Late Thursday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released their new numbers. The bill is expected to cost $940 billion over the next 10 years and supposedly will cut the deficit by $138 billion during the first decade and another $1.2 trillion the following decade.
Democrats had promised to unveil the reconciliation act language on the Internet for 72 hours before putting the measure to a vote. If they actually hold to their word, the vote on the Senate-passed bill would take place on Sunday, along with another vote on a package of changes created to make the bill more palatable to House Democrats. The bill would then move on to the Senate for a simple majority vote and then the President, where it would be signed into law.
Republicans are still steadfast on their stance to block the bill from passing. While the CBO is non-partisan, their numbers are an educated guess at best. There is no way of knowing if the numbers are truly accurate and based on what has happened in Massachusetts, it seems the CBO is erring on the side of pro-health care reform.
Universal health care already exists in Massachusetts and initial projections had the cost at much less than it proved to be once implemented. In fact, universal health care in Massachusetts has negatively impacted the budget so much so that the state is now asking the federal government for almost $500 million to support the program.
We also have to wonder what cost effect all the side deals that are still in the bill will truly have. The deal eliminating Medicaid financing for Nebraska is out but in is a special deal to help Connecticut build a hospital, along with a deal to help Louisiana by giving them only up to $300 million for Medicaid.
Democrats in Congress may have their head buried in the sand but Americans realize that the costs of this health care reform package will spiral out of control. Poll after poll shows the public is dissatisfied with the way health care has been handled. They want Congress to start over. Maybe those elected by the people should listen to their constituents?
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Up or Down. Yes or No. Vote
Up or Down. Yes or No.
Vote no and then move on to other things that have been forgotten. Vote yes so the lawsuits can begin. Either way - lets just get it over with. I wonder how much money has been spent in the last 16 months to possibly pass a bill that may never be enacted once the lawyers get ahold of it.
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