PELOSI AND REID PLOT SECRET PLAN FOR OBAMACARE

posted Jan 26, 2010 1:03 PM by K. Phillips

By Dick Morris And Eileen McGann 01.25.2010   Highly informed sources on Capitol Hill have revealed to me details of the Democratic plan to sneak Obamacare through Congress, despite collapsing public approval for healthcare “reform” and disintegrating congressional support in the wake of Republican Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts. President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid all have agreed to the basic framework of the plan. Their plan is clever but can be stopped if opponents of radical healthcare reform act quickly and focus on a core group of 23 Democratic Congressman. If just a few of these 23 Democrats are “flipped” and decide to oppose the bill, the whole Obama-Pelosi-Reid stratagem falls apart. Here’s what I learned top Democrats are planning to implement. Senate Democrats will go to the House with a two-part deal. First, the House will pass the Senate’s Obamacare bill that passed the Senate in December. The House leadership will vote on the Senate bill, and Pelosi will allow no amendments or modifications to the Senate bill. How will Pelosi’s deal fly with rambunctious liberal members of her majority who don’t like the Senate bill, especially its failure to include a public option, put heavy fines on those who don’t get insurance, and offering no income tax surcharge on the “rich”? That’s where the second part of the Pelosi-deal comes in. Behind closed doors, Reid and Pelosi have agreed in principle that changes to the Senate bill will be made to satisfy liberal House members — but only after the Senate bill is passed and signed into law by Obama. This deal will be secured by a pledge from Reid and the Senate’s Democratic caucus that they will make “fixes” to the Senate bill after it becomes law with Obama’s John Hancock. But you may ask what about the fact that, without Republican Scott Brown and independent Democrats such as Joe Lieberman, Reid simply doesn’t have the 60 votes in the Senate to overcome a Republican filibuster that typically can stop major legislation? According to my source, Reid will provide to Pelosi a letter signed by 52 Democratic senators indicating they will pass the major changes, or “fixes,” the House Democrats are demanding. Again, these fixes will be approved by the Senate only after Obama signs the Senate bill into law. Reid also has agreed to bypass Senate cloture and filibuster rules and claim that these modifications fall under “reconciliation” and don’t require 60 Senate votes. To pass the fixes, he won’t need one Republican; he won’t even need Joe Lieberman or wavering Democrats such as Jim Webb of Virginia. His 52 pledged senators give him a simple majority to pass any changes they want, which will later be rubberstamped by Pelosi’s House and signed by Obama. This plan, of course, is a total subversion of the legislative process. Typically, the Senate and House pass their own unique legislation and then both bills go to a conference committee. In conference, the leadership of both Democrat-dominated houses wheels and deals and irons out differences. The final compromise bill is then sent back to the full Senate and full House for a vote and has to pass both to go to the president. In the House, a simple majority passes the legislation. But under Senate rules, major legislation requires 60 votes to end a filibuster. As it stands, the House bill and Senate bill have major discrepancies. Reid does not have 60 votes to pass a compromise bill that would no doubt include some of the radical provisions House members have been demanding. But if the House passes the exact Senate bill that passed by a 60-39 Senate vote last month, there is no need for a conference on the bill. It will go directly to the president’s desk. There is a rub to all of this. This secret plan being hatched by Pelosi and Reid requires not only a pledge by 52 Democratic senators to vote later for the House modifications. House liberals must actually believe these Senators will live up to their pledge and pass the fixes at some future date. A Senate source cautions: “Senators more than House members and both more than ordinary people, lie.” Still, my Senate source and others in Washington believe that the liberals in the House, grasping at straws after the stunning Massachusetts defeat, will go along with the Reid-Pelosi plan to bypass a conference bill and ultimately will vote for the Senate version without changes. Among the key “fixes” House liberals are demanding the Senate pass in reconciliation at some later date include a “carve out” for unions from the “Cadillac policy” insurance tax. The Senate plan funds their healthcare plan by heavy taxes on so-called “Cadillac” insurance plans that provide those insured with exceptionally good coverage including almost unlimited health access with little or no co-payments. The Senate’s view was that rich people have such plans and should be taxed for them to pay the less fortunate. But many unions have Cadillac plans for their members, and they are furious their members will be hit with the Senate tax. The unions have told their minions in the House to oppose the Senate Cadillac plan tax. House liberals also are requiring a fix that increases fines for those who flout the law and don’t buy health insurance (the Pelosi-passed plan includes criminal penalties, including possible jail time if a person doesn’t purchase insurance). Another fix will raise subsidies for low-income families seeking to buy insurance. In the original House bill that passed, healthcare expansion costs would have been paid for by an income tax surcharge on the “rich.” House liberals are pushing for that fix as well. So what is the counter-move? How do opponents of Obamacare stop this? Opponents cannot rely on liberal Democrats in the House who might balk at passing the Senate bill with just a “pledge” from 52 senators. I have no doubt House liberals, despite their skepticism, will fade under pressure from Pelosi and Obama. They will do their duty and pass the Senate bill, whatever their current posturing. Instead, the key to stopping the Pelosi-Reid plan lies with conservative or “moderate” Democrats who voted for the healthcare bill the first time. There are 23 of these conservative-leaning Democratic House members who voted for Pelosi’s Obamacare back in November, which passed by just five votes, with 39 Democrats defecting to vote against the bill. All 23 of these congressmen who did vote for the Pelosi bill are extremely vulnerable. Opponents of Obamacare need to climb all over these 23 congressmen with TV ads and advocacy campaigns in their districts to get them to change their vote this time, to vote “no” to the Senate bill when it comes before the House. Voters need to say, “You voted for Obamacare the first time. But your district opposes it by 2 to 1. Now it is coming up for a vote again. Listen to your constituents and vote no. We don’t want Medicare cuts or premium increases or rationing of medical care. Don’t monkey with our healthcare. Vote no this time.” Since the House healthcare bill passed by five votes, much has happened and the political landscape has changed dramatically. The Massachusetts election of a Republican to Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat has sent shock waves through Washington. Every one of these 23 Democrats knows they will face an angry backlash in their districts if they vote for the Senate bill and go along with Pelosi-Reid plan to ram through Obamacare. I believe now is the time for opponents to act. The truth is that Obamacare is hanging by a thread. Opponents, if they move now, can drive a stake through its heart. Once these congressmen hear from their aroused constituents, they won’t be able to back Obamacare. As I mentioned, the Pelosi health bill passed the House by only 220-215. Nancy Pelosi knows she has no margin for error. If only a handful of these 23 congressmen change their vote under public pressure, the Pelosi-Reid plan is stopped and Obamacare is dead. Click here to help fund ads in the districts of these swing Congressmen. http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/2010/01/25/pelosi-and-reid-plot-secret-plan-for-obamacare/#more-710

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Pelosi: House lacks votes to OK Senate health bill

posted Jan 21, 2010 3:59 PM by K. Phillips

By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer Alan Fram, Associated Press Writer – 28 mins ago WASHINGTON – Democrats' last-ditch approach to saving President Barack Obama's sweeping health care overhaul — prodding House members to pass a Senate version vastly unpopular with them — isn't working. So lawmakers are talking about more modest health legislation that could have bipartisan appeal, though even that may prove more complicated than many suggest. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she lacks the votes to move the Senate's bill through the House and to Obama's desk. Under a plan backed by the White House, the new law would be followed by a separate measure making changes sought by House members, such as easing the Senate's tax on higher-cost health plans. Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke to reporters after House Democrats held a closed-door meeting at which participants vented frustration with the Senate legislation. Many rank-and-file Democrats said the stunning defeat in this week's Massachusetts special election — in which Republicans captured the Senate seat held for decades by the late Edward M. Kennedy — meant it was time to seek more modest health legislation. It would be "problematic" to persuade House members to approve the Senate bill and then amend it, Pelosi said, though Democrats haven't completely ruled out trying to do so. Many of them say the Senate bill does too little to help people afford health coverage. "In its present form without any changes I don't think it's possible to pass the Senate bill in the House," Pelosi said, adding, "I don't see the votes for it at this time." Any effort to reshape the health legislation could well be a lengthy process — despite Democrats' desire for a quick election-year pivot to address jobs and the economy, which polls show are the public's top concern. They would have to decide which initiatives to pursue and how to pay for them — at a time when lawmakers have already been working on the issue for a year. "We're not in a big rush" on health care, Pelosi said. "Pause, reflect." Several Democrats said they should refocus the legislation onto popular proposals like barring insurance companies from denying coverage to sick people. "The mega bills are dead," said Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-N.Y. "If we didn't see what happened Tuesday night, we have blinders on." Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., said that ideally, Democrats would like to address a whole range of problems, including giving more people coverage, helping them pay for it and curbing the growth of medical costs. "We're obviously finding out we don't have an ideal world, so why not deal with that which we can get done," Serrano said. By all accounts, Democrats have made no final decision on their options, which included breaking the health legislation into several smaller bills. While the White House has been hoping for quick action, it has also signaled it is open to a scaled-back bill — a process that could be lengthy. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama supports "letting the dust settle" to give lawmakers time to search for the best way forward, and does not believe health care legislation is dead. But with Republican Scott Brown's Massachusetts victory denying Democrats the 60 Senate votes they need to kill Republican delaying tactics, Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine — once wooed by Democrats as a potential 60th vote — said Thursday she was eager to see the final product. Snowe said Massachusetts voters forced Democrats to "take a legislative pause or a time-out, build bipartisan support for the pieces that can work," something she's been urging for weeks. On Wednesday, Obama said Democrats should work on legislation that would attract broad support. "I would advise that we try to move quickly to coalesce around those elements of the package that people agree on," Obama said in an interview with ABC News. "We know that we need insurance reform, that the health insurance companies are taking advantage of people. We know that we have to have some form of cost containment because if we don't then our budgets are going to blow up. And we know that small businesses are going to need help," he said. In a bid for GOP support, participants suggested other elements that could be added. These included allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines, according to Rep. Timothy Walz, D-Minn. Sen. John McCain rejected the idea of a slimmed-down version of the current legislation. "We are more than happy to sit down and start over," the Arizona Republican said Thursday on CBS' "Early Show." "Not scale back, but start over in a true negotiating process, rather than the Democrats going back to try to pick off one or two Republicans." ___ Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Erica Werner and Ann Sanner contributed to this report. Pelosi: House lacks votes to OK Senate health bill

YOUR ACTION IS URGENTLY REQUESTED

posted Jan 13, 2010 3:03 PM by K. Phillips   [ updated Jan 14, 2010 7:53 AM ]

Dear Fellow Tea Party Patriots, We still have a chance to defeat ObamaCare. We need to target the  House members that voted for the Stupak Amendment.  We feel that the Congressmen and Congresswomen listed below are particularly susceptible to changing their vote.   The Senate version does not include the Stupak language and it is highly likely that the Senate version will prevail in negotiations.  Some House members had refused to vote for the Pelosi health care bill until the Stupak amendment was added.    We feel that this is a "weakness" that can be exploited in order to defeat  this bill and prevent government take over of our health care system.   Please contact the following House members and ask them to vote "no" on the healthcare bill. The bill passed the House with a razor thin margin of 220-215.     Stupak Amendment   Targeted House Members    Rep. Steve Driehaus, Ohio, 1st http://driehaus.house.gov/ DC Office Number:                              (202) 225-2216         (202) 225-2216(202) 225-2216         (202) 225-2216, DC Fax Number:  (202) 225-3012 Local Office Number:                             (513) 684-2723         (513) 684-2723(513) 684-2723                       (513) 684-2723         (513) 684-2723(513) 684-2723, Local Fax Number: (513) 421-8722   Rep. Brad Ellsworth, Indiana, 8th http://www.ellsworth.house.gov/ DC Office Number:                             (202) 225-4636         (202) 225-4636                       (202) 225-4636         (202) 225-4636, DC Office Fax: (202) 225-3284 Local Office Number:                             (812) 465-6484         (812) 465-6484                       (812) 465-6484         (812) 465-6484, Local Fax Number: (812) 422-4761   Rep. Paul Kanjorski, Pennsylvania, 11th http://kanjorski.house.gov/ DC Office Number:                             202-225-6511         202-225-6511                       202-225-6511         202-225-6511, DC Fax Number: 202-225-0764 Local Office Number:                             570-825-2200         570-825-2200                       570-825-2200         570-825-2200, Local Fax Number: 570-825-8685   Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Ohio, 9th http://www.kaptur.house.gov/  DC Office Number:                             (202) 225-4146         (202) 225-4146                       (202) 225-4146         (202) 225-4146, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-7711 Local Office Number:                             (419) 259-7500         (419) 259-7500                       (419) 259-7500         (419) 259-7500, Local Fax Number: (419) 255-9623   Rep. John Murtha, Pennsylvania, 12th http://www.murtha.house.gov/ DC Office Number:                            (202) 225-2065         (202) 225-2065                       (202) 225-2065         (202) 225-2065, DC Fax Number (202) 225-5709 Local Office Number:                            (814) 535-2642         (814) 535-2642                       (814) 535-2642         (814) 535-2642, Local Fax Number:(814) 539-6229   Rep. Daniel Lipinski, Illinois, 3rd http://www.lipinski.house.gov/ DC Office Number:                             (202) 225-5701         (202) 225-5701         (202) 225-5701, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-1012 Local Office Number:                             (312) 886-0481         (312) 886-0481         (312) 886-0481, Local Fax Number: (773) 767-9395   Rep. Bart Stupak, Michigan 1st http://www.house.gov/stupak/ DC Office Number:                             (202) 225-4735         (202) 225-4735         (202) 225-4735, DC Fax Number: (202) 225-4744 Local Office Number:                             (906) 786-4504         (906) 786-4504         (906) 786-4504, Local Fax Number: (906) 786-4534 Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, Pennsylvania, 3rd http://www.dahlkemper.house.gov/ DC Office Number:                            (202) 225-5406         (202) 225-5406                       (202) 225-5406         (202) 225-5406, DC Fax Number:(202) 225-3103 Local Office Number:                            (814) 456-2038         (814) 456-2038                       (814) 456-2038         (814) 456-2038, Local Fax Number:(202) 225-3103   Rep. Jim Oberstar, Minnesota, 8th http://www.oberstar.house.gov/ DC Office Number:                            (202) 225-6211         (202) 225-6211                       (202) 225-6211         (202) 225-6211 , DC Fax Number:(202) 225-0699 Local Office Number:                            (218) 727-7474         (218) 727-7474                       (218) 727-7474         (218) 727-7474, Local Fax Number:(218) 727-8270   Rep. Dale Kildee, Michigan, 5th http://www.house.gov/kildee/index.shtml  DC Office Number:                            (202) 225-3611         (202) 225-3611                       (202) 225-3611         (202) 225-3611, DC Fax Number:(202) 225-6393 Local Office Number:                            (810) 239-1437         (810) 239-1437                       (810) 239-1437         (810) 239-1437, Local Fax Number:(810) 239-1439   Rep. Solomon Ortiz, Texas, 27th http://ortiz.house.gov/  DC Office Number:                            (202) 225-7742         (202) 225-7742                       (202) 225-7742         (202) 225-7742, DC Fax Number:(202) 226-1134 Local Office Number:                            (361) 883-5868         (361) 883-5868                       (361) 883-5868         (361) 883-5868, Local Fax Number:(361) 884-9201  You are the heart and soul of the Tea Party Movement. Thank you for promoting the causes of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets with us! Your Tea Party Patriots National Coordinator Team, Debbie Dooley, Mike Gaske, Kellen Giuda, Ryan Hecker, Jenny Beth Martin, Mark Meckler, Sally Oljar, Diana Reimer, Billie Tucker, and Dawn Wildman

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