How can this happen? The short explanation is simply legislative trickery. The longer explanation is that any number of procedural gimmicks may be used — and used simultaneously. Here are just two of the schemes under consideration:
The Slaughter Solution
Named after Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), this strategy would create a legislative trick to approve the Senate healthcare bill through the House of Representatives without an actual vote on the bill. That’s right. The Majority thinks they can circumvent democracy and hide their true actions by simply claiming in companion legislation that the Senate healthcare bill passed the House.
The result of this shenanigan: the Senate healthcare bill goes straight to President Obama for his signature.
Reconciliation
“Reconciliation” is an expedited budgetary mechanism designed to control the size of government and balance the government’s financial ledger with a simply majority vote. But Democrats in Congress are planning to abuse the legislative process by using “reconciliation” to vastly grow the size of government – with a government-takeover of healthcare.
The Majority is also baiting their Democrat Members to send the grossly-unpopular Senate healthcare bill to President Obama by promising “corrections” to the bill through a reconciliation package. But what this bait-and-switch tactic really means is that the kickback-laden Senate healthcare bill becomes law while the so-called “corrections” being made to quell widespread disgust at their backroom deals and to appease their union allies faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
Either option — alone or combined — tramples basic principles of democracy and defies the will of the American people. At town hall meetings, through letters and calls, and in recent elections, the American people have loudly stated that they do not want a government-takeover of their healthcare.
Regardless of what the American people want, the Majority has proven its commitment to utilizing backroom deals to force government-run healthcare down their throats. Here are just a few of the special deals still in the Senate bill:
· The “Cornhusker Kickback:” Provides that Nebraska — and only Nebraska — will see its full Medicaid costs paid for by the rest of America.
· The “Louisiana Purchase:” Gives an extra $300 million in Medicaid funding to Louisiana.
· “Gator Aid:” Shields 800,000 Florida residents from Medicare Advantage cuts.
· Special Exemption for Insurer Proposing 56% Rate Increase: Exempts Michigan Blue Cross/Blue Shield from the new tax on health insurers, despite an Obama Administration report highlighting the insurance carrier’s proposed 56% rate increase in 2009.
Our freedom in healthcare is being bought and sold in Congress. This is beyond disgraceful. But since Democrats have a 75+ vote majority in the House, our nation could see government-run healthcare enacted next week.
Common sense states that if you have to trick and bribe people into voting for your bill, then it's going to be a worthless bill. People need to stand up and stop this crap, unless you want to hand more of your money over to this oppressive government. This President and this congress have just proven themselves to be criminals and mobsters. Under the RICCO statutes, Obama, Reid, Boxer, and Pelosi should be arrested for high crimes and misdemeanors. They have proven themselves to be aristocrats and that they consider us their own private property.
We, as sovereign American Citizens are no one's property, and we won't be treated as such.
