According to The Hill at noon today, an agreement has been reached in the House of Representatives that will postpone a vote on healthcare legislation until after the August recess. According to the article:
"In exchange for putting off a floor vote until after Labor Day, the Energy and Commerce Committee may be allowed to continue its markup of the healthcare bill this week even if an agreement has not been reached between committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and seven Energy and Commerce Blue Dogs over the content of the bill."
Frankly, I'm not sure exactly what this means, but it does have a few obvious effects. By putting the vote off until September there is the possibility that some of Congress may actually read it (what a concept!). The other advantage to those of us opposed to the healthcare bills currently proposed is that Congess may hear from the people they supposedly represent during their recess. When they realize the strong public opposition to this bill, they may be less inclined to vote for it.
The current 1100 page healthcare bill is a nightmare for most Americans. You cannot give more care to more people and spend less money. The government has never successfully streamlined anything--look at what they have done with AmTrak and the Post Office. The President has clearly stated that a large percentage of medical expense occurs in the last year of a persons life and the new plan intends to reduce those expenses. Think about this for a minute. What effect is this cut in spending going to have on the care of senior citizens and people with severe illnesses. Saving money at the expense of care is never a good idea. Please study the bill carefully (see Thomas.gov), and let your voice be heard.
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