review online 72 hours before the panel votes on it. Democrats shot it down. What could possibly be the reason? Is 72 hours of legitimate review by citizens REALLY detrimental to the law making process? With a health care reform that would not kick in until 2013, why is 72 stinkin' hours of review by those whom the law would effect directly just not something the Dems wanna do for those they represent?
Their argument is that 72 hours of review could postpone a vote for weeks. The only way that is possible is if the bill is so poorly written that it must be revised and IMPROVED. This has happened already with the previous attempts at writing this bill, and we had legislators on record saying they had not even read it, but were damn sure voting for it--until their constituents read it and demanded a no vote.
As it is written now, without legal language, the bill cannot be scored properly by CBO. Don't you think Congress may want to know what the CBO says about the costs and effects of this bill? Republicans asked for transparency and got a big ol' middle finger. John Kerry commented that 'let's be honest, most people don't read the legislative language.' DUDE. The reason we don't read it is because you pricks won't make it available to read.
This crap is indefensible. This is why I have zero confidence in our legislators to give America a quality health care reform bill. This is why I'd rather my daughter be a hobo than a congresswoman.
To those of you who were crowing about how Baucus has totally changed his bill to appease Republicans, read this and retract your statement.
Democrats Kill Amendment Requiring Bill To Be Fully Written Before a Vote
By Philip Klein on 9.23.09 @ 12:18PM
Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee killed an amendment proposed by Sen. Jim Bunning that would have required the committee to have the legislative language of its health care bill evaluated by the Congressional Budget Office before voting on it.
Currently, the only version of Chairman Max Baucus's proposal we have is a 223-page draft (PDF) that is written in plain English and explains the bill in conceptual terms. Republicans argued that until the bill is written in legislative language it will be impossible for the CBO to provide an accurate cost estimate.
The Bunning ammendment would have required the committee to have the legislative language of the bill, along with the CBO cost estimate, posted on the internet for 72 hours before a vote.
Democrats argued that waiting for the legislative languange to be written, and for the CBO to evaluate it, would needlessly delay the process by weeks.
"Let's be honest about it, most people don't read the legislative language," Sen. John Kerry said.
The Bunning amendment was defeated by a 12 to 11 vote, with Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln the only Democrat voting in favor.
Instead, the committee adopted an amendment by Baucus that doesn't require the legislative language to be written, but that does require a CBO estimate based on the plain English version.
Their argument is that 72 hours of review could postpone a vote for weeks. The only way that is possible is if the bill is so poorly written that it must be revised and IMPROVED. This has happened already with the previous attempts at writing this bill, and we had legislators on record saying they had not even read it, but were damn sure voting for it--until their constituents read it and demanded a no vote.
As it is written now, without legal language, the bill cannot be scored properly by CBO. Don't you think Congress may want to know what the CBO says about the costs and effects of this bill? Republicans asked for transparency and got a big ol' middle finger. John Kerry commented that 'let's be honest, most people don't read the legislative language.' DUDE. The reason we don't read it is because you pricks won't make it available to read.
This crap is indefensible. This is why I have zero confidence in our legislators to give America a quality health care reform bill. This is why I'd rather my daughter be a hobo than a congresswoman.
To those of you who were crowing about how Baucus has totally changed his bill to appease Republicans, read this and retract your statement.
Democrats Kill Amendment Requiring Bill To Be Fully Written Before a Vote
By Philip Klein on 9.23.09 @ 12:18PM
Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee killed an amendment proposed by Sen. Jim Bunning that would have required the committee to have the legislative language of its health care bill evaluated by the Congressional Budget Office before voting on it.
Currently, the only version of Chairman Max Baucus's proposal we have is a 223-page draft (PDF) that is written in plain English and explains the bill in conceptual terms. Republicans argued that until the bill is written in legislative language it will be impossible for the CBO to provide an accurate cost estimate.
The Bunning ammendment would have required the committee to have the legislative language of the bill, along with the CBO cost estimate, posted on the internet for 72 hours before a vote.
Democrats argued that waiting for the legislative languange to be written, and for the CBO to evaluate it, would needlessly delay the process by weeks.
"Let's be honest about it, most people don't read the legislative language," Sen. John Kerry said.
The Bunning amendment was defeated by a 12 to 11 vote, with Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln the only Democrat voting in favor.
Instead, the committee adopted an amendment by Baucus that doesn't require the legislative language to be written, but that does require a CBO estimate based on the plain English version.