You read the title. Read below the fold for the scoop...
Cross-posted at The Daily Background.com
Associated Press
reports the following:
Democrats promised Tuesday to introduce legislation to reverse concessions made to the health insurance industry in a budget bill, claiming GOP lawmakers changed the bill behind closed doors.
Well they
did change the bill without 'behind closed doors.'
Washington Post
confirms it:
House and Senate GOP negotiators, meeting behind closed doors last month to complete a major budget-cutting bill, agreed on a change to Senate-passed Medicare legislation that would save the health insurance industry $22 billion over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The Republicans in Congress think they're powerful enough to changed legislation after it's gone through the Senate before it goes into effect? Without allowing another vote on the changes? What the hell? A Secret meeting with Republicans only changed a law? That's absolutely outrageous. And it's not like they were technical changes in the legislation either. Associated Press again:
Sen.
Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., said Republicans had caved in to powerful health insurance companies during talks on the five-year, $40 billion budget cut -- at the expense of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
[...]
While Medicare's private plans won concessions, poor and disabled people covered by Medicaid were hit by benefit cuts and new fees.
Nip that in the bud, Democrats. We can't be letting who ever is in control of Congress secretly meet to change laws without Senate votes-- especially in cases where those changes are made soley to benefit large wealthy health care corprorations at the pain of the disabled and poor.
Cross-posted at The Daily Background.com