Health Care

Tuesday in the Finance Committee Markup

By Kate Pickert | @kpickert | September 22, 2009 | +

It’s easy to get in the wonk weeds with health care, so here are a few quick and easy highlights from the first day of the Senate Finance Committee markup that ended around 10 p.m.

Key quote of the day: “You’ve got to help us get out of this box.” – Chairman Max Baucus to CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, after the director predicted a formal assessment of the committee’s final bill would take up to two weeks.

Lost in translation moment of the day: Democrats insist the financial punishment for Americans who don’t get health insurance is a “penalty.” Republicans, and the Baucus bill itself, call it a “tax.” Orin Hatch went so far as to say it might be unconstitutional and asked for a formal ruling from the Congressional Research Service. Baucus says it’s constitutional.

Tweet of the day: Wake up Jim Bunning! Markup of healthcare reform bill is too important for catnapping! http://tinyurl.com/myo3cy - several observers noted this incident, but this tweet is from Daniel Mongiardo, the lieutenant governor of Kentucky who will be running for Bunning’s seat in 2010.

What’s on deck: More amendments. Wednesday will likely be spent discussing and debating more of the hundreds of Democratic and Republican proposed changes to the Baucus bill. Also likely – another long day.

Related Topics: Congress, Democratic Party, Health Care, Uncategorized

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  • carotexas1

    Kate did you not find the discussion on Senator Nelson’s amendment late this evening worth a mention?

    If you missed this I suggest you go to CSPAN and watch. He found a way to help poor senior citizens and fill the donut hole.

    Republicans panicked and made a fool out of themselves, the Democratic Senators left out of the dealing with PHARMA were having fun. Lots of messages being whispered in Baucus ear. Questions asked of the staff, and one could not think of a good answer and quickly looked behind where I presume the PHARMA lobby was for an answer.

    Please comment on this tomorrow

  • carotexas1

    Kate I would like to know if this amendment is for real can you find out if this is a better way of using the PHARMA deal because it can be scored by the CBO, close the donut hole and have more savings to use on more improvements like they said tonight.

    Nelson, Rockefeller, Kerry and Schumer were having so much fun I am not sure if this was for real

  • Kate Pickert

    It was definitely interesting, but it was my understanding that the senators will return to this issue tomorrow. More to come.

  • carotexas1

    Thank you Kate for responding to my post.
    I am looking forward to this being debated again tomorrow. I am sure that the gang of six will be loaded with PHARMA talking points tomorrow.

  • stuartzechman

    Thanks so much for responding to commentary, Kate Pickert.

  • stuartzechman

    Kate Pickert:

    Orin Hatch went so far as to say it might be unconstitutional and asked for a formal ruling from the Congressional Research Service. Baucus says it’s constitutional.

    Well? Is it or is not constitutional?
    .
    Surely this is a matter of law, is it not, Kate Pickert?
    .
    You can’t be unable to take a position on a matter of constitutional law, can you…a political journalist?
    .
    Is it possible to inform your readers as to the truth or falsity of those claims, Kate Pickert, so that we may better understand the meaning of what’s been reported?
    .

  • http://twitter.com/ktumulty Karen Tumulty

    SZ: Not to intrude on Kate’s thread here, but if the committee itself is looking to the Congressional Research Service for guidance, it seems a little unreasonable to expect a political reporter whose expertise is in health care policy to give a definitive opinion on the constitutionality of something like this. And even CRS is not the last word. That would be the nine people who sit across the street from the Capitol.

  • stuartzechman

    KT:

    it seems a little unreasonable to expect a political reporter whose expertise is in health care policy to give a definitive opinion on the constitutionality of something like this

    Thanks for clarifying.
    .
    I, not being in the journalism trade, wouldn’t know what’s reasonable to you folks. Now I do. Now I can inform other news users. Now we can all be better informed.
    .
    Basically, even if I might take gentle issue with the necessity of getting the opinion of “the nine people who sit across the street from the Capitol” to report on the likelihood of the sides’ claims to constitutionality, it’s still key that I understand what drives reporters to completely omit any mention that there might be such likelihood when covering a dispute.
    .
    I really, very, truly, so much appreciate you having taken the time and trouble to help me understand why a story is covered in the way it was, KT.
    .
    Thank you.

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