CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Nelson caves, Reid introduces 400 page amendment to Obamacare bill

The lone Democratic holdout, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson, has agreed to support Obamacare -- one of the crown jewels of Obamaism.

According to Ed Morrissey, Nelson's capitulation is a "complete cave on abortion." The abortion language contained in the new Obamacare amendment is essentially the same language as it was a few weeks ago. One wonders what price Nelson's received for agreeing to support Obamacare.

Now that the Democrats have the 60 votes they need to quash Republican-led filibusters against Obamacare, Reid has introduced his 400 page amendment this morning. You can read the huge amendment here [pdf].

To accomplish the six votes necessary to rush the unpopular Obamacare bill through the Senate by Christmas, Reid finds it necessary to vote on it in the dead of the night. It does not matter to the Democrats that they promised the bill would be available for 72 hours before a vote. Nor does it bother the Democrats that the we are still waiting to see the CBO's cost  estimate for this bill.

Obamaism: Worse than socialism.

Dems schedule unpopular Obamacare vote for dead of night

The Senate version of the Democrats' so-called health care reform is so unpopular,  Nevada's Harry Reid finds it necessary to vote on it at 1:00 a.m.

David M. Herszenhorn reports the Democrats must conduct six votes to pass their Obamacare -- one of the crown jewels of Obamaism:

• 1 a.m. MONDAY – To end debate on “a manager’s package” that includes all the latest changes to the bill. 60 votes required.
• 7 a.m. TUESDAY – To approve the manager’s package. Simple majority required. 
• Also TUESDAY – To end debate on Mr. Reid’s original health care proposal, as amended by the manager’s package. 60 votes required.
• 1 p.m. WEDNESDAY – To approve Mr. Reid’s original proposal. Simple majority required. 
• Also WEDNESDAY – To end debate on the finalized health care legislation. 60 votes required. 
• 7 p.m. THURSDAY, Christmas Eve (or anytime after the prior vote if all senators agree) – To approve the final bill. Simple majority required. 

The legislation the Democrats are rushing through the Senate has yet to be revealed, so vote the Democrats scheduled for the middle of the night will come less than 40 hours after it is made available -- well short of the 72 hours Democrats promised the bill would be available before any vote:

The Senator mentioned, I note, having in mind the managers' amendment, which he has not seen and, frankly, this Senator has not seen either. I have some ideas what is in it, but I have not seen it myself. I think as a practical matter this will be available for 72 hours, as the Senator suggests. Why do I say that? I say that because it is my expectation that Senator Reid's managers' amendment will be filed very quickly, maybe in a day or two [emphasis added]. (Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Congressional Record, S.13289, 12/16/09)

What are the Democrats trying to hide?

More Obama say one thing do another - Obamacare transparency edition

Patients First goes after President Obama's broken promises of transparency in the health care reform process:

Presidential candidate Obama promised time and again not to negotiate health care reform behind closed doors, to bring all parties together and to broadcast health care reform negotiations on C-SPAN.

It is truly unfortunate that President Obama did not keep those promises, but instead, chose to meet privately with health care executives, cut a deal with drug firms in secret, and outsourced the drafting of the Obamacare legislation to the extremely partisan, Democrat-controlled Congress.

Democrats' taxpayer-funded Obamacare mega-bureaucracy blueprint

“This is the blueprint for a taxpayer-funded mega-bureaucracy.” -- House Republican Leader John Boehner

The House Republican staff of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) has created the following blueprint for The Democrats' taxpayer-funded Obamacare mega-bureaucracy:

You can access a larger version of the chart here.

The new chart is a revision of the one the JEC House Republican staff created earlier this year created a chart mapping the bureaucratic complexity of Speaker Pelosi’s original health care proposal (H.R. 3200). The revised chart details new additions to the health care bureaucracy contained in Plosi's latest Obamacare bill  (H.R. 3962).

Speaker Pelosi is determined to force a vote today on the Democrats' $3 trillion, 2,032-page Obamacare bill. The vote is now expected at about 6:00 p.m. Democrats control 258 seats and need 218 votes for passage. No Republicans are expected to support the Democrats' taxpayer-funded Obamacare bill that will create 111 new federal Obamacare bureaucracies.

Pelosi's health care bill creates 111 new federal Obamacare bureaucracies

The House Republican Conference has compiled the following list of the 110 new Obamacare boards, bureaucracies, commissions, and programs created in H.R. 3962, Speaker Pelosi’s legislation for a government takeover of health care:

1.     Retiree Reserve Trust Fund (Section 111(d), p. 61)

2.     Grant program for wellness programs to small employers (Section 112, p. 62)

3.     Grant program for State health access programs (Section 114, p. 72)

4.     Program of administrative simplification (Section 115, p. 76)

5.     Health Benefits Advisory Committee (Section 223, p. 111)

6.     Health Choices Administration (Section 241, p. 131)

7.     Qualified Health Benefits Plan Ombudsman (Section 244, p. 138)

8.     Health Insurance Exchange (Section 201, p. 155)

9.     Program for technical assistance to employees of small businesses buying Exchange coverage (Section 305(h), p. 191)

10.   Mechanism for insurance risk pooling to be established by Health Choices Commissioner (Section 306(b), p. 194)

11.   Health Insurance Exchange Trust Fund (Section 307, p. 195)

12.   State-based Health Insurance Exchanges (Section 308, p. 197)

13.   Grant program for health insurance cooperatives (Section 310, p. 206)

14.   "Public Health Insurance Option" (Section 321, p. 211)

15.   Ombudsman for "Public Health Insurance Option" (Section 321(d), p. 213)

16.   Account for receipts and disbursements for "Public Health Insurance Option" (Section 322(b), p. 215)

17.   Telehealth Advisory Committee (Section 1191 (b), p. 589)

18.   Demonstration program providing reimbursement for "culturally and linguistically appropriate services" (Section 1222, p. 617)

19.   Demonstration program for shared decision making using patient decision aids (Section 1236, p. 648)

20.   Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicare (Section 1301, p. 653)

21.   Independent patient-centered medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302, p. 672)

22.   Community-based medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302(d), p. 681)

23.   Independence at home demonstration program (Section 1312, p. 718)

24.   Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research (Section 1401(a), p. 734)

25.   Comparative Effectiveness Research Commission (Section 1401(a), p. 738)

26.   Patient ombudsman for comparative effectiveness research (Section 1401(a), p. 753)

27.   Quality assurance and performance improvement program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1412(b)(1), p. 784)

28.   Quality assurance and performance improvement program for nursing facilities (Section 1412 (b)(2), p. 786)

29.   Special focus facility program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1413(a)(3), p. 796)

30.   Special focus facility program for nursing facilities (Section 1413(b)(3), p. 804)

31.   National independent monitor pilot program for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities (Section 1422, p. 859)

32.   Demonstration program for approved teaching health centers with respect to Medicare GME (Section 1502(d), p. 933)

33.   Pilot program to develop anti-fraud compliance systems for Medicare providers (Section 1635, p. 978)

34.   Special Inspector General for the Health Insurance Exchange (Section 1647, p. 1000)

35.   Medical home pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1722, p. 1058)

36.   Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1730A, p. 1073)

37.   Nursing facility supplemental payment program (Section 1745, p. 1106)

38.   Demonstration program for Medicaid coverage to stabilize emergency medical conditions in institutions for mental diseases (Section 1787, p. 1149)

39.   Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund (Section 1802, p. 1162)

40.   "Identifiable office or program" within CMS to "provide for improved coordination between Medicare and Medicaid in the case of dual eligibles" (Section 1905, p. 1191)

41.   Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Section 1907, p. 1198)

42.   Public Health Investment Fund (Section 2002, p. 1214)

43.   Scholarships for service in health professional needs areas (Section 2211, p. 1224)

44.   Program for training medical residents in community-based settings (Section 2214, p. 1236)

45.   Grant program for training in dentistry programs (Section 2215, p. 1240)

46.   Public Health Workforce Corps (Section 2231, p. 1253)

47.   Public health workforce scholarship program (Section 2231, p. 1254)

48.   Public health workforce loan forgiveness program (Section 2231, p. 1258)

49.   Grant program for innovations in interdisciplinary care (Section 2252, p. 1272)

50.   Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment (Section 2261, p. 1275)

51.   Prevention and Wellness Trust (Section 2301, p. 1286)

52.   Clinical Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1295)

53.   Community Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1301)

54.   Grant program for community prevention and wellness research (Section 2301, p. 1305)

55.   Grant program for research and demonstration projects related to wellness incentives (Section 2301, p. 1305)

56.   Grant program for community prevention and wellness services (Section 2301, p. 1308)

57.   Grant program for public health infrastructure (Section 2301, p. 1313)

58.   Center for Quality Improvement (Section 2401, p. 1322)

59.   Assistant Secretary for Health Information (Section 2402, p. 1330)

60.   Grant program to support the operation of school-based health clinics (Section 2511, p. 1352)

61.   Grant program for nurse-managed health centers (Section 2512, p. 1361)

62.   Grants for labor-management programs for nursing training (Section 2521, p. 1372)

63.   Grant program for interdisciplinary mental and behavioral health training (Section 2522, p. 1382)

64.   "No Child Left Unimmunized Against Influenza" demonstration grant program (Section 2524, p. 1391)

65.   Healthy Teen Initiative grant program regarding teen pregnancy (Section 2526, p. 1398)

66.   Grant program for interdisciplinary training, education, and services for individuals with autism (Section 2527(a), p. 1402)

67.   University centers for excellence in developmental disabilities education (Section 2527(b), p. 1410)

68.   Grant program to implement medication therapy management services (Section 2528, p. 1412)

69.   Grant program to promote positive health behaviors in underserved communities (Section 2530, p. 1422)

70.   Grant program for State alternative medical liability laws (Section 2531, p. 1431)

71.   Grant program to develop infant mortality programs (Section 2532, p. 1433)

72.   Grant program to prepare secondary school students for careers in health professions (Section 2533, p. 1437)

73.   Grant program for community-based collaborative care (Section 2534, p. 1440)

74.   Grant program for community-based overweight and obesity prevention (Section 2535, p. 1457)

75.   Grant program for reducing the student-to-school nurse ratio in primary and secondary schools (Section 2536, p. 1462)

76.   Demonstration project of grants to medical-legal partnerships (Section 2537, p. 1464)

77.   Center for Emergency Care under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (Section 2552, p. 1478)

78.   Council for Emergency Care (Section 2552, p 1479)

79.   Grant program to support demonstration programs that design and implement regionalized emergency care systems (Section 2553, p. 1480)

80.   Grant program to assist veterans who wish to become emergency medical technicians upon discharge (Section 2554, p. 1487)

81.   Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (Section 2562, p. 1494)

82.   National Medical Device Registry (Section 2571, p. 1501)

83.   CLASS Independence Fund (Section 2581, p. 1597)

84.   CLASS Independence Fund Board of Trustees (Section 2581, p. 1598)

85.   CLASS Independence Advisory Council (Section 2581, p. 1602)

86.   Health and Human Services Coordinating Committee on Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1610)

87.   National Women's Health Information Center (Section 2588, p. 1611)

88.   Centers for Disease Control Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1614)

89.   Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Women's Health and Gender-Based Research (Section 2588, p. 1617)

90.   Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1618)

91.   Food and Drug Administration Office of Women's Health (Section 2588, p. 1621)

92.   Personal Care Attendant Workforce Advisory Panel (Section 2589(a)(2), p. 1624)

93.   Grant program for national health workforce online training (Section 2591, p. 1629)

94.   Grant program to disseminate best practices on implementing health workforce investment programs (Section 2591, p. 1632)

95.   Demonstration program for chronic shortages of health professionals (Section 3101, p. 1717)

96.   Demonstration program for substance abuse counselor educational curricula (Section 3101, p. 1719)

97.   Program of Indian community education on mental illness (Section 3101, p. 1722)

98.   Intergovernmental Task Force on Indian environmental and nuclear hazards (Section 3101, p. 1754)

99.   Office of Indian Men's Health (Section 3101, p. 1765)

100.Indian Health facilities appropriation advisory board (Section 3101, p. 1774)

101.Indian Health facilities needs assessment workgroup (Section 3101, p. 1775)

102.Indian Health Service tribal facilities joint venture demonstration projects (Section 3101, p. 1809)

103.Urban youth treatment center demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1873)

104.Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for diabetes prevention (Section 3101, p. 1874)

105.Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for health IT adoption (Section 3101, p. 1877)

106.Mental health technician training program (Section 3101, p. 1898)

107.Indian youth telemental health demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1909)

108.Program for treatment of child sexual abuse victims and perpetrators (Section 3101, p. 1925)

109.Program for treatment of domestic violence and sexual abuse (Section 3101, p. 1927)

110.Native American Health and Wellness Foundation (Section 3103, p. 1966)

111.Committee for the Establishment of the Native American Health and Wellness Foundation (Section 3103, p. 1968)

Obama and Reid say one thing do another - Obamacare transparency edition

As Democrat leaders huddle behind closed doors to work out their final version of Obamacare legislation, the Republican National Committee goes after the broken promises of transparency made by Harry Reid and Barack Obama:

Presidential candidate Obama promised over and over, and over, and over, and over, again not to negotiate health care reform behind closed doors, to bring all parties together and to broadcast those negotiations on C-SPAN:

• He said it at Google --November 14, 2007

• He said it at the CNN Democrat Presidential Debate -- January 31, 2008

• He said it during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle -- January 17, 2008 [the same interview during which Obama said his cap and trade plan would bankrupt anyone who builds a coal-powered plant and electricity rates will skyrocket.]

• He said it at an Ohio Town Hall -- March 2008

• He said it during an interview with the St. Petersburg Times -- May 2008

It is truly unfortunate that President Obama did not keep those promises, but instead, chose to meet privately with healthcare executives, cut a deal with drug firms in secret, and outsourced the drafting of the Obamacare legislation to the highly partisan, Democrat-controlled Congress.

Baucus/Senate Finance Committee’s health care bill: 'America's Healthy Future Act 2009'

The Senate Finance Committee has posted the legislative language of its Obamacare bill - "America's Healthy Future Act 2009" at the committee Web site – all 1,502 pages of it. You can access the language in PDF format here, or you can read the following-embedded version:

Baucus Health Care Bill 'America’s Healthy Future Act 2009' - Senate Finance Committee -

Note the first sentence:

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes [the emphasis is mine].

We will have to do a lot of reading to decipher what is meant by "other purposes."

The status of the bill, known as S. 1796 - America’s Healthy Future Act, can be tracked through the Library of Congress at http://thomas.loc.gov.

Senate Democratic leaders, despite many Obama promises of transparency, are now working in secret to combine the Baucus/Senate Finance Committee bill with the 839-page Obamacare legislation approved by the Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee in July. That bill, known as S. 1679 - the Affordable Health Choices Act, can be accessed in PDF format here.

According to David M. Herszenhorn, of the New York Times Prescriptions blog, the Democrats are trying to resolve their differences on five main issues:

• THE PUBLIC OPTION - The Senate health committee included in its bill a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers. The Finance Committee did not include a public option, and instead proposed the creation of private, nonprofit health cooperatives.

• AFFORDABILITY - Some Senate Democrats are worried that subsidies to help moderate-income Americans buy health insurance are still not generous enough.

• A “CADILLAC” TAX - The Finance Committee bill includes a proposed excise tax on high-cost, or “Cadillac,” health insurance policies. The health committee has no jurisdiction over taxes, but some senators are concerned that the tax will hit too many middle-class workers, especially members of labor unions.

• AN EMPLOYER MANDATE - The health committee requires most employers to provide health insurance or pay a penalty of $750 a year for each full-time employee. The Finance Committee requires employers to contribute toward subsidies for employees who do not get benefits.

• OTHER SPENDING ITEMS - The health committee bill includes authorization for spending on numerous programs including prevention and wellness. But President Obama’s goal of keeping the cost of the legislation to about $900 billion means that some of those proposals must be curtailed.

Only after the two Senate bills are combined, will allow the Congressional Budget Office be able to prepare a precise cost estimate of the Democrats Obamacare legislation.

Democrats prepare to pass Obamacare using the 'nuclear' option

Democrats are so desperate to pass Obamacare that they have quietly set up the necessary procedures to use the so-called "nuclear option."

This is an admission by the Democrats that they do not have the popular support needed to pass Obamacare by the usual Senate rules.

The Democrats' unreasonable attempt to pass Obamacare as a “budget reconciliation” measure means the Democrats think they can get away with ending the long-standing  Senate tradition of requiring a super majority to end debate on something as controversial as the Democrats proposed government takeover of the Health care industry.

Under reconciliation, the Obamacare legislation can theoretically be passed by a simple majority vote in the Senate -- just 51 instead of 60 votes.

The bill the Democrats have certified for “reconciliation” is H.R. 3200 that was passed out of committee before the August break, and caused such outrage  at town hall meetings across the country as voters learned what was in the House bill: federal funding of abortion, coverage for illegal aliens, comparative effectiveness councils, and  deep cuts to Medicare. 

If the Democrats go down this unfortunate path, it will bring the Senate to a standstill. The Republicans will be forced to try and shut down the Senate and  prevent consideration of all routine and legislative Senate business or become irrelevant until they regain control of the Senate. Then of course there will be the unavoidable tit for tat and the will be powerless.

The Democrats bemoan what they wrongly claim is obstruction. But all the Democrats had to do was keep Obama's many now broken promises to conduct health care reform in a transparent manner and work out a bipartisan proposal. Instead, most Congressional Democrats decided they wanted an extreme Obamacare proposal that they can't get the Senate to pass by the usual rules.

The Democrats chose to use extraordinary procedures to pass extreme measures rather on proposing "reform" measures that would be so popular the Public, and maybe more Senate Democrats, would insist on passage.

Obama's alliance with health insurance industry falls apart

After working with President Obama to deliver Obamacare, the health insurance industry now warns that Obamacare will increase a typical family's health insurance premium by $4,000 in 2019:

Late Sunday, the industry trade group America's Health Insurance Plans sent its member companies a new accounting firm study that projects the legislation would add $1,700 a year to the cost of family coverage in 2013, when most of the major provisions in the bill would be in effect.

Premiums for a single person would go up by $600 more than would be the case without the legislation, the PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis concluded in the study commissioned by the insurance group.

"Several major provisions in the current legislative proposal will cause health care costs to increase far faster and higher than they would under the current system," Karen Ignagni, the top industry lobbyist in Washington, wrote in a memo to insurance company CEOs.

The study projected that in 2019, family premiums could be $4,000 higher and individual premiums could be $1,500 higher.

President Obama, broke many campaign promises, and instead chose to meet privately with healthcare executives, cut a deal with drug firms in secret, and outsourced the drafting of the Obamacare legislation to the highly partisan, Democrat-controlled Congress, thereby ensuring a very partisan Obamacare bill unacceptable to many, if not most of the American people.

In the following MSNBC video, Dr. Nancy Snyderman discusses the political fallout of the failure of the Obama/healthcare industry alliance with Chuck Todd and Robert Zirkelbach:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Sen. LeMieux highlights serious concerns with Obamacare

In Saturday's weekly Republican address, Florida Republican Senator George LeMieux warns that as Senate Democrats and Obama administration officials violate President Obama's promised transparency and meet behind closed doors to draft their final Obamacare proposal, Americans should be concerned:

• So far, according to the Senate Budget Committee, we know the true cost of this proposal is at least $1.8 trillion over 10 years. 

• We know it takes nearly $500 billion out of Medicare funding for seniors, and requires our states to shoulder billions more in health care costs, which they can ill-afford to do.

• The Democrat-sponsored proposal in the Senate cuts nearly $135 billion from Medicare Advantage, over $150 billion from hospitals that care for seniors, more than $51 billion from home health agencies and hospices, and nearly $70 billion in additional cuts or fee increases.

• Real reform ought to focus on stopping the estimated $60 billion in Medicare waste, fraud and abuse, and using those funds to care for seniors.

• Real reform ought to address portability – allowing people to keep their health insurance whether they change jobs or move to a different state.

• Real reform ought to reduce the incidence of doctors having to practice defensive medicine – ordering a litany of unnecessary and expensive tests in order to avoid frivolous lawsuits.

Senator LeMieux reiterates that Republicans believe that any health care reform legislation should lower costs and expand access without raising taxes or adding billions of dollars to the deficit:

Full transcript of Senator LeMieux's address, as prepared by LeMieux's office:

Hello, I’m Senator George LeMieux of Florida. It’s an honor and privilege to be serving the people of the Sunshine State in the United States Senate.
 
We’ve all seen the headlines and know that one of the biggest issues pending before Congress is health care.
 
Families in Florida and across America are struggling with the increasing costs of health insurance, and tens of millions Americans have no health insurance at all.
 
We in the Congress have a duty to tackle this problem, but the solution we settle upon should not be rushed, and the solution should not be worse than the problem we are trying to solve.
 
Right now, Senate Democrats and White House officials are behind closed doors crafting their final health care overhaul proposal.
 
While the Democrats in Congress have not yet provided the actual language of their proposed law, we do know enough for Americans to be concerned.
 
So far, according to the Senate Budget Committee, we know the true cost of this proposal is at least $1.8 trillion over 10 years. 
 
We know it takes nearly $500 billion out of Medicare funding for seniors, and requires our states to shoulder billions more in health care costs, which they can ill-afford to do.
 
The Democrat-sponsored proposal in the Senate cuts nearly $135 billion from Medicare Advantage, over $150 billion from hospitals that care for seniors, more than $51 billion from home health agencies and hospices, and nearly $70 billion in additional cuts or fee increases.
 
These cuts would arrive at a time when projections show the Medicare program will be insolvent in less than 8 years. Taking money from a program already in financial trouble is not responsible; it’s not fair to our seniors who paid into the program, and it’s not fair to our children and grandchildren who will be burdened with massive debt obligations.
 
Another part of this plan would deny millions of people the choice of health plans that best suit their needs by forcing them onto Medicaid. This is contrary to the President’s promise to give the American people choice.
 
Not to mention, dramatically expanding Medicaid adds a huge burden to state governments at a time when they can least afford it.
 
Over the last two years in Florida, we had to cut nearly $8 billion from state programs to meet our state’s balanced budget requirement.
 
Unlike the federal government, our states have to balance their budgets, and they can’t print more money to pay for programs they can’t afford.
 
Piling on additional obligations would mean even more severe cuts to roads, schools, law enforcement and other essential state services.
 
Budget neutral doesn’t mean forcing states to cut vital programs to make up what the federal government isn’t willing to pay.
 
That is why America’s governors, both Democrat and Republican alike, have voiced their opposition to this plan.
 
The plan being pushed by Democrats in Congress also adds a new tax burden to our families.  President Obama said families earning less than $250,000 a year would not be subject to any tax increases; but this proposal contains a mandate for families to buy insurance.
 
Failing to comply would mean every adult would have to pay a $750 penalty.
 
The President says this isn’t a tax; I don’t buy it. The penalty is paid directly to the IRS when you pay your taxes, and it’s certainly not optional.
 
If it looks like a tax, and it’s paid like a tax, then it is a tax, plain and simple.
 
There are also new taxes on health insurance providers, manufacturers and importers of medicine, and medical device manufacturers.
 
Two non-partisan groups unequivocally state that these taxes will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher insurance premiums. It is likely that the current proposal will increase your health insurance costs, not reduce them.

Republicans in Congress are willing to work toward targeted steps to broaden health care access and affordability, but we should take some more time get it right, rather than move quickly and get it wrong.

Real reform ought to focus on stopping the estimated $60 billion in Medicare waste, fraud and abuse, and using those funds to care for seniors.
 
Real reform ought to address portability – allowing people to keep their health insurance whether they change jobs or move to a different state.
 
Real reform ought to reduce the incidence of doctors having to practice defensive medicine – ordering a litany of unnecessary and expensive tests in order to avoid frivolous lawsuits.
 
President Obama has said he wants a budget-neutral, bipartisan bill.

Republicans welcome that effort.
 
As we prepare to debate the plan in the United States Senate, I remain hopeful we can reach consensus on a proposal that will reduce costs and increase access to health care for those who are uninsured, while protecting the quality of care for all Americans.  I’m Senator George LeMieux. Thank you for listening.