January 15, 2010 08:20 PM UTC

Senator Bennet Amendment to Protect and Strengthen MEDICARE passed 100-0

• 2 Comments
• by: MADCO

http://www.senate.gov/legislat…

Think wayyyy back to 6 weeks ago when John McCain was robocalling into Colorado, targeting seniors to tell them to reject health care reform and contact their Senators and insist that Medicare be left alone.

Senator Bennet drafted and introduced Bennet Amdt. No. 2826 which stated unequivocally that Medicare was not being cut and in fact was being financially stabilized for an additional ten years. Actuarial forecasts had Medicare becoming insolvent in 2017, which has been pushed out to 2027.

The Amendment passed 100-0.

Two observations.

First, this is exactly the kind of bi-partisan vote I would have expected.  100 Senators agreeing that Medicare is a good thing and isn’t going anywhere.

Second, Senator Bennet made the statement recently that this could be the most bi-partisanly supported health care legislation to ever pass.  I guess it depends on how you define that – if something passed with 50 Ds and 50 R’s would that be more bi-partisan since it had more R votes?

Anyhow, it’s the first that actually is more useful.

Health care reform (or whatever it’s called – HR3200 and S 1679) is going to come out of conference in a few days.   And then it will get some headlines as various crazy D’s grab their headlines, and the R’s make one last shot at delaying.  

Several people will make the claim that since it isn’t exactly what  we want it should be scrapped and we can star over. This will sound reasonable but it’s disingenuous for two reasons. First, and foremost, is the R’s who say this just want to embarrass the President and make this his Waterloo.  The actual reason it’s disingenuous is there is absolutely nothing in the final bill that cannot be altered, repealed and otherwise improved later.

A lot of the required changes are phased in anyway. And since the R’s believe we are seeing an R resurgance and the D incumbents are out in the Fall, great. Let it pass, resurge yourselves, and then repeal it anyway you see fit.  If not after 2010, then surely after 2012 when Obama will be out in this R resurgence.

For a snapshot of some highlights that should survive the final version see http://bennet.senate.gov/issue…

Oh, and death panels are not expected to make it in the final version.