Feingold blasts health reform ‘deal making that secured votes’
OPS_admin | Dec 25, 2009 | Comments 0
Following the passage of the Senate health reform bill Thursday, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) slammed the special deals President Obama and the Democratic leadership cut with recalcitrant senators down the stretch.
“The Senate health care bill is far from perfect,” Feingold said in a statement backing the bill. “I am deeply disappointed it does not include a public option to help keep down costs and I also don’t like the deal making that secured votes with unjustifiable provisions.”
Feingold’s criticisms appear to be directed primarily at the leadership’s acquiescence to the recent demands of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NB) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) — both of whom were critical to achieving the 60 backers necessary to proceed to a final vote.
Nelson’s sweetener exempted his home state of Nebraska to pay Medicaid expenses, instead ensuring that the federal government picks up the tab. The Congressional Budget Offices estimates that it will save Nebraska hundreds of millions of dollars in the next decade.
Prosecutors in seven states have questioned the Constitutionality of such a compromise, the Associated Press reports.
Full Story Feingold blasts health reform ‘deal making that secured votes’ | Raw Story.
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If we don't change our ways soon...
A new report by the Royal Society, chaired by Nobel prize-winning biologist Sir John Sulston warns that world population must be stabilized and consumption in wealthy nations must be reduced or the entire planet is in big trouble. As the report reads: "The number of people living on the planet has never been higher, their levels of consumption are unprecedented and vast changes are taking place in the environment. We can choose to rebalance the use of resources to a more egalitarian pattern of consumption... or we can choose to do nothing and to drift into a downward spiral of economic and environmental ills leading to a more unequal and inhospitable future."This is the same warning that President Jimmy Carter gave Americans back in the 1970's - but it was ignored when Ronald Reagan came to power with a "more positive" message basically telling Americans we can do whatever we want. And then after 9/11 - Bush told us all we should go shopping and consume ever more.And now with corporations calling the shots in Washington - long-term sustainability of the planet takes a back seat to short-term profits. If we don't change our ways soon - and embrace clean, alternative energy and educate women around the plant - then we all could be headed for a rough century.-Thom(Is there any chance we will learn in time? Tell us here.) -
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