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Waxman: No health deal with abortion opponents

Sat Mar 13, 2010 12:13 PM EST
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Alan Fram, Associated Press
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<p>Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., right, accompanied by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., gestures during a health care news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)</p>

Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., right, accompanied by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., gestures during a health care news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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WASHINGTON — A top House Democrat says party leaders are unlikely to cut a deal with abortion opponents to pass President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Rep. Henry Waxman tells The Associated Press that "the likely outcome" is that Speaker Nancy Pelosi will move ahead without the votes of a group of abortion opponents who want tougher restrictions in the bill against taxpayer funding for the procedure.

Waxman, D-Calif., is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and he helped write the 10-year, $940 billion bill.

Waxman spoke as the House Rules Committee began deliberations that will set the terms for Sunday's expected vote in the full House.

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Fundamental vs Progressive Healthcare

The fundamental premise:

  1. Healthcare is strictly personal, between patient and doctor, and without wider social relevance or value.
  2. Healthcare is a privilege for the worthy, being those capable of affording and negotiating care.
  3. Those without healthcare suffer by their own fault or indifference.
  4. Healthcare is a form of species natural selection. Interference with this process is unnecessary and undesirable.
  5. Private healthcare is medically superior to public programs.
  6. Private healthcare is less expensive as costs rely on market dynamics.
  7. America’s healthcare system is the best in the world because of private systems.

The progressive premise:

  1. Healthcare is not strictly personal. Natural disaster, epidemic, and public health exert great social relevance and cost.
  2. Universal healthcare is a necessity, not a privilege, for America to maintain social and economic leadership.
  3. Successful healthcare requires prevention and lifestyle education and encouragement.
  4. Our species is a social, before animal, species. It is illogical to ignore the social dynamics of healthcare. These dynamics largely determine healthcare success.
  5. The private healthcare economy is less important than the social dynamics and benefits of public healthcare.
  6. America’s private healthcare system is the most expensive health system on the planet and still leaves 30 million without care.
  7. America’s healthcare is 36th on the planet as measured by the medical community. Leading successful global healthcare systems are unanimously public systems.

Citizen is coach to team democracy. The coach is responsible for success. It’s your call, coach.

    Reply#1 - Sat Mar 13, 2010 1:46 PM EST
    authorondo

    Keehan's statement is similar to AARP's. She's a Democrat, driven by big money, not the abortion issue. More lies piled on the pile of Obama lies.

    Hope and change, think about it, do you see hope and change? It's all about the money, not healthcare.

    • 1 vote
    #1.1 - Sat Mar 13, 2010 3:20 PM EST
    Ron Christman

    authorondo - Please apply your insight and knowledge to the following and then tell me that health care reform is not needed:

  • Why are we the only industrialized nation in the world that does not have universal health care? How do we claim a higher moral standing than others when we find it acceptable to make a profit on the misery and illnesses of our citizens when all other nations believe it is morally reprehensible to treat their people that way?
  • Why do 35-40 other industrialized countries recognize that a healthy, productive workforce through universal health care makes them more competitive in a global marketplace? Why are we the only one that doesn't?
  • Why are we the only nation in the world that allows insurance companies to deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions?
  • Why are we are spending 50% more of our GDP on health care costs than any other nation? The average annual costs for countries with universal health care is 10% of GDP. France, with the best health care in the world, pays just 11% of their GDP versus our 16% of GDP. Why are health care costs in countries with universal coverage half of what our costs are (two of forty countries are slightly over half of our costs)?
  • Why do we rank 37th in overall quality of care and 72nd in overall health of 191 countries evaluated? The facts are that virtually every nation with universal care spends far less on their health care than we do with far better results.
  • Why, if Republicans are worried about deficits, did they pass the Medicare drug bill without a means to pay for it? President Obama has said that health care reform will be budget neutral and has reinstated PayGo requirements for congress. (PayGo = all new expenditures must be balanced by reductions elsewhere or paid for by new revenues).

    • BTW - Twenty-five top Catholic theologians have signed a letter saying the STupak position is wrong and there are adequate protections in the health care bill.

    • 1 vote
    #1.2 - Sat Mar 13, 2010 4:12 PM EST
    authorondo

    Ron;

    Don't blame high healthcare insurance on doctors or the education they receive, look at your government. You are walking into a minefield by siding with Obamacare.

    Healthcare reform sounds good, but not the way the government is devising this reform. The Democrats with Obama as the leader have turned the country on its head. Since Obama has been in office, do you see much change for the good? You're backing the wrong guy and the wrong legislation. Throw down your weapon and side with the tea party folks. We are fighting against the crown in Washington DC. They are out of control.

    If this healthcare bill was good, it would have passed long ago. Truth is, Obama needs any win now, no matter if its dirty, corrupt, and tainted. Just look at the way they have bought votes, it's plain to see. Do you want to be like France, Spain and Greece? Surrender! Join the revolution and take back America.

    • 1 vote
    #1.3 - Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:45 AM EDT
    Ron Christman

    authorondo - Please, I asked you for answers to the above questions based on logic and understanding of the problem and you give me 'tea party rhetoric'.

    Those who understand that we are in the fight of our lives as a country against the rest of the world and not amongst ourselves realize that we have to unite behind a leader like President Obama to return to a position of leadership in the world and not continue down the spiral to ruin that the right wing and the tea party folk are so bent on taking us. Now is not the time to return to the cave. Now is the time to look at facts and not hyperbole. Now is the time to react to the world as it exists today and not wish for the world as it existed in the last century.

    Care to try to answer the questions?

      #1.4 - Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:09 AM EDT
      Reply
      Texasguy01

      Ha Ha. More liberal propaganda. I am really sure Catholics are all of a sudden going to support abortion overnight. This is pure propaganda. Read this line.

      The association's support widens a split among abortion opponents. They're divided on whether the legislation does enough to deny taxpayer money for abortion. The National Right to Life Committee and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops say it doesn't.

      Why do you print lies?

        Reply#2 - Sat Mar 13, 2010 2:19 PM EST
        Ron Christman

        Texas' - No lies, the hospitals just say that the protections against using federal funds for abortions are in the bill and they are right. And they say that the health care reform is needed, and they are right about that also.

        BTW - There is a letter signed by twenty-five top Catholic and evangelical theologians that just came out saying the same thing. . . and it is not progaganda either.

        • 2 votes
        #2.1 - Sat Mar 13, 2010 4:42 PM EST
        sjayne2355

        Gee, when the Catholics are against gay marriage or some other liberal cause, then they are the bad guys. Now when some sign on to something you guys like, they are suddenly on your team...hypocrites.

          #2.2 - Sat Mar 13, 2010 8:44 PM EST
          Ron Christman

          sjayne - Please be careful throwing around the hypicrite word when the right wing flops from one stand to the other based only on whether President Obama supports it or not.

          I haven't seen anyone suddenly claim that all Catholics and evangelicals are for health care reform or state that the abortion language in the health care bill is adequate. There is no doubt however that there are some Catholic and evangelical theologians and leaders who support the health care bill because it helps all Americans. There is no doubt however that there are some Catholic and evangelical thelogians who are satisfied with the abortion language in the health care bill. Reporting and commenting on those facts is not hypocritical.

          BTW - There were a significant number of Catholics and evangelicals who supported Barack Obama during the campaign expressly because he advocated for all Americans (including the least of our society).

          • 2 votes
          #2.3 - Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:01 AM EDT
          Tyler12

          Gee, when the Catholics are against gay marriage or some other liberal cause, then they are the bad guys. Now when some sign on to something you guys like, they are suddenly on your team...hypocrites.

          You mean that we can only support someone if we support everything they do? If that were the case then you could only support yourself.

          And you are also right Ron. Many Christians did support Obama, but I am sure all of them wouldn't support his opposition to partial birth abortion ban.

          If we used you logic then a Catholic, Pro-Life, Gun right advocate, Afghanistan War supporting, Cardinals Fan; could only support a Catholic, Pro-Life, Gun right advocate, Afghanistan War supporting, Cardinals Fan.

          • 1 vote
          #2.4 - Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:36 PM EDT
          Reply
          bestquest

          Previous newsvine articles have stated what the above article says: Abortion coverage will be an optional rider offered by private health insurance companies. Customers may purchase this coverage using a separate payment device, such as a check. Neither the house nor senate bills have federal dollars (yours) to pay for abortions.

          A lot of ruckus and waste of time pushing and shoving when there are two hot wars going on with a third on the near horizon and no money left to borrow. A handful of oil futures speculators can and will drive up the barrel price to make a dollar. Without any thought or guilt about destroying what little is left of America's economy. Reducing health costs from 14% down to 6% makes sense to me. Cut prices 10% each year for 5 years. Their annual percentage increases have been much higher than ordinary inflation for many years - compounded.

          American citizens need to read and listen to news from different sources to be better informed about the details.

            Reply#3 - Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:25 PM EST
            Paul Lucero

            They also support the mono theistic end of the world!

              Reply#4 - Mon Mar 15, 2010 11:37 AM EDT
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