Word: bille
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Despite the obstacles, Florez expects to push the legislation as far as it can go. Could he get the two-thirds majority required to turn the bill into law - particularly from the Republican minority that pledged not to raise taxes? "In this case," he says, "the issue is simple. Do Republican members ... really want to be seen on the side of animal abuse? I don't think they...
...That's peanuts when you're talking about a $2 trillion health care system. But providing health security to all Americans - making sure they have coverage, making sure the insurance companies can't take it away - is just too important. So we'll include your malpractice provision in our bill. Can I assume you'll now vote...
...real goal has been to stop any and all legislation for political reasons - to deny Obama a major victory. To that end, Republicans have purposely mischaracterized the Democratic plan from the start - as socialism, a government "takeover" of health care. It isn't, of course. In fact, the bill's cataclysmic inelegance is caused in large part by the President's promise that the current, hopelessly complicated system would remain the same for the 80% of the public that's satisfied with the insurance it has. Furthermore, the late-blooming Republican alternatives, like the Medicare privatization plan offered by Ryan...
...demanded a brisk, disciplined legislative process. But that seems well beyond the capacity of the current Democratic leaders. The most egregious example was Reid allowing Baucus to dawdle for three months, attempting to cut a deal with the Republicans on the Finance Committee, during which time support for the bill curdled as Tea Party Summer unfolded. The Democrats also allowed their own special interests - the lawyers, the labor unions - as well as individual members to barnacle the bill with codicils and special deals that worked against the greater good...
After months of uncertainty, a road map for passing comprehensive health care reform is finally at hand, one that could send a bill to Barack Obama's desk by the end of March. But it is going to require House and Senate Democrats to put aside their mutual suspicions, join hands and take a political leap worthy of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance...