Lower Lewis River Falls in Washington State’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest. From National Geographic
Ten Immediate Benefits of Health Care Reform!!
Here are ten benefits which come online within six months of the President's signature on the health care bill:
- Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until their 27th birthday
- Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions
- No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage
- Free preventative care for all
- Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online. While these will not be cheap, they’re still better than total exclusion and get some benefit from a wider pool of insureds.
- Small businesses will be entitled to a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as 50% of what they pay for employees’ health insurance.
- The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors.
- Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
- Authorizes early funding of community health centers in all 50 states (Bernie Sanders’ amendment). Community health centers provide primary, dental and vision services to people in the community, based on a sliding scale for payment according to ability to pay.
- AND no more rescissions. Effective immediately, you can't lose your insurance because you get sick.
- From Crooks and Liars
Yes, They Made History (E.J. Dionne) from the Washington Post
"Yes, we did. ... In approving the most sweeping piece of social legislation since the mid-1960s, Democrats proved that they can govern, even under challenging circumstances and in the face of significant internal divisions."
A Sweeping Victory for Obama, Pelosi (Ben Pershing) from the Washington Post
"After months of incremental progress and setbacks, wild momentum swings and then a final frenzy of vote-counting, the news on Monday (is it really Monday?) is about historic accomplishments -- the transformation of a health-care system, the success of a first-term president on his signature issue and the triumph of the first female Speaker's old-fashioned arm-twisting."
All In: How Obama Won (John Dickerson) from Slate
"President Obama has just completed the most arduous act of community organizing of his career. Two hundred and nineteen of his neighbors down the street joined together in the House of Representatives to pass historic health care legislation."
Obama Lobbying Pays Off from Roll Call
"He may not always get his way, but more often than not, President Barack Obama seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to persuading Members of Congress to get on board with his agenda."
Win on Health and Barack Obama Wins Around the World (Andrew Sullivan) from the Times [of London]
"Securing reform at home will help the president in Afghanistan and the Middle East."
Americans 'Blind' to 'Extraordinary Progress' Under Obama (Editorial) from Estadao [of Brazil in English]
"The president hardly reacted to the vitriol of his detractors, which allowed them to gain advantage in the shaping of public opinion. Out of this emerge the negative assessments about his first year in power, leaving many Americans blind to the extraordinary progress that his government represents in comparison with his predecessor."
Obama's Place in History (Jonathan Cohn) from the New Republic
"Barack Obama has sealed his reputation as a president of great historical import. We don't know what will follow in his presidency, and it's quite possible that some future event--a war, a scandal--will define his presidency. But we do know that he has put his imprint on the structure of American government in a way that no Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson has."
A Waterloo for Republicans (David Frum) from FrumForum
"Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s. It’s hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the disaster. Conservatives may cheer themselves that they’ll compensate for today’s expected vote with a big win in the November 2010 elections. But ..."
Fear Strikes Out (Paul Krugman) from the New York Times
"I want you to consider the contrast: on one side, the closing argument was an appeal to our better angels, urging politicians to do what is right, even if it hurts their careers; on the other side, callous cynicism. Think about what it means to condemn health reform by comparing it to the Civil Rights Act. Who in modern America would say that L.B.J. did the wrong thing by pushing for racial equality? (Actually, we know who: the people at the Tea Party protest who hurled racial epithets at Democratic members of Congress on the eve of the vote.) And that cynicism has been the hallmark of the whole campaign against reform."
Results Are All That Matter (Josh Marshall) from TalkingPointsMemo
"I think this conventional wisdom is quite mistaken. Hard fought victories don't deplete political capital; they build it. And political wins themselves often have a catalyzing effect that shapes political opinion far more than we realize."
The Road to Health Care Reform: Five Milestones (Benjamin Sarlin) from the Daily Beast
"From the Republicans' Senate surprise to Obama's fiery speeches, The Daily Beast's Benjamin Sarlin breaks down five key moments that helped health care to the finish line."
Health Reform's Winners and Losers (Howard Fineman) from Newsweek
"It doesn't take a rocket scientist—or even an alleged expert such as this reporter —to see that the big political winner in tonight's House vote is the president of the United States. After a year and a half of fitful but increasingly focused effort, Barack Obama is able to claim victory in an effort that he had made the emblem and focus of his entire presidency. "
Senate GOP Skeptical of Chances to Take Down Healthcare Reform from The Hill
"Senior Senate Republicans are skeptical of their chances to block major elements of a Democratic reconciliation package of healthcare reforms this week, avoiding the bold predictions of victory that have marked their statements for months."
Democrats Discover Their Base (John Judis) from the New Republic
"Democrats in Washington had come to understand that it was us versus them, with “them” being Republicans, Tea Partyists, and various business lobbies, but they can now recognize that there is a real “us” out there."
Mike Doyle Key to Stupak-W.H. Deal from Politico
Our own MIKE from Pittsburgh!!
"The fate of health care reform may have turned on a single relationship. When they needed to find a way to unlock the votes of a group of anti-abortion lawmakers led by Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, Democratic leaders turned to Stupak’s roommate, Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Doyle, to facilitate the critical talks."
For Real This Time -- Stupak's an Aye (Amy Sullivan) from Time Magazine
"It's really hard to interpret this as anything other than Stupak caving in order to end up on the side of supporting health reform. There's nothing wrong with that--Stupak has long been a supporter of reforming the health care system--but it's difficult to see why he dragged this out for months if he was going to settle for the Senate language in the end."
The Stupak Mystery: Why Did He Hold Out for a Meaningless Executive Order? (Timothy Noah) from Slate
I've been wondering this myself for some time. What's he REALLY been up to?
"Stupak was holding out not for language that merely reaffirmed what the Senate bill already says, but for language that delinked the fate of health reform's abortion ban from the fate of the Hyde Amendment."
The 10 Most Courageous (and 10 Most Cowardly) House Democrats from Salon
"Voting for healthcare was much easier for some Democrats than others on Sunday night. Who showed the most courage?"
And the Conservatives Freak-Out Begins (Gabriel Winant) from Salon
"Probably the funniest thing about all the prophecies of doom coming from conservatives is how they center on two completely irreconcilable claims: first, the bill is a totalitarian assault on freedom and the American way of life; second, the electorate will not allow this to stand, and in November the Democrats should expect a drubbing."
Last Hurrah: Scenes from the Republican Implosion from the New Republic
"A members-only retreat, the balcony looked out over the gaggle of Tea Partiers and other anti-reform die-hards come to express their extreme distress over America’s impending plunge into communism (or “socialism” depending on which banners, shirts, and signs you favored). These were not people looking to debate the finer points of cost control or accessibility. These were folks itching to strap Pelosi to the back bumper of the nearest pickup. Angry and profane does not even begin to describe the scene."
House Approves Huge Changes to Student Loan Program from the Washington Post
This is HUGE!!
"Legislation hailed by supporters as the most significant change to college student lending in a generation passed the House on Sunday night. ... The House amendments will now go to the Senate. By ending the subsidies and effectively eliminating the middleman, the student loan bill would generate $61 billion in savings over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."
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