Public option discussed in finance committee, pt 2

I come back at about 1:44 and Sen. Rockefeller is talking. $1.5
trillion subsidy and additional money in this bill goes to the health
insurance industry? Why are we subsidizing them at all?

Baucus proclaims how this bill/mark isn't a boon to insurance
companies. Among other "reasons" he states is that this bill forces
everyone to buy insurance. How is that not a benefit to the insurance
companies? Holds their feet to the fire? Are you kidding? He keeps
defending his bill. It's awful!

Ah, that is old footage.

Now to the new session.

Jim Bunning on now. He has been one of the worst apologists for the
insurance companies I've seen. Not too fond of this guy. I don't see
anyone else in there besides Baucus and him.

(Audio quality is good on C-Span 3. I'm using RealPlayer at this
point but have also used QT/Flip4Mac.)

Bunning is wasting our time telling us about his kids being too young
to know what kind of healthcare they may want.

Insurance companies make only 3.3% profit margin?

Drs and hospitals don't deserve big salaries. Call me a socialist.
(And if the government was the sole source for drug companies, we
could get lower prices.

Sen. Cantwell is on now. She is sharp. Always been impressed with
her. (She reminds me of my oldest sister. Looks like her and is smart
like her.) Making lots of great points.

(I have lunch so may miss some of what she says.)

So far, I haven't heard anything that would discredit her.

Now she talks about Costco...

Crapo on now. (Not pronounced like crap-o.) Another scary Republican.
An evil man.

Excessive regulation may inhibit competition. But the question is how
much is excessive. We need more, just like we do in the finance
sector, and both have to be better enforced. OK?

I have to admit though one of his staffers, the blond who sits behind
him and has her hair pulled back today, is hot. I love blonds with
dark eyebrows.

Kerry makes some good points. Entitlement (Medicare) vs
self-sustaining (Rockeeller bill).

(I miss some more as I talk on the phone.)

Sen. Rockefeller says, 'let me address my colleagues on the left who
want to maintain the status quo'... He meant to say 'on the right.'

Sen. Rockefeller: "Everyone believes everything they see on television."!

They vote on the Rockefeller amendment. Conrad votes no. Lincoln -
no. Nelson - no. Carper - no. Geez. Baucus - no. Thanks Dems. The
Dems have a 13-10 majority and they can't pass bills? (They lose
8-15.)

Schumer on now.
But we LIKE single-payer...

Baucus ought to be ashamed, and he may be, that he can't support a
public option because the votes aren't there. (The insurance industry
has bought off too many senators.)

Nelson is a good supporter of most causes I support though I don't
know why he voted against the Rockefeller amendment. Interesting that
he was the insurance commissioner of FL awhile back.

Health care cannot be a for-profit business.

Baucus is in a hurry to get this done.

Conrad likes the "public interest option."

Grassley on now.... "Many of the things we feared have come to past."
You mean pass.

Ensign on now. He's slick. He's afraid once a public plan gets
started, it will be impossible to stop. Good!

'We don't need a government auto company cuz auto companies are
already making a profit.' Um. They weren't a few months ago.

Bunning on now.
Tells Schumer his bill will do what he doesn't intend it to do.

Kyl on now.
This is going to be too big to fail...

'State insurance commissioners should keep the companies honest.' But
they don't.

Cantwell on now.

The comments have been shorter.

Baucus doesn't see how it will get 60 votes on the floor so he's
going to vote against it. Thanks ----head.

Schumer on for his last stab. We hear Grassley and Baucus on mic as
well. Schumer echoes my thoughts on state commissioners.

They vote: Conrad - no, Lincoln - no, (Carper aye!), Baucus - no. (It
loses,10-13)

Pitiful. 3 Dems could have made the difference.

Let's see what happens when the Senate bill gets reconciled with the
House bill.

Public option discussed in finance committee, pt 1

Senator Baucus opens the meeting by saying, "try to stay awake guys".
I know they are tired but this isn't the most encouraging way to
start out this meeting on a very important topic.

Senator Rockefeller presents his amendment. It seems he is offering a
public option in an exchange. Not good enough. (Medicare for all, I
say. Not as an option. Health insurance companies should only sell
coverage for things not covered like cosmetic surgery, etc. Medicare
should cover all health issues. (Dental, mental, obstetrics, etc.)

Senator Nelson asks Senator Rockefeller to explain his bill and
Senator Rockefeller politely refuses. I don't understand that.

Isn't it amazing that we subsidize the insurance companies now and
will do so in the future? Why do we subsidize industries that are
profitable? They subsidize "the people" to buy the insurance and they
also subsidize the insurance companies as well. It makes no sense.

Baucus defends the "mark" as being hard on the insurance companies.
They levy a fee for 60 billion but are subsidizing them to the tune
of 500 billion.

The audio quality of C-Span 1 on DirecTV is bad as usual. Distortion,
and now we are hearing monitor ring, which is a problem caused
whoever is doing audio in the Senate chamber.

Grassley tries to defend his approach on the "public option" and then
announces his opposition to Sen Rockefeller's amendment. Grassley has
no credit as far as I'm concerned. ('A slow walk to government run
health care.' Yes. et's do it!) Then he yammers on about half truths
and misconceptions that are the Republican talking points. (People
come to the US for health care...)

Grassley 'A government plan will run the insurance companies out of
business.' I'm all for it!

Grassly rails on about how bad the public option is. Yawn. Most of
what he says has been disproved.

What he's saying is the public option will be more cost effective so
let's not have it because it will put insurance companies out of
business. Doesn't want government bureaucrats making decisions
instead of Drs but that is what the insurance companies are doing
now. Exactly that.

Now he waffles on Medicare.

Grassley wants choice? Choice to pay more than we need to? How about
not needing a choice because the care provided is good. (And I guess
choice doesn't apply to abortion. Can't have choice there, can we?)

Hatch on now. ... "enjoy the private coverage of their choice."
Enjoy? Enjoy paying exorbitant rates and have limited coverage? No,
we don't enjoy it, Senator.

God forbid Drs can't charge whatever they want. We don't need rich
Drs. We need Drs who like to practice medicine. They will be
adequately paid. They are in other countries.

Yes, let's go this way!

No, the government DOES NOT MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS! the Drs do! Liar!

No, the American people will not lose control over their care.

Menendez strongly in favor of Rockefeller's (and Schumer's) amendment.

All (of the Senators) are for choice unless it's for a public option.

Drs ought to be required in this program. He weasels out of Sen
Ensign's question. Then Rockefeller weasels out, after saying they
won't be required to then saying only for two years.

Sen Nelson asks, is the public option a disaster in NJ? Menedez
answers since there is no public option it can't be a disaster. What
was the point of that?

Sen Conrad bashes Rockefeller's plan. Conrad mentions the TR Reid
book! Our system ought to be not for profit. (More talk is about not
for profit insurance but I am for not for profit health care and NO
insurance being needed.)

Ensign tries to criticize our ranking in the world of preventable
deaths by saying that it isn't valid because we have more car
accidents and gunshot wounds than other countries do. Hardly
something to draw attention to since you (Senators) are supposed to
be doing things to improve that.

Sen Rockefeller would have been better starting off saying his plan
IS a government run plan for the first two years.

It's a shame Dems aren't clear on the plans being offered. Bingaman
is confused. Nelson was. Conrad was against the Rockefeller plan....

Schumer up now to talk about Rockefeller's amendment. He then
launches into the state of health care and insurance.

Ensign is missing the point. We may be good at taking care of cancer
There are MANY more health conditions where we are NOT better than
other countries. (Infant mortality, others. Cost as percent of GDP is
twice that of the next "rich" nation. Also bankruptcies due to health
costs are obscenely high.)

Sen Kyle on now.
Britain's health care system may be the world's 3rd biggest employer
but their system works! Works well.

Sen Stabenow on now.
I have liked most of what she has said in the past.

They break at about 5 after 1 to return in about 45 minutes.

More to come.