Now that Congress is back and in full swing, and the push for health care reform will be moving fast and furiously, I thought it’d be helpful to have some quick daily or semi-daily updates on what’s happening on the Hill.
Health on the Hill will feature news links that should help you keep track of the reform debate and get to the meat of the issue. Enjoy!
Today’s Updates – 9/16/09:
Today is the long awaited day that we will finally see something for health care reform from Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He will release his mark of the committee’s health care reform bill, which hasn’t really changed drastically from the original draft we saw before recess, and is basically full of compromises to appease Republicans who still won’t support it. Awesome. Thanks Max.
There are still some supporters of his bill though, like businesses, because Baucus is easing their requirements for covering employees. This is just one of the many weak components of this hefty $856 billion bill (about $300 billion more than the HELP committee bill which actually has a public option and strong reform components). Can someone explain to me how a weaker bill costs more?
Baucus tailored his proposal to win the backing of some Republicans, hoping to keep alive the possibility that Congress would pass a bipartisan bill. But after months of closed-door talks, none of the three Republicans involved in the..Gang of Six is expected to declare support for the bill..
Business groups that have opposed House versions of a health bill say they are warmer toward the version emerging from Sen. Max Baucus’s Finance Committee, which places less-onerous requirements on employers.
[Baucus wants to replace the public option with Co-Ops that won't work]: “There are only about 4 to 7 [Co-ops] that exist [nationwide]. And I’m very skeptical… of starting up a system that doesn’t work.”
“If we don’t have climbing walls and sushi bars in our universities, does that make us un-American?”
So asked a panelist in a half-joking comment Thursday about the gravely misplaced priorities of higher education institutions. Five speakers, including Robert Shireman, the deputy undersecretary of Education for the federal administration, met at a discussion hosted by the Education Sector and Washington Monthly at George Washington University. In light of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) that is currently before congress, the panelists offered up specific strategies to improve the system with the goal of increasing affordability, graduation rates, and overall quality of education. (more…)
Now that Congress is back and in full swing, and the push for health care reform will be moving fast and furiously, I thought it’d be helpful to have some quick daily or semi-daily updates on what’s happening on the Hill.
Health on the Hill will feature news links that should help you keep track of the reform debate and get to the meat of the issue. Enjoy!
Today’s Updates – 9/14/09:
This week the focus will be on the Senate Finance Committee, the last of the five committees to present a reform bill. The question will be whether Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) will continue his efforts to pass a bill with GOP support or not; we should know by the end of the week. We also take a deeper look into the Gang of Six (the 6 Senators from the committee selected by Baucus to work on the bill) and the fact that many of them have ties to the health insurance industry.
“Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said he will unveil a reform bill at the end of this week, with his panel set to begin formal deliberations the following week.”
“Reaction to his plan could finally reveal whether the “bipartisan six” subgroup that Mr. Baucus has been working with for months will stick together or whether Democrats will head off largely on their own.
The big question marks are two Republicans, Senators Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Michael B. Enzi of Wyoming. The third Republican, Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, has sounded more upbeat about achieving a compromise. ”
“Max Baucus isn’t the only senator who may be taking his health care cues from insurance companies. WellPoint Inc., recently revealed to have influenced Baucus’s health care framework, also has notable ties to Gang of Six Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.).”
On November 4th 2008, young people propelled President Obama to victory with a clear mandate to advance a progressive agenda. Unfortunately things have not been going as well as we would have hoped. Right wing bullies, led by the deranged Glenn Beck, have been relentlessly pushing Obama and congressional Democrats around like kids in a playground. From delaying health care reform to the recent resignations of key progressives in the administration, our new found hopes are rapidly reverting to distant dreams.
It is time for President Obama to start dealing with the bullies who are threatening to take him down. Unfortunately, it seems like he does not yet know how to do this, despite having been an avid comic book reader (and thus a likely victim of bullies) and having sharpened his political mind in Chicago. As someone who has been pushed around a good amount as a kid and having done some pushing around myself, here are some pointers for how President Obama (hereon little Obama) can avoid losing more ground to the likes of Glenn Beck (hereon big bad Beck).
“We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it”- President Barack Obama
The President gave this quote at the end of his joint address to Congress on health care last night. He was referring to the apprehension by some to move forward with a bold health care plan and maybe to the opponents who have been reverting to the usual fear-mongering in an attempt to block reform. Well, Obama made it clear last night that he is not backing down.
“I am not the first President to take up [health care], but I am determined to be the last.” – President Obama
Americans around the country tuned in to watch the joint address last night (while some childish members of Congress did their best to tune out). It was a long awaited speech, not just for reform supporters this year, but for health care reform advocates that have been fighting for decades to fix our broken health care system.
Last night we saw the President step firmly into the health care debate and bring clarity to the madness that has begun to encircle health care discussions.
Choice of quality, affordable coverage for the uninsured
Choice and competition in an insurance exchange, including a government-run public plan option
Lowering costs with subsidies to low-income Americans and tax credits to small businesses
Obama also firmly stated that “he will not sign a plan that adds one dime to the deficit.”
In a letter delivered posthumously from Senator Ted Kennedy, a life-long health care advocate, he wrote “You will be the President who at long last signs into law the health care reform that is the great unfinished business of our society.”
The President not only outlined his solid plan for health care reform, but he aggressively set the record straight on the lies and misleading information being spread by reform opponents. The childish antics of those opponents were proven once again during his address, as Rep. Wilson(R-SC) yelled out “You Lie!” while Obama spoke of the false information circling the issue of immigrants gaining coverage under reform. Other members behaved as if they were in a 5th grade classroom and held up signs, heckled and booed, and waved around copies of the health care bill…Speaker Pelosi looked as if she were about to jump over the podium and ream someone out.
Rep. Gohmert (R- TX) acting childish during the President's address
However, we didn’t hear any mention of young people in Obama’s speech (at least not in a positive light!), heard nothing about addressing racial and ethnic health disparities, and unfortunately directly after he (thankfully) mentioned the demand for a public option, he slightly back stepped saying it could be in the form of co-ops or only implemented in certain markets. That’s not going to be good enough.
But overall, Obama kicked ass and probably gave the best joint address to Congress we’ve seen in a while.
It was quite the way to kick off Congress being back in session. Members have already delved right back into work, with word from the Senate Finance Committee today that the Chairman’s mark on their reform bill was released. Unfortunately, the bill does not look so great and will still have no GOP support even though Baucus has been bending over backwards to work with Sen. Grassley, the ranking Republican on the committee, to gain support.
These next couple months may be tough, but as Obama indicated, we’re not scared – we’re ready to shape things up. It’s time to pass health care reform and change the future for our generation. Let’s get to work.
On their first day back to work after an eventful summer, Senators were greeted by 40 climate activists eager to demonstrate what clean energy jobs look like. Smack in the middle of the Hart Senate Office building the 40 activists built miniature windmills and made mechanical noises until interrupted by the Capitol Police. At that point, a 50 ft banner dropped demanding that the Senators “Get to Work” for “Green Jobs Now”. This protest was organized by a coalition of climate organizations including the Energy Action Coalition, Avaaz.org, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Campus Progress.
“As the Senate reconvenes today, too many Americans are out of work and getting sick from our current dirty energy systems. We must act now,” said Pete Griffin, Campaign Director for Energy Action Coalition. “This historic youth movement fighting for jobs and clean energy is getting larger every day and the action, or inaction, of the Senators walking through those doors today will influence how young people mobilize next year as 36 of them make bids for reelection.”
Mirroring the upsurge in climate organizing happening throughout the nation, this action launched a new season of inside-the-beltway activity around climate legislation. The Senate is set to discuss a climate bill around the end of the month and they can be sure to be greeted by young people in hard hats demanding that they stick to the science and keep the world’s most vulnerable nations in mind.
“We can’t wait any longer,” said Kim Huynh with the Avaaz Climate Action Factory. “The world’s leading climate scientists have said we have only a few years to act, and meaningful action is going to require global participation. World leaders are meeting in Denmark in December to craft an international climate-change agreement, and the outcome hinges on whether the U.S. Senate will pass climate legislation this fall.”
Getting a climate bill passed before Copenhagen is possibly our last chance to prove to the international community that we are serious about tackling the climate crisis, but it can’t just be any bill. The proposal that passed the house this spring falls short of what scientists are saying is necessary and don’t do enough to invest in clean energy jobs and innovation. We still have time to improve on it in the Senate, but it will take many more voices from constituents throughout the nation demanding an end to the nigthmarish climate crisis and more investments in clean energy jobs.
Our two banner droppers were detained by the Capitol police. One of the banner droppers who was arrested could use your help to pay for he legal fees, would you help a fellow climate organizer out? Please donate to support this amazing volunteer
Our airwaves have been flooded with negativity, lies, and scare tactics over this long recess. So I wanted to highlight the positive moments, progressive support, and practical discussions that took place at town halls across the country. All the work to fight the conservative obstruction and to visibly demonstrate the grassroots demand for reform is finally being covered by some media outlets to give a more truthful look into what took place over recess:
Health-care reform is said to be in trouble partly because of those raucous August town-hall meetings in which Democratic members of Congress were besieged by shouters opposed to change.
Bangor– Dozens of people stood outside Senator Olympia Snowe’s (R-Maine) office in Bangor Wednesday, expressing support for the president’s health care reform proposals.
Approximately 45 people, many of them holding signs and waving placards, delivered some of what they said were more than 35,000 letters, postcards, e-mails and online petitions that urge Congress to pass a national health care reform bill. Similar events were scheduled today in Caribou and Lewiston.
“This is to bring attention back to the fact that there is a health-care crisis in the country, with thousands of people dying every year because they don’t have health insurance,” said Eve Weissman, the health-care campaign coordinator for NJ Citizen Action, one of the many organizers of Wednesday’s rally.
Hundreds of Rhode Islanders gathered on the steps of the state house Wednesday night, joining similar rallies nationwide. Many say the nation’s current system has failed them, and needs to be changed.
These reporters got it right, they went out and covered, not the Jerry Springer-like episodes taking place at some town halls, but the solid supporters that stormed town halls all over the country. Click below to see support in more cities!
The Wall Street Journal has a great article out today about the explosive increase in the total amount of federal loans borrowed by all students. The total for 2008-09 is 25% higher than 2007-08, and this represents the largest in recent memory. The largest increases in the past couple decades was in 1994-95, when total increased by 17%.
The silver lining in these numbers is that they represent an increase in college enrollment. Unfortunately, these numbers are also just the latest evidence that the recession has been hitting young people hard.
It has been particularly difficult for young workers without postsecondary education to find work, and many have decided that their best bet is to go to college in order to improve their long term prospects. And with so many families facing lay-offs, foreclosures, and other financial disasters, many students that would have received help from their parents must borrow more, even as they often qualify for additional federal student aid.
AFL-CIO released a report yesterday outlining the depressing statistics of young workers and their lack of income and benefits. The report reveals the true weight of the burden this generation is shouldering in today’s economy. With the current health care debate, young workers are once again proven to be affected most by our health coverage crisis. Some statistics that those in Congress should be listening to instead of comparing the current reform plan to Nazism are:
Young people are the least likely of any age group to have health care coverage.
Contrary to popular thought, young people are not uninsured because they consider themselves invincible. Just the opposite—As shown in the graph above, 48% of young workers that are uninsured don’t have health insurance because they can’t afford it, 31% are uninsured because their employer does not offer coverage, and only 10% choose not to purchase coverage.
Even those with insurance are more likely to worry about having health care costs they can’t afford.
Only 55 percent of low-income young workers have health insurance.
Women are even less likely than men to have coverage, as are workers of color relative to white workers.
Young, working and uninsured is not the state this generation should find be finding themselves in. Let’s make sure Congress hears our voice when they return from the August mayhem – find rallies in your area to attend with Health Care for America Now & let’s make sure they Get it Done!
Abby Berendt Lavoi, 27, poses for a portrait in San Francisco, Calif. on Aug. 27, 2009. (Dave Getzschman / Los Angeles Times)
Campus Progress attended a press conference on Health Care Reform and Young People last week and heard a tragic personal story from Abby Berendt Levoi, a graduate that is suffering from our broken health care system.
When Abby Berendt Lavoi graduated from college, she got a job in New York making television commercials as a full-time contractor for one of the largest media companies in the world. She was eligible for health insurance only after she had been working there for a year.
Ten months into the job, Berendt Lavoi came down with painful stomach cramps. Terrified, she used Google to find a hospital that would accept patients without insurance, and underwent surgery to remove an ovarian cyst the size of a softball. The bills came to $12,000. With no savings or assets, Berendt Lavoi turned to her parents, who refinanced their home to pay.
Berendt Lavoi is cited by the Democratic congressional leadership as an example of the many young adults who work but don’t have the money or the opportunity to buy insurance.
Funding our Future is a campaign to pass a progressive federal budget for 2010 and ensure that our nation.s key economic choices invest in our education, spark reform of our health care system, and address climate change through cap and trade and clean energy investments. Click here for more info.
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for September, 2009.
Now that Congress is back and in full swing, and the push for health care reform will be moving fast and furiously, I thought it’d be helpful to have some quick daily or semi-daily updates on what’s happening on the Hill.
Now that Congress is back and in full swing, and the push for health care reform will be moving fast and furiously, I thought it’d be helpful to have some quick daily or semi-daily updates on what’s happening on the Hill.
“We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it”- President Barack Obama
On their first day back to work after an eventful summer, Senators were greeted by 40 climate activists eager to demonstrate what clean energy jobs look like. Smack in the middle of the Hart Senate Office building the 40 activists built miniature windmills and made mechanical noises until interrupted by the Capitol Police. At that point, a 50 ft banner dropped demanding that the Senators “Get to Work” for “Green Jobs Now”. This protest was organized by a coalition of climate organizations including the Energy Action Coalition, 
“We can’t wait any longer,” said Kim Huynh with the Avaaz Climate Action Factory. “The world’s leading climate scientists have said we have only a few years to act, and meaningful action is going to require global participation. World leaders are meeting in Denmark in December to craft an international climate-change agreement, and the outcome hinges on whether the U.S. Senate will pass climate legislation this fall.” 
Our airwaves have been flooded with negativity, lies, and scare tactics over this long recess. So I wanted to highlight the positive moments, progressive support, and practical discussions that took place at town halls across the country. All the work to fight the conservative obstruction and to visibly demonstrate the grassroots demand for reform is finally being covered by some media outlets to give a more truthful look into what took place over recess:
The Wall Street Journal has a 
AFL-CIO released a report