Webb and Warner vote for cloture on healthcare

JR Hoeft | December 21, 2009 | Comments (8)

In the dead of the night at 1:33 a.m., both Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner voted for cloture for the Senate version of the health care bill.

Now the bill must receive final passage, likely Christmas Eve, in the Senate (only a simple majority is required, so some Democrats who voted for cloture could vote against final passage and the bill will still pass) and then go to conference with the House to work out the details between the one passed there and this one.

Rightfully so, Democratic Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin compared last night’s vote to the 1935 Social Security vote and the 1965 Medicare vote – both entitlements which are bankrupting our country.

The U.S. currently has a $12.1 Trillion national debt and rising, where entitlement spending, even without this measure being passed, is going to be 50% of all federal outlays by 2019. And this, of course, doesn’t account for debt interest payments either.

Makes you proud to be an American.

Tags: healthcare, Jim Webb, Mark Warner, U.S. Senate

Category: Government

About JR Hoeft: Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter. View author profile.

Comments (8)

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kelley in virginia says:

December 21, 2009 at 8:26 am

Were either Warner or Webb smart enough to get some great bribe for Virginia? I mean, if you are going to destroy our country, you might as well get something for it, right?
Brian Kirwin says:

December 21, 2009 at 8:36 am

Doesn’t seem like it.
JR Hoeft says:

December 21, 2009 at 9:48 am

Just read in the WSJ of another way Virginia specifically will get screwed by this legislation.

“…the exemption [for nonprofit insurance companies] would unfairly tax some states, such as Virginia, where primarily for-profit plans operate.”

Thanks, Webb and Warner!
Govgirl says:

December 21, 2009 at 11:01 am

I guess they both want to be one term Senators – obviously they did not learn the lessons of the 2009 election.
Steve Vaughan says:

December 21, 2009 at 11:29 am

I don’t know why Republican are still up in arms about this.
Everything good has been stripped out of this bill already.
There’s nothing in it but give aways to the insurance industry. And, of course, Republicans believe that give aways to big corporations are the only legitimate function of government anyway….so what’s the problem?
J.R. Hoeft says:

December 21, 2009 at 11:33 am

Ah, Stevie, I was hoping you’d say that because I still wanted to discuss why this bill sucks. Perhaps Heritage says it best:

Busts the Federal Budget: According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the amended Reid plan would reduce the federal budget deficit by $132 billion over the period 2010 to 2019, but that is a mirage. The CBO can only score what the Senate tells them they will do, not what everyone knows they actually will do. For example, the Senate bill cuts Medicare fees for doctors by 20% starting in 2011. Nobody believes these cuts will be allowed to happen. By changing just that provision, Obamacare ends up adding $196 billion to the deficit in the first 10 years and $765 billion in the second decade.

Busts State Budgets: According to The Fiscal Survey of States, 31 states cut higher education and 26 states cut K-12 education in 2009. This is because Medicaid and education are almost always any states two highest budget items, and states cannot touch the entitlement to Medicaid. Obamacare only increases state Medicaid obligations thus further bankrupting states. This is why Sen. Nelson demanded a permanent Medicaid bailout for Nebraska in exchange for his vote. Other states like Hawaii, Vermont, and Massachusetts also won key federal bailouts for their health programs. Who are the losers? All the other that are forced to pick up the $1 billion tab.

Increases Health Care Costs: Throughout the health care debate, President Obama promised reform that would “bend the cost curve down” on health care spending. But according to the President’s own the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) the Senate does exactly the opposite, actually driving health care costs up by adding $234 billion to national health expenditures.

Endangers Americans Quality of Care: President Obama used to promise that “If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.” But as the CBO confirmed this month 10 million Americans will be forced out of their current health insurance plan should Obamacare become law. Even worse, CMMS has reported that Obamacare’s $493 billion in Medicare cuts could force as many as one-in-five health care providers into insolvency thus forcing them out of the Medicare program.

Forces Americans to Pay for Abortions: Despite the inclusion of the Nelson amendment, when the federal government’s role over the financing and delivery of health care grows, as it does under this bill, a requirement to segregate premiums that cover abortion services would be merely cosmetic in practice.

$400 Billion in New Taxes: From taxes on employment to taxes on tanning beds, Obamacare is funded with over $400 billion in new taxes at a time of double digit unemployment, including $29 billion in taxes on 19 million Americans who still will not receive any health insurance.

A “Starter Home” for Government Run Health Care: While technically not a public option, this scheme will have the same results. By giving unprecedented power and authority to the Director of Office of Personal Management, the multi-state plans created in the bill will simply become the government plan. Single payer advocate Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) is even calling the bill a “starter home” for further reform.
kelley in virginia says:

December 21, 2009 at 2:20 pm

Mark Warner knows that Virginia has to pony up this Medicaid money because he is a former governor. And he voted for this bill anyway. This obamacare bill will really strap Virginia. McDonnell & every member of our legislature, whether they be R or D, should be screaming at the top of their lungs at how Warner & Webb betrayed our Commonwealth.
Govgirl says:

December 21, 2009 at 4:02 pm

How about McDonnell for Senate 2014 – any takers?