A Glimpse at the Pelosi Health Care Bill

Speaker Pelosi and President Obama are determined to socialize medicine and to permanently put 1/6th of the American economy in complete control of the government. But the American people don't want that, not a single elected Republican in Congress wants that, and a significant number of elected Democrats don't want that.

Pelosi needs to get 218 Democrats to vote for her bill. That means she can lose 39 Democrats, but no more. She is keeping Democrats in town "working" because she wants to keep trying to convince them to vote for her bill. She also knows that if they go home, most of them will hear the opposite message from their constituents. So, she keeps us all in town with busy work so that she can keep using carrots and sticks to get the votes for her awful bill. Don't underestimate the power of the Presidency and the Speakership to convince Members of Congress to vote their way.

And just what is in this bill? Well, having had it for only a short time, I can't tell you everything. But here are a few facts you may find interesting:

- It is 1990 pages long.
- It has about 400,000 words. That is 5 times the length in words of the Torah.
- It contains a government-run "option,” which will effectively not be optional over the next 5-8 years.
- It spends over $1 trillion. That amounts to over $2.2 million per word.
- It uses the word "shall" 3,429 times. So, 3,429 times it compels someone to do or not do something.
- But one place where it uses the word "may" is in reference to whether Members of Congress "may" join the government run system. So, much of the public will be forced onto the government-run system but we in Congress will not. (Do what I say, not what I do)
- It increases taxes on small business, wealthy individuals, all medical devices (including wheelchairs, bandages, and such), people who save for their own health care costs through health savings accounts, payroll taxes and anyone who does not buy health insurance.
- It authorizes government funding of abortions, which is not allowed under current federal law.
- Any state that has a limit on attorney's fees or punitive damage awards in malpractice cases (like California) must change that law to remove all limits or the state loses federal money under the bill. (blatant trial lawyer provision)
- And that's just the beginning.

This week is D-day week for this bill. You will receive updates from me during the week as news progresses.

I sincerely hope that all of us together can persuade at least 40 reasonable Democrats that there are much better ways to reform health care than this monstrosity.