The last time health care was on the menu the Republicans passed the biggest expansion of goverment health care since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.
Republican's created an entitlement for seniors to purchase low-cost drug coverage. Of course this bill was passed with no way to pay for it except deficit spending.
In the 2009 report to Congress the Medicare trustees estimate that the 10 year cost of Medicare part D is as high as 1.2 TRILLION. That figure just for prescription drug coverage that people over 65 still have to pay a lot of money for_dwarfs the 848 BILLION cost of the Senate Bill.
The price continues to escalate because the law explicicitly bars the goverment from using its market power to negotiate drug prices.
Unlike the Democratic Bill which the Congessional Budget Office says won't add to the deficit.
Former comptroller general David M Walker had called the 2003 Republican Health Care bill " the most fiscally irresponsible piece of legislation since the 1960's"
John Kyle in in 2003 "As a member of the team that crafted the Medicare Part D coverage, I am committed to insure it's successful implementation. I will fight any attempts to erode Part D coverage" Six years later Kyle calls Harry Reids's democratic health care legislation a " trillion dollar bill a bad bill "
What the Republican's object to is expanding government in a way that doesn't help them get elected.
Also forgotten was the shenanigans pulled by the Republican's in 2003. Bush officials threatened to fire Medicare's chief actuary if he shared honest cost estimates with Congress. House of Republican's cut off C-Span and kept the roll call open for 3 hours to get the last few votes they needed.
Oh what short memories!!
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3 comments:
The cynicism on the right is really breathtaking...
As usual you Liberals know so much that just is not so.
The drug benefit was a bipartisan legislation (Unlike the current undefined health care takeover).
The plan is currently under budget and as designed (Conservatives are just better legislators) requires patient participation (for example the donut hole).
I did fix your typo and mention only in passing the beer in Mr. Baxters post.
Jim - What did Terry say that "just isn't so?" Be specific, please.
The prescription drug plan was, in fact, bipartisan. However, the failure to pay for it was standard Republican fare. Mssrs Hastert and Frist would not bring any revenue enhancements to a vote. I don't think they ever did - not once - in their years of control (and massive deficits during times of growth).
The Dems merely signed on to a Republican bill (which I opposed, as a consistent advocate of Pay/Go).
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