One of President Obama’s mantras with regard to the Democrats’ health care proposal (whatever it turns out to be) is that if you like your present health insurance coverage, you will get to keep it. More recently, when the fraudulent nature of that pledge was revealed, he changed the formula to “the bill won’t require you to lose your coverage.” That’s right; it won’t require you to lose your coverage, it will just cause you to lose your coverage.
On Thursday, as the Senate Finance Committee was marking up the Baucus version of the bill, Senator Orrin Hatch tested the Democrats’ sincerity on this issue by offering a simple amendment:
The purpose of this amendment is simple. If the secretary of Health and Human Services certifies that more than 1 million Americans would lose the current coverage of their choice because of this bill, then this bill would not go into effect.
It seems like a very, very simple but perfect amendment for those of us who have integrity. This amendment is simply trying to safeguard President Obama’s pledge to the American people, you’ll get — that you will get to keep what you have.
You already know, of course, how the amendment fared. Here is the roll call of the Democrats’ votes:
BAUCUS: Roll call has been requested. Quickly call the roll.
CLERK: Mr. Rockefeller.
ROCKEFELLER: No.
CLERK: Mr. Rockefeller, no. Mr. Conrad.
CONRAD: No.
CLERK: Mr. Conrad no.
Mr. Bingaman.
BINGAMAN: No.
CLERK: Mr. Bingaman no.
Mr. Kerry.
(UNKNOWN): No by proxy.
CLERK: Mr. Kerry no by proxy.
Mrs. Lincoln.
LINCOLN: No.
CLERK: Mrs. Lincoln no.
Mr. Wyden.
WYDEN: No.
CLERK: Mr. Wyden no.
Mr. Schumer.
(UNKNOWN): No by proxy.
CLERK: Mr. Schumer no by proxy.
Ms. Stabenow.
STABENOW: No.
CLERK: Ms. Stabenow no.
Ms. Cantwell.
CANTWELL: No.
CLERK: Ms. Cantwell no.
Mr. Nelson.
NELSON: No.
CLERK: Mr. Nelson no.
Mr. Menendez.
MENENDEZ: No.
CLERK: Mr. Menendez no.
Mr. Carper.
(UNKNOWN): No by proxy.
CLERK: Mr. Carper no by proxy.
The Democrats are perfectly well aware that millions of Americans will lose the coverage they have under their proposal, whatever form it finally takes. In fact, that’s their objective: in the long run–President Obama has said it may take 10 to 20 years–they intend to force all of us to lose our private health care and be forced into a socialized medicine system.
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