health care legislation

An Acceptable Compromise: Contraceptive Services For Women Of Religiously Based Employers To Be Offered Gratis By Insurance Companies

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President Barack Obama has announced that contraceptive services for women who work for religiously based employers, such as universities and hospitals, will not have to be paid by the religious group as part of their health care plan, but instead will be a requirement for insurance companies to cover without charge.

This takes away the issue of religious liberty, which has been promoted incessantly by supporters of the Catholic Church and other religious groups, and exploited by the Republican Party and its Presidential candidates. Our belief in freedom of religion made it necessary for the administration to reconsider its handling of this part of the Obama Health Care legislation, which itself will be considered as to its constitutionality in the next few months by the US Supreme Court.

One can be assured, however, that politics will be utilized, and that this controversy will not disappear from the Presidential campaign, but it seems a win for women’s rights, as well as religious liberty!

The Tea Party Movement Revealed: Radical Anarchists Of The Far Right!

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The Tea Party Movement has now been revealed as what it is: radical anarchists of the FAR Right, a dangerous group that will brook no compromise, and now plans to challenge Speaker of the House John Boehner in the 2012 primaries, because he had the gall to make a compromise deal with Barack Obama and the Democrats to avoid a government shutdown at the last possible moment last evening!

Obama and the Democrats agreed to about $39 billion in budget cuts from the original budget sent by the President, a record amount, which Barack Obama claimed was a victory for common sense.

Actually, the Democrats and Obama gave in too much, but they held out for protection of the environment, the funding of the President’s Health Care law, and continuation of miniscule funding of Planned Parenthood.

Boehner has been in an impossible position having to deal with House freshmen who are totally irresponsible in their demands for massive budget cuts, and have been, unfortunately, assisted in their recklessness by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who has been undermining Boehner all along, as he and Congressman Kevin McCarthy have been working to push Boehner into an untenable position as Speaker.

If one thinks Cantor and McCarthy are “friends” of Boehner, one has to be absolutely blind! We will now see a large negative vote on the permanent budget for the next six months, when it comes up for a vote next week, and Boehner is in great danger of a revolt led by Cantor and McCarthy, and he might wish he had not been elected Speaker! To imagine that John Boehner might be seen in a sympathetic light by some shows how far right the GOP is going!

And if there is a true “Rasputin” of the Far Right, it is Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who has recklessly and irresponsibly promoted a radical attack on Medicare and Medicaid in the fiscal year 2012 budget and beyond, in his role as Chairman of the House Budget Committee!

What Ryan proposes is to make Medicare a voucher system, and put Medicaid under block grants that state governors decide how to dispense, all of which means the total destruction of both programs for future generations of elderly, sick, and poor people, all this at the same time as the plan to defund the President’s Health Care program for all Americans not covered under either plan now!

All this while tax cuts down to 25 percent top rate from 35 percent for the ultra rich top two percent, and also cuts in corporate taxes further, which means an attack on the middle class and the poor, as America is transformed more than ever into a plutocracy, rather than the image of a democracy, in which we have government of, by, and for the people, not the elite rich!

With the concessions made by Obama and the Democrats this time, in the next round there can be NO concessions, as this is a battle for the future of the entire nation, and the plutocracy that has developed MUST be stopped dead in its tracks!

And realize finally that this is not just an economic struggle, but also a social struggle, as the Tea Party Movement has its ugly desire to intervene in people’s private lives, as related to abortion, gay rights, and women’s rights. This is a battle for economic and social justice, the battle fought by progressives and liberals for more than a century, and a constant struggle that one can never rest from, as the far right continues its determination to dictate the continued dominance of an evil, selfish, greedy plutocracy!

The Ideological Struggle Of American History: Laissez Faire Vs. Progressivism!

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As we begin the year 2011, the old ideological struggle between laissez faire economics and the progressive tradition is again involved in a great struggle over the future of America.

Laizzez faire celebrates individuality and risk taking, while progressivism promotes the idea of a person’s right to a minimum standard of living and a safety net of protections for all citizens.

So we have the new constitutional debate over the health care law, whether everyone in the United States is entitled to health care coverage. Conservatives regard any expansion of government protections as a threat to capitalism and freedom of choice.

But this battle has raged for a century and more in different ways, such as the following:

1. The 16th Amendment, the federal income tax, which became part of the Constitution in 1913, was called an attack on individual freedom and a threat to the American experiment.

2. Social Security in 1935 was called a plan to make the United States a copy of the Soviet Union.

3. The minimum wage and mandated overtime pay in 1938 were considered steps toward Communism, Marxism, Fascism and Nazism.

4. After Brown V. Board of Education started the modern civil rights movement in 1954, many thought that it would destroy the nation, was an abuse of judicial power, and was unconstitutional.

5. When Medicare was passed in 1965, it was considered unAmerican and a socialist attack on the American economy.  It was denounced by Ronald Reagan as taking away the freedom of the American people.

So passionate opposition has always followed every expansion of the social safety net or promotion of civil rights, but when one looks back, it is obvious that the laissez faire and conservative attacks are just hysteria and promotion of fear by those who don’t wish to promote the ultimate “American dream”, that all of us are entitled to basic human rights, not just the rich and the privileged who just want to deny those rights because it might make it necessary that they part with some of their self centered view of what America is all about!

It is seen as likely that after many constitutional challenges over the next two years, the Supreme Court will uphold the Health Care legislation passed last year, by a 5-4 or 6-3 vote, and in future years, many will look back and wonder why such tumult developed over what will be seen as a basic human right, the right to medical care for everyone–rich, middle class or poor in this nation!

The Constitution And Health Care: “Necessary And Proper” Clause At Work!

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Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution allows the Congress very broad authority to pass laws seen as “necessary and proper” for the “general welfare”.

Federal District Court Judge Henry Hudson of Virginia invalidated the “necessary and proper” clause in stating that the insurance mandate of the health care legislation is unconstitutional. At the same time, two other federal district court judges have upheld the insurance mandate.

The argument of the government is that failure to buy insurance passes the expenses on to the government, hospitals, and the privately insured, and that puts an unfair burden on others because of the irresponsibility of individual citizens. Also, the insurance mandate prevents discrimination by insurers against those with pre-existing medical conditions, an important part of the new legislation.

The whole controversy reverts back to the great Chief Justice John Marshall, who established the broad powers of Article 1, Section 8, in the famous McCulloch V. Maryland case of 1823, having to do with the constitutionality of the National Bank.

As Marshall wrote: “Let the end be legitimate, let it be within the scope of the Constitution, and all means which are appropriate, which are plainly adapted to that end, which are not prohibited, but consistent with the letter and spirit of the Constitution, are constitutional.”

The Health Care legislation will probably reach the Supreme Court in the year 2012, possibly in time for the Presidential Election of 2012, which, if won by President Obama, will surely institutionalize the Health care legislation with some fine tuning in the meantime.

Realize that the furious opposition to the Health Care legislation represents the similar reaction to the Social Security Act of 1935 and the Medicare Act of 1965, but which has been often forgotten because of the universal support of both laws over time, the basis of the safety net that makes America a more humane society, even if the opponents have worked to prevent such a situation!

The Problem With The Democrats: Unwilling To Stand Up For Their Beliefs! :(

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With less than six weeks to go until the midterm elections, the Democrats are making clear that they are cowards–unwilling to stand up for what they believe in and what they have accomplished! 🙁

This Congress has been easily the most exceptional one since 1965-1966 under Lyndon Johnson, and yet most Democrats refuse to defend what they have done, and to show courage and guts and rip apart the negativism of the opposition Republicans!

This is NOT the time to be polite or pleasant! If the Democrats lose control of either or both houses of Congress, much of what they have accomplished may be destroyed, so this is the time to fight tooth and nail, and not care about the attacks of hypocrisy that will come from talk radio and Fox News Channel!

The health care bill has just gone into effect, the greatest social legislation since the 1960s, and the Democrats need to defend it, emphasize the positive nature of it, and refuse to apologize for it or act as they were not involved in creating it!

The Democrats must make it clear that the Republicans offer no alternative except a return to the past failures, and that they are not really concerned about the middle class or the poor, but only the wealthy! All they do is promote hate and division, appealing to the worse side of human nature, and yet they evoke religion and morality, when they exploit without caring about the sick, the unemployed, the homeless, and the handicapped!

The Democrats might play hardball, and if they still lose control of Congress, at least they will be able to look in the mirror and be proud that they have given a good fight! As Leo Durocher, the baseball manager, once said, “Nice Guys Finish Last!” 🙁

The GOP “Pledge To America”! A Ponzi Scheme! :(

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The Republican Party has just come out with a “Pledge To America”, similar in concept to the “Contract With America” introduced by Newt Gingrich in the 1994 election cycle, when they won control of both houses of Congress!

The emphasis is on repeal of the health care law, cutting of taxes, cutting of spending, and legislation to outlaw all abortions!

The GOP has no solution to the issue of balancing the budget or dealing with the deficit, and it wishes to take away the concept of children being on their parents’ medical plan to age 26, coverage of preexisting conditions for sick children, and no limit on lifetime care, among other points of the health care law!

The GOP is using the abortion issue to draw religious voters into their coalition, but are offering no new ideas on the economy, but instead the same old failed policies that led to a doubling of the national debt under George W. Bush!

They are bankrupt of new ideas, and are counting on amnesia to convince voters that the Republicans are a better choice than the most productive two year Congress since 1965-1966!

What a sad state of affairs, and hopefully, the American people will not be bamboozled to go backwards! 🙁 No more Ponzi schemes, please! 🙁

Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich And The Attack On Health Care! :(

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Two leading Republican contenders for the Presidential nomination have shown themselves to be disgraceful in their attacks on health care legislation, which the GOP is dedicated to repealing if they win control of Congress this November!

Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor, had the gall to compare the issue of pre-existing conditions in children now having to be covered as of tomorrow, to a property insurance company having to insure a house that has burned down! 🙁 How heartless a statement that is for a ordained Baptist preacher, who claims to be a “good” Christian! 🙁 What hypocrisy! 🙁

Newt Gingrich, former House Speaker from Georgia, has been on a tear lately with outrageous statements about President Obama, about Islam, and so many other controversies, showing he has no decency and is willing to promote hate, division, and turmoil in his mad dash for power, despite his own numerous personal moral failings! 🙁

Now he says that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius should be fired by the new Congress for advocating and promoting the new health care law! Imagine, the secretary of HHS is not supposed to advocate her department’s programs? And since when can Congress fire cabinet members of the President? Is this a sign of intention to impeach Sebelius for doing her job? This is ABSOLUTELY DESPICABLE drivel being promoted by a person with no ethics, morals, or scruples at all! 🙁

Meanwhile, several health insurance companies are getting out of the market of children’s health care just two days before the health care legislation goes into effect, which demonstrates the problem of leaving all health care to private corporations who only care about profits, not about health of children or anyone who is sick! This is further evidence of the dire need for stronger health care legislation with a public option, so that the 50 million Americans without health care can gain what every American should be entitled to–coverage for health care, and the promotion of the right to a decent life!

Revelation: George W. Bush’s Daughter, Barbara Bush, Backs Obama Health Care Law!

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An interesting piece of news is that Barbara Bush, one of the twin daughters of President George W. Bush, has made public her support of the recently passed Obama Health Care legislation!

Despite the fact that the GOP resisted and fought against the Health Care law, Barbara Bush indicated her belief that it was good that the legislation passed, and that people who have lower income should have the same access to health care that rich people have!

Hooray for Barbara Bush, who is the leader of the Global Health Corps, a group that promotes global health equity! She is proving that she is a young woman of decency and good principles, and makes many in the Republican party look very hard hearted and selfish in their opposition to everyone being entitled to health care!

Lamar Alexander And Health Care Legislation

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Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee is one of the more distinguished member of the Republican caucus in the Senate.

He has had an impressive career, including being Governor of his state, Secretary of Education under the first President Bush, President of the University of Tennessee, faculty member of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and Presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000. He has been a Senator since being elected in the year 2002.

I have always had respect for Senator Alexander, and thought when he sought the Presidency twice that the nation could be far worse off with many other GOP candidates than Alexander.

That is why I am so disgusted with Alexander by his recent statement in opposition to health care legislation, in which he says that if it is passed by the Democrats without GOP support, then there will be a “minor revolution”.

Senator Alexander, what are you doing, encouraging bloodshed and violence because your party members, including yourself, refuse to cooperate on a bipartisan bill on health care? Your background and career make it hard to understand WHY you would issue such a statement.

I think you need to reconsider your outrageous assertion, and retract it promptly. I doubt that will happen, but it SHOULD!