CBO numbers add to momentum for health reform
For months now, congressional Republicans have been citing analyses of the fiscal impact of various health-insurance reform conducted by the Congressional Budget Office. They have lauded the CBO’s work as independent and accurate, a cry taken up by conservative media as well. Sean Hannity, for example, has urged his audience to pay attention to “the gold standard, ladies and gentlemen, the CBO numbers.”
Well, the CBO’s numbers are in for the health-insurance reform bill put together by the Senate Finance Committee, and those numbers say that in addition to providing health insurance for millions who are currently uninsured, the proposal would CUT the federal deficit by $81 billion over the next 10 years, with additional savings expected beyond that horizon.
In related news, former Senate Majority Leader and GOP presidential candidate Robert Dole has come out in favor of health-care reform, joining another former Senate GOP leader, Bill Frist. Dole, a noted socialist, says he was asked by current Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to stay quiet, but he could not do so. “This is one of the most important measures members of Congress will vote on in their lifetimes,” Dole said in Kansas City. “If we don’t do it this year I don’t know when we’re gonna do it.” Tommy Thompson, the secretary of Health and Human Services under the second President Bush, also endorsed the effort, as has California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The polls have turned, the tide has turned, the bill will pass, Obama will sign it and eventually we can move on to other challenges.
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152 comments Add your comment
Dave R.
October 8th, 2009
12:24 pm
First?
Jefferson
October 8th, 2009
12:26 pm
If you want to save money on health care costs, take profit from the insurance companies.
Dave R.
October 8th, 2009
12:26 pm
Yes!
Anyway, the CBO numbers are based on alleged “savings” in Medicare that may or may not happen with reforms. Therefore, their numbers on this issue are suspect. Oh, and wasn’t it the CBO that also gave us the low number for the GOP passed prescription drug benefit, which is now about 4 times the original estimate?
Tom
October 8th, 2009
12:29 pm
This news will be a tad disappointing to our heroic, patriotic, little Repug fellow-travelers as they endlessly pursue things to hate – more than they hate themselves.
Lord Help Us
October 8th, 2009
12:31 pm
What a surprise, the CBO numbers are in, they look great, but the cons are still against the reform bill.
It’s almost like they are looking for a way to make it fail. Do they hate America THAT much!
Taxpayer
October 8th, 2009
12:31 pm
How did that meeting between Sebelius and the Georgia boys go? Did she get them to present some CBO analysis of their cost savings, for example? I mean, I just cannot imagine these Republicans getting their audience with someone from the Obama Administration and only to whine and moan. Surely, they made the most of their allotted time.
I Report/ Vast White Wing Conspirator :-) You Whine :-(
October 8th, 2009
12:32 pm
Never ask why, bookman-
The numbers may get worse for Democrats if they pass a health-care bill. Why? Because Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D., Mont.) wants to frontload the reforms with distasteful things. Under his plan, tax hikes and Medicare and Medicaid cuts kick in immediately, while new benefits are delayed for two-and-a-half years. Voters likely won’t warm to reforms that slam them next year while promising benefits down the road.
No benefits, only taxes.
mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, Barak Hussein Obama!
danjonglee
October 8th, 2009
12:34 pm
Someone at the CBO made a trip to the WhiteHouse to get his/her head screwed on straight. Does anyone honestly believe that the proposal would CUT the federal deficit by $81 billion over the next 10 years, with additional savings expected beyond that horizon?
danjonglee
October 8th, 2009
12:38 pm
Maybe the 81 billion in Obama money is coming from his stash…..
Mrs. Godzilla
October 8th, 2009
12:38 pm
danjonglee
yes.
Lord Help Us
October 8th, 2009
12:39 pm
Medicare/Medicare cuts!!! Evidence please…Thanks in advance…
stands for decibels
October 8th, 2009
12:42 pm
“This is one of the most important measures members of Congress will vote on in their lifetimes,” Dole said in Kansas City. “If we don’t do it this year I don’t know when we’re gonna do it.”
Other little known facts about Bob Dole:
1. He studied engineering at Brooklyn College
2. I met him once. I always had kind of a warm spot for the guy.
Well, I look forward to hearing from all the fellas who were actually for the CBO analysts before they were against them.
joe matarotz
October 8th, 2009
12:45 pm
Here’s a novel idea. How about getting people back to work BEFORE working on health care reform. If I’m reading the news correctly, jobs have continued to be lost, not created.
Recession – 1
Stimulus – 0
In the meantime, all those plans to reduce fraud and wasteful spending in healthcare can proceed. Right, Mr. President?
Jimmy62
October 8th, 2009
12:46 pm
The CBO’s hands are somewhat tied. If Congress tells them they will save $400 billion from Medicare, the CBO has to take them at their word. Even though the actual number will most likely be FAR short of $400 billion. And think about the implications… Seniors have paid into Medicare their entire adult lives… Now you want to STEAL $400 billion they put in to give to people who are not contributing, but simply taking from everyone else.
Falls far short of moral behavior.
Historically the CBO is far more accurate than Congress itself in projections. Congress says something will cost $X. The CBO says, “No, it will really cost 2X.” And then ten years later we look back and see that it actually cost 10X, but few of the politicians that passed it will be around. And Jay Bookman won’t have to be held accountable for spreading false propaganda. But the rest of us will be screwed.
Lord Help Us
October 8th, 2009
12:47 pm
JM, the rocket scientist…do ya think that providing health insurance to 25,000,000 people that are not currently covered might create a few jobs? What a maroon…
RollerGirl
October 8th, 2009
12:48 pm
this is Jays trick..CBO scores the house bill as drsticly adding to the defficit, and the senate bill saving a paltry 8 billion a year..now Jay touts how obama is actually saving us money(concetrating only on the senate finance committe version) now when it goes to conference, Pelosi and Obama will make sure the majority of the far more liberla house bill makes it into the language, and then all of a sudden, jays LOVE for the cbo will turn to vinegar, as they say the NEW numbers show the bill will cost 1.5 trillion over ten years
getalife
October 8th, 2009
12:49 pm
Red States can opt out due to ideology.
RollerGirl
October 8th, 2009
12:51 pm
But by then, suckers, in the words of John Holmes, “you’re f’ed”
Citizen of the World
October 8th, 2009
12:53 pm
With this leg knocked out from under the Republicans’ already weak argument against health care reform, do they even have a leg left to stand on? It’s becoming more evident by the moment that the Republicans are opposed to health care reform on purely ideological grounds — that ideology being that business can do no wrong and government can do no right, which translates into nothing for the average working American and everything for the corporate giants.
Lord Help Us
October 8th, 2009
12:54 pm
It will be interesting to watch and see how many red states opt out. It will be like the cowards that talked big about turning down stimulus money until their polls showed them how quickly they would be voted out of office.
Go ahead Sonny, opt out…then watch GA turn a beautiful color blue…
Lord Help Us
October 8th, 2009
12:55 pm
Hmmm, still no evidence of those forthcoming Medicaid/Medicare cuts from the village drunk…
Must be off singing his new favorite song…
Taxpayer
October 8th, 2009
12:57 pm
joe matarotz
October 8th, 2009
12:45 pm
Here’s a novel idea. How about getting people back to work BEFORE working on health care reform. If I’m reading the news correctly, jobs have continued to be lost, not created.
Recession – 1
Stimulus – 0
In the meantime, all those plans to reduce fraud and wasteful spending in healthcare can proceed.
Actually, novel ideas are a good way to create jobs. So, why isn’t capitalism doing what it is supposed to do in that respect? More importantly, I hope you don’t expect Obama to be creating the jobs. He’s helping people out while they’re down and out. So, get out there and entrepreneur or consume or both and hire some folks. As for the fraud and wasteful spending, eliminating them is a key part of health care reform. So, yes it can and will proceed even without the support of the Republican party.
Taxpayer
October 8th, 2009
1:02 pm
And then ten years later we look back and see that it actually cost 10X, but few of the politicians that passed it will be around. And Jay Bookman won’t have to be held accountable for spreading false propaganda. But the rest of us will be screwed.
Well, if we end up with a healthcare program that only kills off politicians and leaves the rest of us, then maybe we will be screwed. That’s certainly an interesting take.
jt
October 8th, 2009
1:03 pm
Stalin could only get HIS peasants to believe in a FIVE year plan.
Gosh.
Turd Ferguson
October 8th, 2009
1:06 pm
The CBO numbers and this mish-mash of it not costing anything is complete BULL*%$T. The only funny thing will be all these young
dumb urchins that feel on their faces, fannies in the air, to worship
Jesus Christ Obobo will get it in the end. If they dont get their OboboCare they will get fined for it…HA HA HA!!
This is OboboCare is a bad idea. Next thing the Dems will push for allowing illegal immigrants to vote…just watch it happen.
Mrs. Godzilla
October 8th, 2009
1:12 pm
Looking through the CBO letter about the Baucus bill, there is one striking fact that most of the media is overlooking…..
http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/10/08/cbo-we-didnt-really-score-the-finance-committee-bill-44-billion-millions-of-uninsured-americans-ignored/
thomas
October 8th, 2009
1:15 pm
Aren’t there 2 houses and just because 1 bill is said to be underbudget that doesn’t insure that the final bill will be void of a deficit.
Guess this news means that a public universal option is out then right?
jt
October 8th, 2009
1:15 pm
The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.
Dalai Lama
Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy.
Mao Tse-Tung
jt
October 8th, 2009
1:17 pm
We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.
Dalai Lama
Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
Mao Tse-Tung
Turd Ferguson
October 8th, 2009
1:17 pm
More fun…
Congressional Black Caucus Blasts ‘Partisan Attempts’ to Oust Rangel
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/08/cbc-efforts-oust-rangel-tax-writing-post-partisan-attempts/
Well of course the bigoted CBC condones Rangel and his activites…they are as corrupt as he is. Just like Campbell, Shirley-Girl etc.
Turd Ferguson
October 8th, 2009
1:20 pm
And yet more fun…
‘Reform’ Is Just a Word at the U.N., Its Own Investigation Shows
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,562382,00.html
LOL…and it took an investigation to determine this? The Jack A S S factor for the UN is the same as the Congress and President(Obobo) Jack A S S factor, cubed.
Brad Steel
October 8th, 2009
1:20 pm
RollerGirl,
Your babbling is very close to unadulterated gibberish.
Are you channeling Sarah Palin or just a garden variety retard?
Mrs. Godzilla
October 8th, 2009
1:21 pm
thomas
best google the CBO score on the house version……
thomas
October 8th, 2009
1:21 pm
So if the CBO report did not score some or any parts of the actual Bill, how can the CBO report be considered valid?
If they neglect or pick and choose which parts to score and which to not, one has to wonder what the criteria for not scoring sections of the bill were.
Are they hiding something or was it just an oversite?
jt
October 8th, 2009
1:21 pm
The purpose of our lives is to be happy.
Dalai Lama
There is a serious tendency toward capitalism among the well-to-do peasants.
Mao Tse-Tung
AmVet
October 8th, 2009
1:21 pm
When you come to a fork in the road, take it. ~Yogi Berra
Bosch
October 8th, 2009
1:21 pm
“Does anyone honestly believe that the proposal would CUT the federal deficit by $81 billion over the next 10 years, with additional savings expected beyond that horizon?”
Yes. I do.
So, how long is it before the cons start screaming, but the CBO is full of crap! They are part of the government – it doesn’t matter that we’ve been using that office to back up our bs claims! These are not the droids you’re looking for!
thomas
October 8th, 2009
1:25 pm
Mrs. Godzilla,
I have googled it already thanks.
I understand the confusion from my post however. What I was meaning to explain was that the bills will be joined and from my lower level knowledge, that means parts from each will be taken away and joined together. In reality we will not know the context of the actual Bill until it is already Law.
Would be nice if the President would have kept that promise of posting things on-line a full 5 days before being voted on. But apparently those in congress are unable to figure out copy and paste.
Mrs. Godzilla
October 8th, 2009
1:25 pm
“Whatever it is, I’m against it!”
Groucho Marx
Pokey
October 8th, 2009
1:25 pm
Did the CBO score the actual legislative language of the Baucus bill??? Is there actual language/
What has the CBO said about BHO’s claims about so-called “reform’??
Raney
October 8th, 2009
1:26 pm
Obama is as corrupt as they come, period.
Kamchak
October 8th, 2009
1:27 pm
…has come out in favor of health-care reform, joining another former Senate GOP leader, Bill Frist.
Before jumping to any conclusions regarding Bill Frist:
…Frist, R-Tenn., offered significant caveats, and said that he actually doesn’t support the Senate Finance Committee’s latest draft of health care reform — considered the most conservative of five bills now circulating Capitol Hill.
Bosch
October 8th, 2009
1:27 pm
Mrs. G.,
Apparently the GOP is channeling Groucho Marx. Marx, hehehe. They are Marxists. Snort.
Dave R.
October 8th, 2009
1:28 pm
“I won’t join any club that would have me as a member”. – Groucho Marx
Turd Ferguson
October 8th, 2009
1:29 pm
Hey USK…when are we gonna break thru the DJ 10,000 mark and move onto victory? How ya doin this week, stocks wise?
Midori…found it, http://www.spicedright.com/
BBQ
Bosch
October 8th, 2009
1:29 pm
Dave R.,
Question from this morning – is God mentioned in the constitution?
Mrs. Godzilla
October 8th, 2009
1:29 pm
“Irrelevent? There’s lots a irrelevents in the circus!”
Harpo Marx
Turd Ferguson
October 8th, 2009
1:30 pm
Bosch
October 8th, 2009
1:27 pm
That was so stupid I had to laugh.
jt
October 8th, 2009
1:30 pm
Q Can I ask you a quick thing about China? Why is the President skipping a meeting this week with the Dalai Lama? In the campaign, he said he looked forward to meeting the Dalai Lama. Is he concerned about the Chinese government?
MR. GIBBS: We’re concerned about the people in Tibet and we’re concerned about the Chinese. I think the statement that the Dalai Lama and his supporters put out yesterday were fully in support of a meeting that will take place later in the year. They understand a strong relationship — a stronger relationship that we have with China benefits the Tibetan people. I saw something that said a meeting had been postponed, and that’s simply inaccurate.
FREE TIBET or F#CK TIBET?
Where is Hollywood now?
Dave R.
October 8th, 2009
1:33 pm
So Bosch, you believe that magically, this President who has accomplish almost nothing he promised to do in his first year in office (even SNL is making fun of him in that regard), is all of a sudden going to find $400-$500 BILLION in Medicare savings? With a Congress full of GOP and Dems protecting their elective backsides?
Maybe your blog name should be Pollyanna.