Bad News On DemCare

Several pieces of bad news, actually.

The GOP is trying to fix a fundamentally beastly and un-fixable bill

The GOP and Democrats are putting up several amendments, all designed to “improve” the bill:

• The Democrat Mikulski amendment purports to ensure mammograms are covered, but actually ensures abortions are covered.
• The Republican Murkowski amendment response to the Mikulski amendment ensures mammograms are not cut and beefs up pro-life protections.
• The Republican McCain vote sends the bill back to Finance Committee to restore funding to medicare.
• The Democrat Bennett amendment responds to the McCain vote by ensuring no one ever loses their medicare.

Whoopideedoo. While I’m glad the Democrats are now fighting it out amongst themselves, the GOP is not really helping the fight for freedom here.

If Mikulski and Bennet pass tomorrow, Democrats will argue that they have fixed the Medicare and mammogram issues. Why are we in such a rush to allow Democrats to vote on their amendments to fix the bill? This is a unanimous consent request. All Senators are responsible for this disaster. Will anyone stand up and say “I object?”

And, unfortunately, at least one of those did pass:

The Senate just passed an amendment offered by Sen. Barbara Mikulski that would force insurers to cover women's preventive care services such as mammograms without charging co-pays.

The amendment, which passed 61 to 39, came in repsponse to controversial recommendations by the U.S Preventive Services Task Force, which advised women to wait until 50 to start getting mammograms. A Republican alternative offered by Lisa Murkowski, that would have blocked recommendations of the task force from being used to ration care, was defeated 59 to 41.

This refers to the video exchange in the previous post. And on the subject of 'free' mammograms:

While the Mikulski amendment promises free screenings to women, in reality, nothing is free -- adding additional benefit mandates to insurance policies will just drive up premiums. And the provision leaves it up to the Department of Health and Human Services to determine which services must be covered, leading to concerns among abortion opponents that it could pave the way for federally funded abortion if HHS simply defines the procedure as preventive care for women.

This is not a good start. Let's hope the GOP grows a spine, and that the Dem leaders lose their grip on their party's solidarity.

There's my two cents.