What's Happening with Seniors Benefits

By Art Kelly

While conservatives are keenly aware of the many problems with Obamacare, liberals in and out of Congress are determined to get the legislation passed.

Peggy Noonan, famed speechwriter for President Reagan turned harsh critic of Sarah Palin, believes Obamacare is finished.  Writing in the Wall Street Journal, she announced:

“The battle over the president's health-care plan is over, and the plan will not be imposed on the country. ..The bill will now get lost in the mists and disappear. It is a collapsed soufflé in an unused kitchen in the back of an empty house. Now and then the President will speak of it to rouse his base and remind them of his efforts.”

However, many liberals think that enactment of Obamacare is likely.  Writing in the New Republic, Jonathan Chait was hopeful:

“All that remains is getting 218 votes in the House to pass the Senate bill and 50 votes in the Senate to fix it, mostly with popular changes. The big picture view is that the Democrats have a massive incentive to get this done, and the procedural road to accomplish that has not gotten any more difficult.”

In an accompanying New Republic article, Chait explained the Democratic ploy:  The House would House to pass the Senate bill without amendments, thereby sending it directly to the President for his signature, and then follow-up with a special reconciliation bill to provide for changes in the legislation that could not be fillibustered in the Senate.

“To pass a reconciliation patch, the Senate can afford to lose nine Democrats, which makes it a piece of cake…(The House) needs to pass the Senate bill and trust that 50 Democrats can be found to carry out a verbal agreement,” Chait wrote.

Politico.com reports there is a variation of this plan now under consideration in which the House would pass “the reconciliation bill first, followed by the Senate,  The House could then pass the comprehensive Senate bill” for Obamacare.

“That seems like a strong possibility,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), adding that he hopes Democrats can decide by next week on a way to move the Obamacare Bill forward.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told Ryan Grim of the Huffington Post that she wants to enact a comprehensive Obamacare Bill, rather than passing smaller bills on health care reform which would have greater support.

"There are some things that sound easy, but you might as well send somebody a get well card, because they don't have any more impact, except maybe they make you feel good for the moment," said Pelosi.

It is clear that liberals have not given up their determination to pass an undiluted form of Obamacare with government-run controls, rationing, encouragement of euthanasia, federal funding of abortion on demand, and massive cuts in Medicare.

Only the continued strong oppositon of seniors, conservatives, and pro-lifers can prevent its enactment into law.