As David says, over at Congress Matters
What happens when the hottest legislation to hit DC in decades falls to the jurisdiction of a committee with nearly a quarter of the entire Senate serving on it, but the Chairman locks three-quarters of them out of the drafting of that legislation?
Five hundred forty-three amendments. That's what.
So Happy Baucus Debacle Amendments Day.
Many are duplicative. Many, particularly from the Republicans, are bullshit. For our purposes, the meatiest are "Amendments related to expanding health coverage" [pdf]. As Kitsap River has diaried, Rockefeller has amendment 187, "Establishment and administration of a public health insurance option as an exchange-qualified health benefits plan."
Other highlights from the coverage set of amendments:
- 185, Rockefeller, "Strike state exchanges, multiple competing exchanges, and regional exchanges, and create one national exchange"
- 191, Rockefeller, "Strike health care cooperatives"
- 196, Rockefeller, "Increase Medicaid eligibility to 150% of poverty"
- 201, Rockefeller/Hatch, "Remove the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from the exchange"
- 206, Rockefeller, "Allow early retirees between ages 55 and 64 to buy into Medicare"
- 226, Kerry/Schumer, "Replace the Free Rider provision with an employer mandate"
- 248, Wyden, "To ensure affordable access to health insurance exchange plans for all Americans"
- 261, Schumer/Cantwell, "Public option as passed by HELP Committee"
- 274, Stabenow/Wyden/Kerry, "To ensure parity for mental health services within the exchange"
- 275, Stabenow, "Give states the option of including family planning as part of their Medicaid programs"
- 312, Menendez, "Providing a reduction in the out-of-pocket maximum for those between 300%-400% of poverty"
That's just an overview of some of the amendments to help fix deficiences in the Baucus debacle, the number one of which is the lack of a public option. Some that are key but haven't gotten as much attention include the Kerry/Schumer employer mandate. Ezra has a very good explanation of Baucus's Free Rider provision and the disincentive it creates for employers to hire low-income workers. There's also a basic fairness issue--if there's going to be an individual mandate, there should also be an employer mandate. The Wyden amendment, 248, would open the exchange to all comers. Combined with a public option, that exchange expansion is critical to providing real choice and competition.
There are many more Democratic sponsored amendments that address affordability, protections for the most vulnerable populations, etc. Then there are the Republicans. After the months and months of efforts by Baucus to include them, and after a bill that appeases them in so many particulars, this is the kind of crap they come up with:
- 348, Hatch, "Strike the Federal government-funded Health Care Cooperative" (no public option and no po alternative for Hatch)
- 349, Hatch, "Automatic enrollment of Members of Congress voting for the Federal government-funded Health Care Cooperative" (he really means it, if you vote for a co-op, you have to join one)
- 351, Hatch, "Restoration of funding for abstinence education"
- 355, Hatch, "Prohibits authorized or appropriated federal funds under this Mark from being used for elective abortions and plans that cover such abortions" (Baucus, not to mention the Hyde amendment, does this already)
- 371, Kyl, "Prohibit the federal government's takeover of health care" (in twice, as C4 and C5, just to make sure he makes his point)
- 381, Kyl, "Clarification that legal immigrants must reside in the U.S. for at least five years in order to be eligible for the tax credit available through the state exchanges" (to prove how much he really despises brown people?)
- 409, Ensign, "Transparency in Czars"
- 511, Hatch, "Prohibits authorized or appropriated federal funds under the Mark from being distributed to or used by ACORN"
Plenty of the Republican amendments are just offered as time-wasters, obviously. They're going to do everything they can to further obstruct the committee from passing out a bill. And demagogue on completely irrelevant crap. We're going to have a fun few weeks ahead.