Obama Threatens Veto of Obamacare as Cost Estimates Soar Above $1 Trillion
@whiteheather39 (24403)
United States
May 13, 2010 2:47pm CST
Reacting to the surprise announcement that congressional budget referees now predict healthcare reform could top $1 trillion, the Obama administration threatened Wednesday to veto parts of its own healthcare bill.
The politically explosive revelation, which is likely to give new impetus to the GOP’s repeal movement, came after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said the law potentially could add at least $115 billion to government healthcare spending over the next 10 years.
This comes after a separate Medicare office report found that the bill would raise spending by about 1 percent during the next decade. Still the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) stood by the administration's original claims that the law would reduce the deficit. Obama tasked Congress with making that happen through tax increases or spending cuts. If that doesn’t happen, the administration is vowing to make program cuts itself.
OMB spokesman Kenneth Baer said Wednesday that the healthcare law "will reduce the deficit by more than $100 billion in the first decade, and that will not change unless Congress acts to change it. If these authorizations are funded, they must be offset somewhere else in the discretionary budget.
“The President has called for a non-security discretionary spending freeze, and he will enforce that with his veto pen."
House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said the new CBO analysis "provides ample cause for alarm," according to a report on ABC News.
"This comes just weeks after the Obama administration itself released an analysis confirming that the new law actually increases Americans’ healthcare costs," Boehner said. "The American people wanted one thing above all from healthcare reform: lower costs, which Washington Democrats promised, but they did not deliver. These revelations widen the serious credibility gap President Obama is facing."
Meanwhile, Jennifer Hing, spokeswoman for Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee, told Fox News: "If Congress were to approve all of this new discretionary funding authorized in the healthcare bill, almost all of the administration's highly touted savings would be made null and void."
If Congress approves all the additional spending called for in the legislation, it would push the 10-year cost of the overhaul above $1 trillion — an unofficial limit the Obama administration set early on.
Could someone explain to me just what this means? Am I correct in thinking that the Obama Care Health Bill which was forced upon us now Obama is saying... oops on some parts of it I made a big boo boo?
2 people like this
10 responses
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
14 May 10
I will refrain from saying....I TOLD YOU SO! But ooops, I said it didn't I? lol
He simply doesn't know what he's doing. And he pushes his weight around like a tyrant, scares Congress into passing this monstrosity, and lies to the American people about the cost and effectiveness, thinking we won't notice. Hurry up 2012!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169449)
• United States
14 May 10
I think he had to make sure it passed, because he said it would, so he did. Now he is going to reverse himself.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
15 May 10
debracarey you said it perfectly....Hurry up 2012!
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 May 10
You may be right GardenGerty, but he also said he wouldn't allow any new tax for those in the the middle class, remember? But looks like his administration may be hedging on THAT promise.
His followers (not constituents) keep saying all they can to convince us he's on the up and up, but he's JUST like all the politicians...a liar.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
14 May 10
Ok, I've had a hard day...my brain is tired...but doesn't this reek of fiscal responsibility on Obama's part? He didn't say, "Damn the battelships, full speed ahead regardless of the cost!". He set an unofficial limit which, if exceded, he will veto. And that's a bad thing how? Sometimes I get so confused here. 


@spalladino (17891)
• United States
15 May 10
Debra, if he was wrong about the cost and set a standard which was to be followed by an action (veto) if it turned out that he was wrong, how is that a bad thing? I am in favor of healthcare reform as everyone here knows but I would think that folks would be swinging from their ceiling fans at the thought of a veto.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
14 May 10
Not sure how it's a "good" thing, either, but it's certainly an "no sht" moment for everyone believing the mega super rush to pass something--anything!--was a bit bass ackwards.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
14 May 10
Spallidino, he said it would LOWER cost and REDUCE the deficit. Either he's lying or he doesn't know what the heck he's doing. No confusion on my part.

@matersfish (6306)
• United States
14 May 10
This will never make any sense to me. I don't care if Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann show up on super-spin mode, it still won't make any sense.
Not that I'm putting Obama on blast here. Anyone who knows me knows that my disdain isn't for a politician but for politics. But I will say that, for all the campaigning he did for ANY bill's passing, and all the miles they ran in a giant circle while painting us all as bigots and astroturf puppets without compassion, wouldn't it have been much easier to take the naysayers' advice and work s-l-o-w-l-y instead of tweaking the numbers and buying votes and risking the American economy and future generations for a simple victory?
I don't feel one bit better knowing that Obama will (might) smack the bill back. As stated already, he's the primary reason it was rushed through like it was.
So, essentially, we've gone through this just to go back through it.

@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
18 May 10
I suppose things like this are bound to happen when Congress passes a bill without knowing what's in it.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
13 May 10
Why must we, as regular Joe and Jane Americans, be forced into a cautionary tale about the perils of rushing things through on this magnitude?
I know a lot of the myLot population is for a universal-like healthcare system. I know folks have their tales of personal tragegy to coax their decisions along. But for everyone who found various little skillful ways to support this bill without coming across as a zealot, there were a few major facts that opponents pounded repeatedly and never made a dint: the switching and cutting, the process of FORCING it on us all, the fact that no one read it (and Pete knows who really wrote it!), and the sad truth that government never, ever, ever stays anywhere in the ballpark of a projected budget.
There has never been any incentive for government to act fiscally responsbile, and every piece of legislation they pass that requires taxpayer funding reflects that sad truth.
But for the poor, poor victim not being able to afford quality healthcare, the nation's detriment was well worth it if they could get medicine on the cheap. And now you mean to tell me that the ONE thing folks wanted isn't a real possibility!? No affordable healthcare? Oh, say it isn't so. Who coulda seen this coming?
Ugg. I hate going backwards on crap like this. But, regardless of how it works out, I hope this is a lesson to people that SLOWING THE PLUCK DOWN and fixing what's wrong instead of extreme makeovers is a much better way than wheeling and dealing for enough votes to shove unread sh1t down our throats just for something to hang a hat on and put in the history books.
Do we need any more proof our government is inept? I'm surprised these bozos can get out of bed in the morning.
Here's hoping something good comes out of the mess one way or another.
Ugg. I hate going backwards on crap like this. But, regardless of how it works out, I hope this is a lesson to people that SLOWING THE PLUCK DOWN and fixing what's wrong instead of extreme makeovers is a much better way than wheeling and dealing for enough votes to shove unread sh1t down our throats just for something to hang a hat on and put in the history books.
Do we need any more proof our government is inept? I'm surprised these bozos can get out of bed in the morning.
Here's hoping something good comes out of the mess one way or another. @whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
13 May 10
I can't really say I did not this something like this might happen. What can you expect from a government who does not read or do the maths before they put something into law that most of the people doe not want.
Now I want to see all the responses from all the myLot Obama toadies who praised it as the beginning and end of the greatest thing that Obama has personally done for the people of the USA. Hail! Ave! The Great Obama! 

@matersfish (6306)
• United States
14 May 10
Oh, don't expect it to reflect poorly on anyone. I see this being the CBO's fault before it's said and done. It won't stain anyone else.
I'll watch MSNBC and the Obama-is-my-god folks here to catch all the spin and hot air. I'll just hold my wet clothes up to the screen and see if I can do my part to save the planet.
@quita88 (3715)
• United States
13 May 10
Well...........I'm sitting here with my mouth wide open in complete and utter confusion..........I would say you are right, the bill we had forced upon us is now the OOPs you say it is..................
I hope this right..........I am praying for him/ Obams to drop the bill. Do you think he will???
I guess he finally got the message he is not God after all ! and we all knew it would increase our health care costs from the beginning. Does this man not listen??? or READ?
Still a bit confused.......let me hear from you.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
13 May 10
Obama was absolutely determined to get this bill through no matter what. Most of us know this would not work. I will be happy if they just toss this piece of crap out the window and start over.
@GardenGerty (169449)
• United States
14 May 10
Well, it does sound that way. I think he is trying to be in two places at once, on both sides of the deal. I believe that it became a matter of saving face when he was trying to pass the bill, and he had to do it. Now he is going to be "our hero" and veto it. It almost sounds like "I'm the parent, that's why."
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
15 May 10
IMO it was his idea and his arrogance would never allow him to accept the fact that anyone (especially the people) didn't want his particular brand of health care reform. I can pretty well bet he is not too happy about having to admit he screwed up!
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
13 May 10
I must say I am shocked. However, I would be more stunned if he actually did veto it. Everyone knew the numbers weren't adding up. I really don't know what else to say though.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
13 May 10
Yes he has not really veto it yet. We must wait and see.
@epicure35 (2814)
• United States
21 Jun 10
There remains no reason to EVER believe anything that egregious criminal usurper O says. "Credibility gap" is, at this juncture, a nauseating euphemism, considering everything he does to destroy us. All that is being said is basically meaningless drivel, given his agenda of jihad, divide and conquer Western civilization from within. I guess Congress just has simply nothing else to do but spin wheels and waste words and money, since they won't just remove the illegal alien usurper and uphold their constitutional duty to protect their citizenry. Too bad they are such a rotten lot, so easily bought and sold and intimidated.










