What is going on in the Senate with the Health care bills?

[TayTay]

Sen. Kennedy said that we would know something at 2:00 pm today when Frist speaks. Is the GOP bill dead or what?

[caligirl]

1. Don't know either, Kennedy was saying that because they won't

allow amendments to be voted on, there will be no real debate and Frist will speak at 2pm. In about 8 minutes. Interesting about Enzi's wife though.

[TayTay]

3. Now it's 2:30 before they come back

In the mean time we get Allard and Alexander speaking on the floor of the Senate. It is way, way more exciting to watch paint dry than to listen to either of these nitwits speak on the floor of the Senate. (Seriously, this is the cure for insomnia, however, side effects probably include nausea and feeling faintness of mind if prolonged exposure happens.)

Please, no more Rethug speakers. They are all awful. At the rate they are going today, Sessions will be up next. His voice curls wallpaper.

[caligirl]

9. I went outside and set my water on some new plants, rather watch

my plants grow.

[caligirl]

2. Quarum call granted now request by Lamar Alexander

[ralps]

4. Sen. Kennedy is talking about it again now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

5. Kennedy now speaking, "put the facts out on the table"

Enzi bill might help 1% with 45 million uninsured. 1%=600,000 according to CBO.
1/4 firms affected by enzi will Pay more/ but not with the Durbin Lincoln bill.

[TayTay]

6. Did Teddy say what the status is of the talks?

The last I heard the Enzi bill was dead. However, I wouldn't put it past the Rethugs to come up with some way of resurrecting it. (It is really bad for average Americans. What other motivation do Rethugs need?)

[caligirl]

8. No he didn't. I'm still waiting too

[caligirl]

7. talking about higher premiums, older 500% increase, female

25% increase. So if your in pewrfect health,male and young, if you pay $100, others could see premiums of $2500 plus a month.

"rejected and refutiated by National Insurance Commissioners"

[caligirl]

10. Thune now up.

[caligirl]

11. blah blah blah, 8 bills in the house passed( gee I wonder how)

talks about a strong support for the bioll, blaming dems for filibuster and this legislation not getting a chance for a vote because of dems. Then goes to his factoid sheet. Lie lie lie lie. I have to cal his office and give them some sh*t for this.

[TayTay]

12. Thune has been talking aobut this since Monday.

He keeps bringing up the main Rethug points: We are covering the uninsured. We are helping Small Business. What fine print? It's health care coverage, who cares about a little 'fine print.'

[caligirl]

13. Just got off the phone with his office, unloaded on him for this crap

[caligirl]

14. Sounds like Durbin asking Thune to yeild for a question, Thune is

still spewing his talking points.

[TayTay]

15. Thune is afraid he'll lose his place

and not be able to find it again. These people are not exactly the brightest bulbs in the sockets here. If Thune loses his place, he'll just forget everything he was saying. (I think he learned policy using political phonetics.)

[caligirl]

17. LOL Greggs and some others offered up the stupidest arguments

I have ever heard. I had shear pleasure in making this clear to him in my call yesterday. I'm not letting them get off the floor without a call pointing out their idiocy.

[caligirl]

16. 1-800-828-0498 to call the us Senate. Thune still begging for a vote

really interesting about Enzi's wife getting such great medical care that her colon tumor was found last week via the kind of tools his bill seeks to take from us. She will get 1st rate surgery May 22 at Georgetown medical center that this bill certainly would not cover for us.

[caligirl]

18. senate calling the roll now.

[TayTay]

19. Back to the Quorum call

I missed part of this debate today. Enzi or a surogate had the gall to stand up and talk about his wife's health problem and use that to sell this bill? OMFG, is there nothing these bastards wo't stoop to? And this bill, as you wrote, would make it harder for employees of small firms to get helath insurnce and get similar tests for their people.

OMFG! These people are the lowest of the low.

I will call the Senate. I usually borrow NH's Senators to call. (I live on the MA/NH border. Mine are on the record as voting against this. NH's are jerks and go for whatever the Rethug leadership wants.)

[caligirl]

20. Frist just set his papers on the podium, I think that is who I saw on the

screen just now.

[caligirl]

21. enzi just showed up he's standing near frist to his right.

[caligirl]

22. Frist: subsite put on the desk, clerk reporting amendment.

3887 is the amendment number.

clerk, striking one day and inserting two days. I have no idea what this means.

[TayTay]

24. What is Frist doing?

I can get all the Senate bills here and find any amendments proposed to them here. (You just need to know the bill #, in this case S R 1955.)

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c109bills.html

Edit: This link is for the main bills. The amendments are listing under the bills they amend.

[caligirl]

27. 3887, 3889

[caligirl]

52. Note this was a game by Frist to keep the dems from bringing their own

amendments to the floor.

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/051006_frist.html


“I understand not going to allow any amendments,” Minority Leader Harry Reid (R-Nev.) said Monday. Frist “indicated” to the Democratic leadership that he might “fill the tree,” Reid spokesman Jim Manley said yesterday.

By “filling the tree,” Frist would use his special floor privileges as majority leader to raise amendments continually, including second-degree amendments to language offered by other Republicans, in order to prevent Democrats from bringing their own to the floor.

[blm]

57. This is a very real problem for Dems, especially since so many don't

understand how the process works and blame the Dems themselves for aspects they have no control of.

[caligirl]

23. recommits the bill to the HELP committee, amendment 3889

Kennedy asking for a reading, seconded the amendment 3889.

[ralps]

25. Durbin asking Frist if the Stem cell amendment is a "Christmas Tree"

amendment!! :hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

26. Frist : debate on bill, can begin, stay on bill with amendments

to this bill that have only to do with s1955.
Durbin questions the characterization of christmas treeing the bill with stem cell amendement.
Frist doesn't want to include stem cell research with thei health insurance bill.

[caligirl]

28. Frist < blathering on, now Kennedy says Frist

is doing a parliamentary manuever.

Frist put amendments 3887 and 3889 on the table then recommitted the s1955 back to committee. This is somehow a manuever by Frist.

[ralps]

29. Kennedy calling Frist on his Sh*t!! & his flip floping

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

30. thats putting it straight and simple, thanks.

[caligirl]

31. Enzi up now, trying to keep all other amendments out of this,

[ralps]

32. Enzi- "Plenty of blame to go around" Cry me a river Enzi!!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[TayTay]

33. Semantics to try and avoid a filibuster

Enzi is trying to square the circle on this one. He is dancing around the idea that his bill stinks and won't help solve the problem of providing health care coverage for small business owners and employees.

The problem with the AHP plans is that they allow insurers to drop so many people and they do not mandate minimums. Nothing Enzi is saying (or any of the Rethugs) will change that.

[caligirl]

34. managers amendment is his amendment to his own bill still blathering

on about not willing to consider any other discussions on anything out side of the Enzi bill.


Made a change to price setting. States allow some variation to rates set for premiums.

Rating rules for older sicker or female employees. But Enzi doesn't care. he still wants the cheapest price.

[caligirl]

35. His amendment says states can opt in or out of community

rating to set prices for premiums.

Says it preserves original intent, but allows states to set reasonable limits to older or sicker people. Health as a rating factor could be used or not.

HMMM they stripped mandated coverages and STATE OVERsite. This is no amendment.

Then he admits states most all use rating bands, not community ratings but it would be a choice still.

[caligirl]

36. And remember the House has no compunction about rearranging

and deleting parts of bills the repugs don't want. The Managers amendment could be ripped out afterword in the joint committee.

[ralps]

37. Sen. Durbin up now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[ralps]

38. Durbin is doing a really good job on the stem Cell amendment IMO

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

39. Durbin mentions it being worth a fight on the floor.

[sidwill]

40. Caligirl

Thanks for keeping this issue at the forefront.

What do you think is gonna happen? Is this thing dead or is there a chance the pukes will slip it through?

[caligirl]

41. I go back and forth, I thought that in order to end debate on this the

repugs have to have 60 votes. So as long as we have 41 votes they in effect cannot get to a vote on this, the bill dies. They are still talking about this, it certainly makes the repugs look bad.

I just hope that Senator Enzi is outed for his hypocrisy, his wife, newly diagnosed with Colon cancer via a colonoscopy and cat scan. She will be at the Georgetown Medical center probably May 21(admitting day) for surgery scheduled for May 22.

Hope her post op recovery is just as bumpy as any nurse can make it. ANA opposes the bill.

[depakid]

47. "So as long as we have 41 votes...."

That's what worries me. The Dems invariably have several sell outs- and I've yet to hear from any of the usual suspects.

This would be another great set of issues to pound the far right with- will they use them? Their history over the past 12 years or so doesn't give me much cause for optimism. Hope I'm wrong.

[caligirl]

50. Found this a moment ago,

The floor strategy is “completely up in the air right now,” a HELP Committee spokesman said yesterday. Frist’s office did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Stymieing Democratic attempts to use the Senate Republicans’ primary healthcare vehicle to highlight the differences between the two parties on the issue could kill the chances of a successful cloture vote.

In recent years, when Frist or former Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) employed (or threatened) this “filling the tree” tactic, they raised Democratic hackles in the Senate, which usually operates more openly.

***The prospects for the underlying bill already are shaky, however.***


http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/051006_frist.html

[caligirl]

42. Durbin still talking, brings up the Lewin report. showing huge increase

in premiums the report talks about, nice graph.

[ralps]

43. Around 3 or 4 years ago my state health insurance stopped paying for

my therapist. It really pissed me off at the time. Since then I've needed to pay over $300 a month for my therapy + paying my health insurance premium of over $2000 a quarter. I'm self employed with type 2 diabetes. My health Ins. does pay for most of my regular medical costs, but like my therapist my Health Ins. doesn't cover my dental expenses. :hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :mad: :grr:

[caligirl]

46. Ouch, I just found out I may need a crown this year, the dental kind.

I don't recall how much I paid for the last one but its expensive. If the bill passes and we loose diabetes coverage we will be hard pressed to pay college tuition and both sons will be in college this fall. One has 2 quarters left and the diabetic is just starting out.

[depakid]

49. This bill repeals all state mandates

including every mental health parity law. Your diabetes coverage could be next....

http://www.diabetes.org/uedocuments/EnzifactsheetREV.pdf

[ralps]

51. Thanks for the link depakid

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[ralps]

44. Sen. Kerry up now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

45. Kerry up now

[ralps]

48. Woo Hoo Kerry calls this Senate Dysfunctional!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[ralps]

53. Enzi up again now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

54. Enzi, "we let big business do what they want. "

[ralps]

55. Now he's bitching about the Dems wanting to extend the perscription

drug plan. :hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[caligirl]

56. I am sooo ready to call his office and offend him big time

but I am so mad at him I can't decide if I want to wish for some RN to 'miss' the vein on his wifes arm and hit Enzi with it, or just ram an 18gauge into Enzi's ass.

Enzi's wife to have surgery to remove tumor

By The Gazette Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Diana Enzi, the wife of U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., has been diagnosed with colon cancer and will undergo surgery later this month.

Doctors diagnosed Diana Enzi, 58, with a malignant tumor in her colon last week, a spokesman for the senator said. The cancer was discovered with a CAT scan and a colonoscopy.

She will undergo surgery on May 22 at the Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, D.C., to have the tumor removed.

"The prognosis is good and Diana expects to get back to her normal busy and productive life following recuperation from the surgery," said Enzi spokesman Coy Knobel.


http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/05/09/news/wyoming/45-cancer.txt

[ralps]

59. That's right Enzi Rename your bill now!!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[blm]

58. Yeah - and his bill makes sure most small-biz gets screwed

way more than they realize.

[ralps]

60. Enzi now looks flustered & lost LOL

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[ralps]

61. Sen. Burns up now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals:

[karynnj]

62. He is dumber than Enzi

which is hard to believe.

[ralps]

63. Now Burns is accusing the Dems of using scare tactics

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[Craig3410]

64. Conrad Burns, pardon my french...

is the asshole to end all assholes.

That is all.

[ralps]

65. Sen. Cornyn up now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[sidwill]

66. What's happenning

Is this bill DOA or what?

Somebody please tell me.

[ralps]

67. They're still "debating" it, so I'm not sure

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

68. The bill still only has 8 sponsors, not a ringing endorsement.

I have had it with these morons, I am calling them out when they lie. I am so fricken mad at these greedy monsters.

[caligirl]

69. Gallery has a person causing a disruption, must be my twin.

After Cornyn finished and before Enzi could start the sargent at arms was called to remove a person from the gallery disrupting things. I just hope who ever it was useed the F word several times.

[Craig3410]

71. Ditto.

:)

[caligirl]

73. I'm out for ten minutes. be back to watch soon.

[ralps]

70. Wow!! A protestor!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[ralps]

72. Did Enzi just postpone the vote until Monday???

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

74. What? I didn't hear this.

[ralps]

76. Maybe I miss heard what he said

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[Craig3410]

75. Cute; asshole's quoting my local paper.

:puke:

[ralps]

77. Sen. McConnell up now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[caligirl]

78. The only thing Enzi did that McConnell is now congratulating Enzi for

is that he gave The NFIB full access to the HELP committee Repug members and even provided the pens and paper to write the bill they want.

[ralps]

79. Sen. Carper up now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[ralps]

80. Is Carper boring??? To me Carper is getting his points out but he's almost

putting me to sleep. :hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :boring:

[caligirl]

81. I was thinking that and then I drifted to the msg I want to give Enzi

et al.

Since your bored a bit you might like this, I had to get help from my husband to remember how this goes

For sen Enzi, Cornyn, Thune, Nelson(Neb.) etc etc. F U U Mother F'ING F'ER.

So do you think this would work, it would if I could be in the gallery.

[ralps]

83. LOL it might

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo: :rofl:

[ralps]

82. Sen. Ensign up now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[ralps]

84. Sen. Coburn on now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[ralps]

85. LOL He just said "Emergency Scare" & then changed it to "care"

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo: :rofl:

[caligirl]

86. darn I missed that, had to feed the dog.

[ralps]

87. Sen. Burr on now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[ralps]

88. Awwww Poor Burr didn't get to vote on his 2 bills. Cry me a river A*hole

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[frankenforpres]

89. this guy is a chump n/t

[ralps]

90. Gack He just brought up the "Up or Down Vote" Mem!!!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[caligirl]

91. The 1000 figure he mentioned is a claim the Mercer study never made

The 8% figure the Mercer study sites is only based on a subset of the uninsured.

They will claim premiums will drop by 12%, a savings of $1000 per employee they say.
The actual study never made any such claim. The Mercer study presents its findings in the aggregate, such a way that it is deceptive and masks the real negative impact of the bill. The Mercer study states "magnitude of decreases will vary significantly by state. The premium decreases will be modest in states that already have adopted rating regulations equal to or broader than those contained in the proposed legislation".


The Mercer Study is their study and doesn't support claims they make.

[ralps]

92. I hope some of the Dems call him on this!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

93. Why speaking of that, I did. they recorded it, office is closed.

[ralps]

94. I was thinking of some Dem Senators LOL

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[Mel]

95. this is one that's already

wrote him and Dole Both a nasty note!
Am I the only one that thinks he's an arrogant jerk? :grr:
This is what I got?:argh:
I at least had John Edwards before he ran for VP now I have a carpet bagger and an arrogant whitey male.

[caligirl]

96. senator Tom Harkin is on, relating a unemployed story

[ralps]

97. Sen. Harkin on now

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[OzarkDem]

98. He's watching out for cancer patients

who stand to lose so much with this bill.

Two of Sen. Harkins sisters have died from breast cancer, as has his niece. Also one brother has died from cancer. He has the brains and passion to ensure cancer patients get affordable care.

[ralps]

99. He's right!! We shouldn't have to settle for a striped down bill!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[Mel]

102. thing is Republicans

can never do right by the people it's all about who gives them their money to run for office so they can keep their health care and cushy jobs.
Go Harkin! He's talking about their federal insurance and how good it is (negotiated) and the pukes that yell about free market for you see it's only about the free market when it applies to others not them.

[OzarkDem]

104. S. 2510 - the bill he's talking about

gives small businesses the opportunity to purchase the same insurance plan that Congress members get.

Small business owners don't know about it, because the Walmart insurance industry doesn't want to let it out.

[frankenforpres]

100. this dude is rocking out

he is a great lecturer if you watch his body language

[OzarkDem]

101. He can get really wound up

he gives good, passionate, honest speeches. He'll make you cry.

[ralps]

103. Yay!!! He brought up Frist's filling the Tree w/ phony amendments & not

allowing S 2510 to come up for a vote!!! :hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo: :yourock: Sen. Harkin!!! He' says he'll vote against Cloture!!

[ralps]

105. Blegh! Enzi up again

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr: :puke:

[OzarkDem]

106. Talking out of his ass..

Lying through his teeth.

[caligirl]

107. Pssd off yet Enzi's number is [phone] Number corrected

My husband just got home listened to this idiot two minutes and is already shouting explitives.

[caligirl]

109. Harkin puts Enzi in the box, he has to relent or LIE again.

Harkin says Frist won't let them offer an amendment(durbin Lincoln bill) Enzi looks like the fat F**k he is.

[ralps]

108. "If there's a relevant amendment we would consider it" BullSh*t!!!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :grr:

[ralps]

110. Yes Let's take 3 weeks to debate!!!

:hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[caligirl]

111. Frist just put in a cloture motion for tomorrow to commence after discussi

of the tax bill. In other words the cloture vote takes place with no more amendments and the only further discussion of s1955 will be if senators do so during the tax bill debate, cutting short the 30 hours of debate. Is he deciding to take his lumps and walk away? I don't think he has the votes and wants to walk away now. The tax reconciliation act starts tomorrow and there will be 8 hours of debate and the S1955 vote will take place after the tax reconcil. vote.

Wednesday evening the Health care week ends by Frist. Durbin commenting about this now.Saying Frist, a man who has given hife to medicine, doesn't give a sh*t about health care now, won't allow for other ideas through amendments. Durbin calling Frist a hypocrite.