The Senate adjourned Friday without approving extensions of cash and health insurance benefits for the unemployed after a lone senator blocked swift passage due to his insistence that Congress first pay for the $10 billion package.

Retiring Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky, led a spirited Senate debate with Democrats over the issue — at one time cursing at another senator on the floor. Bunning said he doesn’t oppose extending the programs — he just doesn’t want to add to the deficit.

In addition to funding unemployment insurance and the COBRA health insurance program for people who have lost their jobs, the bill would have prevented a scheduled 21 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

Shows how much Bunning cares for the people. In July 2009, Bunning announced that he would not run for re-election in 2010, citing difficulty in raising campaign funds. Good riddance.

[Source: CNN]

Today on Wolf Blitzer’s Situation Room on CNN the Cafferty file segment asked “should the Democrats try to ram healthcare reform through with 51 votes using that process called reconciliation?”

Blitzer commented

How do you feel about the prospect of that being used to pass health care reform? A company called Crimson Hexagon tracks online comments about topics. Check this out.

Of more than 14,000 conversation on twitter, Facebook, blogs, forums, it finds 39 percent support reconciliation. 30 percent are against it. 17 percent think the Republicans are hypocritical, 14 percent say that Democrats are hypocritical.

Imagine that! Only 39% support reconciliation and 30% are against it. Both the Republicans and Democrats are hypocritical.

I would have thought that the percentage of those that support reconciliation would have been higher. From my vantage point I think reconciliation is the way to go since it appears the only way to get the bill passed and into law. I’m beginning to think a two-party political system sucks. The parties seem to be looking out for themselves, not us people.

Here is a summary of FactCheck’s assessment of yesterday’s White House Healthcare Summit:

Senator Lamar Alexander said premiums will go up for “millions” under the Senate bill and president’s plan, while President Barack Obama said families buying the same coverage they have now would pay much less. Both were misleading. The Congressional Budget Office said premiums for those in the group market wouldn’t change significantly, while the average premium for those who buy their own coverage would go up.

Alexander also said “50 percent of doctors won’t see new [Medicaid] patients.” But a 2008 survey says only 28 percent refuse to take any new Medicaid patients.

Senator Harry Reid cited a poll that said 58 percent would be “angry or disappointed” if health care overhaul doesn’t pass. True, but respondents in the poll were also split 43-43 on whether they supported the legislation that is currently being proposed. [Read more →]