US Congress passes Healthcare Reform bill

‘It’s a victory for the American people’ © Barack Obama

In a historic vote last night, Congress passed H.R. 3590, more commonly known as the “Healthcare Reform Bill.” After rancorous debate that seemed more akin to the dozens game than an exchange of facts and opinions in the hope of agreement, including a parliamentary tongue-lashing delivered to Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) by Rep. David Obey (D-WI), the House moved to vote by electronic device. For approval, the bill needed a total of 216 votes. As the 216th vote came in, the House erupted into cheers of “Yes, we can!” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) celebrated with the Democrats. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and fellow Republicans fumed. In the end, the votes tallied up to 219-212 with zero Republican support.

The bill, called “the most significant Democratic triumph in 40 years,” is now on its way to President Obama’s desk. He has stated that he will sign it on Tuesday. Certain changes will happen immediately while the full effects of the bill won’t manifest until 2014. Included among the soon-to-occur changes are:

Children with preexisting conditions are eligible for coverage

The coverage gap for prescription drugs will be closed

Being a woman will no longer be considered a preexisting condition

Children currently insured through their parents’ health care plan will be covered up to age 26

While there are unpopular measures included in the bill, such as an individual mandate of coverage subject to fines, supporters of the bill liken protests to those against other health care reforms, like Medicaid and Medicare, which were opposed by the GOP in the 60s. Seeming to harken back to those times, protestors hurled racial and homophobic epithets at representatives known to support the bill. Representative Andre Carson (D-Ind) shared his account with the Associated Press:

Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., told a reporter that as he left the Cannon House Office Building with Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a leader of the civil rights era, some among the crowd chanted “the N-word, the N-word, 15 times.” Both Carson and Lewis are black, and Lewis spokeswoman Brenda Jones also said that it occurred.

“It was like going into the time machine with John Lewis,” said Carson, a large former police officer who said he wasn’t frightened but worried about the 70-year-old Lewis, who is twice his age. “He said it reminded him of another time.”

It is said that history repeats itself. Only time will tell the fate of this legislature; nevertheless, Barack Obama is already being called a “consequential” president.

Source:
US House passes key healthcare reform bill
Giles: Health Care Vote Is the First Step
The Most Significant Democratic Triumph in 40 Years
Boehner: Anti-gay, racial slurs ‘reprehensible’

EDITORIAL:
Hope in the unseen. The bill isn’t perfect, but it can be fixed and is far better than doing nothing, or, as the GOP argues, waiting for the “right time,” since this really should have been done in 1965.

You are already taxed for the poor/uninsured under the current system. So at least HR 3590 is a step forward in getting America covered, if not healthy. As well, the bill was worked on by both GOPs and Dems, zero Republican votes doesn’t mean much beyond strategy for eventual elections. If you want to be useful find out who included the fine with the individual mandate, which is quite similar to what Mitt Romney enacted in Massachusetts only his didn’t attempt cost controls like this bill does, but that’s what’s going to bank roll this (certain businesses are about to get PAID and that fine will really create $$$$ when the GOP is in office again).

You’re not going to get a perfect bill (even if you wrote it) nor are you going to make everyone happy. Even though this one probably doesn’t help you, it helps a lot of people; more than what most recently existed. Granted, this bill is going to hurt a lot of people too, but mostly in the same way doing nothing was going to hurt those people. That’s government.

And to the people complaining about giving hand-outs to the poor because of how hard they work, so what? There are always plenty of people (from all walks of life) working harder than you and STILL worse off. Beyond that, we just gave hand-outs to the wealthiest companies in the nation (started under Bush, finished by Obama). At the very least this might help some kids and some elderly.

The bill really doesn’t go far enough, nor is it what it used to be. (Public option, gone.) Big businesses will always get taken care of by special interests. So that idealism can be ignored. As well, the only bills that ever get passed grease the palms of everyone, remain just vague enough not to hurt anyone politically and hopefully attempt some good. That said, this IS an impressive achievement. Not even for the right reasons.

That said, call your representative or run for office yourself. (If you believe that, I know this prince who needs a little money but will definitely pay you back.)

Furthermore, the fallout of this bill highlights a growing concern of mine, which is how crazy the Right is getting. Be afraid, be very afraid.

The reality is that even though the vote is over, the fight over health care reform is not. Opponents, including the attorney generals of several states, are expected to file lawsuits asking the courts to declare the bill unconstitutional. The anger of conservative activists has been stirred to fever pitch — witness the spitting at Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver or slurs directed at Reps. John Lewis and Barney Frank during Capitol Hill protests Saturday — and it will not go away any time soon. At a time when some people feel like losing an election is living under tyranny, the passage of this health care reform bill has taken on significance far beyond the legislation itself.