“A Reading Guide to the Senate Bill’s Backroom Deals”
I’ve been keeping tab on the Demcare backroom deals over the past several months (see Beltway Christmas: Cash for corruptocrats; Cash for Cloture: Demcare bribe list, Pt. II; and The Demcare bribe list). Now, the Senate Republican Policy Committee has compiled “A Reading Guide to the Senate Bill’s Backroom Deals.”
Keep it handy:
The White House recently released its own health care proposal[ii] in the form of changes to the 2,733 page legislation (H.R. 3590) that passed the Senate in December.[iii] While the proposal purports to remove the “Nebraska FMAP provision” that saw 49 other states funding Nebraska’s Medicaid largesse (known as the “Cornhusker Kickback”), it does not address other deals negotiated by Democrats in the Senate legislation. Many other backroom agreements are included in the Senate bill, which the White House has now endorsed as the platform for Democrats to enact “health reform” into law:
Page 428—Section 2006, known as the “Louisiana Purchase,” provides an extra $300 million in Medicaid funding to Louisiana.[iv]
Page 878—Section 3201(g), known as the “Gator Aid” provision, shields certain Florida residents from Medicare Advantage cuts. In December, 57 Senate Democrats voted not to extend this special deal to all Medicare beneficiaries.[v]
Page 2132—Section 10201(e)(1) provides an increase in Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments for Hawaii, meaning 49 other states will pay more in taxes so that Hawaii can receive this special benefit.
Page 2222—Section 10323 makes certain individuals exposed to environmental hazards eligible for Medicare coverage. The definition used in the bill ensures the only individuals eligible will be those living in Libby, Montana.
Page 2237—Section 10324 increases Medicare payments by $2 billion in “frontier states.”[vi]
Page 2354— Section 10502 spends $100 million on “debt service of, or direct construction of, a health care facility,” language which the sponsors intended to benefit Connecticut.[vii]
Page 2394—Section 10905(c) includes language exempting Nebraska Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Michigan Blue Cross/Blue Shield from the new tax on health insurance companies, despite an Administration-released report calling Michigan Blue Cross/Blue Shield’s 2009 rate increases “disturbing.”[viii]
Page 2395—Section 10905(d) exempts Medigap supplemental insurance plans sold by Mutual of Omaha, headquartered in Nebraska, from the new tax on health insurance companies.
These specific agreements and provisions also do not display the full scope of the White House’s legislative deal-making. For instance, the head of the pharmaceutical industry said the Administration approached him to negotiate a secret arrangement with his industry: “We were assured, ‘We need somebody to come in first. If you come in first, you will have a rock-solid deal.’”[ix] And former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean publicly admitted at a town hall forum that “The reason that tort reform is not in the [health care] bill is because the [Democrat Members] who wrote it did not want to take on the trial lawyers.”[x]
The many pages of backroom deals included in the Senate legislation raises several questions: If the bill itself is so compelling, why did Senate Democrats need billions of dollars in “sweeteners” negotiated in secret in order to vote for it? If President Obama is so concerned about the public perceptions created by the backroom dealing, why did he not propose to strike all the special agreements? Is he worried that this pork-barrel spending is the only reason why Democrats would vote to pass his government takeover of health care in the first place?
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I’m going to go out on a limb here and say “Yep”!
Must be some kind of “Professional Courtesy” code they live by.
Chicago business as usual.
This summit reminds me of the kangaroo court trials they used to have in the more rural parts of the country years ago. The verdict had already been reached – the trial was just for show to make people think they were applying justice.
Rogue,
Same reason why sharks do not eat lawyers.
Duh Won as Judge Roy Bean?
If Obummer gives me a million bucks I’ll write my Congressmen and urge them to support it.
Just contact me, care of this blog, and I’ll tell them where to send the check.
The greed and corruption of these entrenched, career politicians (on both sides of the aisle) know no bounds. They all have to go or we lose the republic.
In this electronic age, every bill should be author stamped. An electronic version of the bill should be available that has every section, every line, every paragraph marked with who inserted it in the bill, whether it is a congressman, a staffer or a lobbyist.
Click on:
Page 2222—Section 10323 makes certain individuals exposed to environmental hazards eligible for Medicare coverage. The definition used in the bill ensures the only individuals eligible will be those living in Libby, Montana.
Find out who inserted it in the bill.
The one with his freezer full of cash…
That’s funny.
Don’t forget the payola to Chris Dodd in the bill. There is a 100 million dollar handout to a state medical center that is “the only public medical school in that state”. Dodd wrote the language so that only 12 states could even qualify technically and he would ensure that only the Dempsey Center in Connecticut gets the money. And then here is the kicker: The John Dempsey Medical Center in Farmington, Ct. never asked for the money. It was a boondoggle from day 1, has hundreds of empty beds and has dozens of doctors and nurses just reading the newspaper all day with nothing to do. Dodd, BTW, just nominated a guy named Mark Chatigny to be a judge on the federal second circuit. Chatigny just happened to preside over Dodd’s wedding and to be a chum of Chris (Just like the Countrywide buds of Chris). Mr. Chatigny is best known as a ferocious opponent of the death penalty and he was chastised by federal judges for the way he meddled in a death penalty case and used questionable means to prevent a serial killer and rapist from going to the chair. I am surprised no reporters want to look into this.
And we are surprised at this lunacy? NOOOOO!
These people aren’t even trying to hide their corruption and graft anymore. The democrats must have figured they have dumbed down enough people through public education or the lack thereof that it just doesn’t matter anymore.
The Let Them Eat Cake mentality!
Sounds like every body is getting a free ride except for 13 elderly folks in South Branch Montana.