Senate to take up health care reform after landmark legislation passes House in close vote

The Democratic-controlled House has narrowly passed landmark health care reform legislation, handing President Barack Obama a hard won victory on his signature domestic priority.

[towncar07]

Passing this HELL BILL is like being found guilty before any charges are brought against you. Just wait until all the facts start coming out,and how much of your future income will be "earmarked"...and then the charges are brought against you and because you are already guilty...PAY UP OR DIE.

Now, POLITE words fail me...

[org_nerd]

We need to let the 205 that voted against it know that there is no hiding. Your job was to stop it, not just vote against it so you could say I voted against it. No more political cover!

[bigtalldude]

I am glad this bill had no chance to pass. THis country is in debt to much as it is, no thanks to the Democrats and their wasteful and fraudelent spending habits. Democrats are ruining this country. The reputation of this country is falling faster then a rock in water no thanks to the Democrats

[towncar07]

Someone somewhere in the Senate shook up a bunch of legislators real hard...and a little common sense fell out.
Hope springs fraternal.

[towncar07]

...and I mean by my last post that the House bill is DOA in the Senate...that's the common sense that reference.

[Citizen 6510]

It'll still go, they'll just tweak it a bit.

[American Terrorism]

PELOSI: Buy a $15,000 Policy or Go to Jail

House Committee On Ways & Means
Saturday, Nov 7th, 2009

Today, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

In response to the JCT letter, Camp said:“This is the ultimate example of the Democrats’ command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail. It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately.”

Key excerpts from the JCT letter appear below:

“H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax.”[page 1]

“If the government determines that the taxpayer’s unpaid tax liability results from willful behavior, the following penalties could apply…”[page 2]

“Criminal penalties

Prosecution is authorized under the Code for a variety of offenses. Depending on the level of the noncompliance, the following penalties could apply to an individual:

• Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.

• Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.”[page 3]

When confronted with this same issue during its consideration of a similar individual mandate tax, the Senate Finance Committee worked on a bipartisan basis to include language in its bill that shielded Americans from civil and criminal penalties. The Pelosi bill, however, contains no similar language protecting American citizens from civil and criminal tax penalties that could include a $250,000 fine and five years in jail.

“The Senate Finance Committee had the good sense to eliminate the extreme penalty of incarceration. Speaker Pelosi’s decision to leave in the jail time provision is a threat to every family who cannot afford the $15,000 premium her plan creates. Fortunately, Republicans have an alternative that will lower health insurance costs without raising taxes or cutting Medicare,” said Camp.

According to the Congressional Budget Office the lowest cost family non-group plan under the Speaker’s bill would cost $15,000 in 2016

[Bushido Hacks]

Yet more reason to be part of the majority "that is destroying America"...especially that America that teabaggers "used to know" and "want back".

I look forward to destroying the teabagger's America more. Which we are just getting warmed up!

We still got cap and trade to pass (which the US has TERRIBLE environmental laws as they still sell carcenogenic neurotoxins in many products!), energy laws to enforce, water supplies and mountain tops to protect from environmental looters, and job creating bills which will crack down on outsourcing industries that sell our jobs out to the Chinese then wonder why unemployment is over 10%.

The America the teabaggers knew MUST be destroyed, or it will destroy the country, the economy, and the environment!

[Just My Opinion]

House bill has in it where a vetenarian does not have to repay school loans. What does a vet have to do with healthcare reform for people?

[jocelyn taylor]

we don't want this health care

[DJ A]

Temporary success for Obama & Pelosi. Reid's in more trouble now, as the Senate seems likely to reject it. Too bad they couldn't pass a bill that more Americans favor, with actual cost cuts and health care system improvements.