The CBO numbers are in, and it is good news for Americans. Not for Republicans
@thegreatdebater (7316)
United States
October 7, 2009 8:39pm CST
The congressional Budget Office has released it's offical findings on the Baucus bill, and the numbers don't lie. According to the CBO, the Baucus bill would cost $829 Billion over 10 years, and would cut the federal deficit by $81 Billion. They stated that it would probably lead to "continued reductions in federal" red ink in the years beyond. For months now republicans have been using CBO numbers to prove that this program would cost over a trillion dollars, and would increase the federal deficit. Now that the offical numbers are out, do you think that republicans will now attack the CBO?
2 people like this
5 responses
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
8 Oct 09
I must admit, I was getting a little bit worried a few weeks ago but it seems that there's been very little good news for Republicans these days. President Obama's approval rating is on the rebound after a bit of a slide last month and while Congress in general has very low ratings the Democrats are extremely popular compared to the GOP, who are in single digits.
Of course, they'll attack the CBO! They'll put whatever spin on it they think is necessary no matter how stupid it makes them look or no matter how much the American people are on to them. They don't want any health care reform and that's all there is to it! They don't really care about the deficit, they don't care what happens to "Grandma" and they don't care if someone doesn't get to choose their doctor; they don't want Obama or any Democrat to get any credit for anything and they especially don't want to tick off the insurance companies who line their pockets so generously.
Annie
2 people like this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
8 Oct 09
The rebound might have been pity points for the Chicago olympic fiasco. LOL
1 person likes this
@Koriana (302)
• United States
8 Oct 09
The rebound isn't gonn last long. Our status as "reserve currency" provider is coming to an end. Everyone is calling for it's replacement. Once that's gone, well, I pity the poor sap in office! It isn't obama's fault really, but the people are not going to be happy, and well....the president and congress are the ones they will be aiming for, since all the attempts at the scapegoating seem to haven't taken hold!
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
8 Oct 09
You mean the one that Baucus couldn't even get the people on his own committee to support? The one that Baucus lied through his teeth about? That one?
The questions still remain, why is Obama leaving Congress to write "his" reform bill when he says he already has a plan? Why are the members of Congress so stupid that they think they shouldn't read bills they sign? Why won't Obama keep his "transparency" promise when it comes to medical reform?
If the idiots in Congress resent our participation in the process, they are no better than tyranical vermin.
No medical "reform" bill is more important than the US Constitution and I spit in the wretched face of any slimeball who thinks it is!
1 person likes this
@Koriana (302)
• United States
8 Oct 09
That's 8.3 million americans that they can throw in jail and fine the hades out of!! I'd love to know, just what in hades name makes them think that people who can't afford the insurance to begin with, can afford a $25,000 fine, after being incarcerated and thus not working??
Oh, well, I guess I should look on the bright side of this....
$100,000/yr to incarcerate me...
probably around $20,000 or so to fix the hernia that is making my life miserable.
and well, add the healthcare to take care of the feet, and gee, seems like I am getting a bargain!!!
Why is so bad to help the people out a little bit, when they need it? But, oh, so much better to help them alot, after they've hit rock bottom and it's going cost oh, so much more???
The only possible answer is....
THEY WANT THE CONTROL!!!
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
8 Oct 09
Might I also remind you that there is really no bill for the CBO to have evaluated here. They could only work from the draft of a bill. We have no idea what the real bill will include... and neither does the CBO.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
8 Oct 09
You mean the bill that is based purely on conjecture and very fuzzy political wording, that bill? Do you mean the bill that intends to put an additional $29 Billion dollars of taxes, the one that is going to raise the premiums on those that do have insurance, the bill that cuts Medicare by $400 Billion dollars, and the bill that violates the basic rights of a person on whether he should buy a commodity or not? Do you mean the bill that still costs $829,000,000,000? That is still a he!! of a ton of zeros. I hate to break it you, but that really isn't something to be proud of. I am glad that you are so proud that our tanking economy, rising unemployment rates, and yet another extension of unemployment benefits is expending a mere $829 BILLION more dollars in debt to China. Hold your head high, because when that number skyrockets, don't be surprised.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
9 Oct 09
That is the Baucus bill in a nutshell. I really don't have an idea where you got that $11 Trillion number from. If you are talking about what America spends on Health Care, than the government will be still be spending $11 Trillion dollars on Health care instead. Possibly more if you add in administrative costs, paperwork headaches, and denied claims. Which means that we as the taxpayers will still be paying $11 Trillion dollars on Health Care. Simple logic, since the government will be paying the bills instead of the private insurance companies, companies and the individuals.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that this will actually bring down costs. It will more or less distribute them. In fact, many premiums will be raised because of this bill. Just read the tax on medical equipment and taxes on the "Cadillac plans."
Use your business sense. Do the math on this. Those numbers are based on a conception instead of actual language. I fully expect those numbers to skyrocket. The more you look at the bill the worse it gets.
If he signs this, feel free to stand up and cheer that President Obama has finally reneged on one of his campaign promises of no new taxes for the middle class.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
9 Oct 09
About the commodity, remember there is a provision in the bill that states everyone must purchase health insurance or be fined. Health care is a service. You have the choice to buy or not to buy a service. That is the freedom of the consumer. It is their choice. Now you want the government to take away the fundamental right of choice, whether or not it is "good" for the individual.
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
8 Oct 09
Sierras, I am talking about the Baucus bill, I don't know what you are talking about.
"the one that is going to raise the premiums on those that do have insurance"
If the insurance companies want to go out of business, they can raise their premiums, but now people will have a choice of insurance and will leave the if their rates get to high. Don't you love capitalism?
"the bill that violates the basic rights of a person on whether he should buy a commodity or not?"
What are you talking about here?
"Do you mean the bill that still costs $829,000,000,000? That is still a he!! of a ton of zeros. I hate to break it you, but that really isn't something to be proud of"
We pay $11 TRILLION a year on Health care. Now that is way to many zeros. Are you proud of that number?
Sierras, If you have a problem with the Bush repression then you should have been like me calling for something to be done years ago. Bush could have been stopped, but all of those people that blindly followed the blind are the ones to blame for this.
It took Bush 8 years to destroy our economy, it is going to take Obama more than 9 months to fix it.
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
8 Oct 09
Here's the link you should have posted with your post and didn't. All one can do with the numbers is speculate. It's a gamble no matter how good it sounds.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Washington-Watch/16339
1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
8 Oct 09
LOL, a week ago conservatives where talking about how important the CBO numbers were, and that is why the didn't like the last plan. Now there are numbers that make the plan look good, the conservatives are calling the CBO unreliable. Funny how that is, isn't it.
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
9 Oct 09
Republicans don't have to attack the CBO over these numbers. According to the Christian Science Monitor, "The CBO score doesn’t measure the fiscal impact on families, businesses, health care providers, or state and local governments. What will happen to them if the bill’s new mandates, fees, taxes, and penalties become law?
Nor does the CBO score capture the cost of doing nothing. 'Workers don’t understand that employer-provided health plans are coming out of their wages. Employers get to deduct it and employees don’t have to pay taxes for it. But the tax subsidy means that somebody is paying for it and everybody’s income taxes are higher,' says James Horney, director of federal fiscal policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
'That’s why fixing health care is so hard, because people don’t really understand what they’re paying now and what’s going to drive it up in the future,' he adds."
