As the situation facing working people continues to worsen across the board, Congress has returned to Washington to take up business for the coming year. The battle lines are clearly drawn; the Democratic Party majority remains disunited, paralyzed, and unfocused, while the Republican Congressional minority is absolute in its opposition to every single legislative initiative launched by Democrats. The only people unaware of this situation appear to be large numbers of Democrat lawmakers.
The Congressional healthcare legislative process has come down to a few remaining and highly controversial issues. Lawmakers are returning to Washington to commence an effort to combine the separate House of Representatives and Senate health care reform bills. If the two bills can be merged – and then sent back to be passed one last time by each body – only then will the reform legislation go to President Obama for his signature.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C
Among the details of the evolving Senate health bill are a number of troubling provisions, and at the top of the list is the disgraceful inclusion -- up until now -- of a new tax on the value of health insurance provided by the employer. This would compel employers to add an amount of money -- over some set point -- to an employees annual gross income statement as if the value of health insurance was the same as wages or salary earned through the year. For the majority of workers, if the value of your health insurance exceeds $21,000 for family or $8,000 fo
If the current Congressional healthcare reform process results in passage of a final bill which is signed into law by President Obama, this will translate into the biggest change to our health care and health insurance system in our lifetimes. As working people and union members we will have questions about what is in the final bill, what is not in the final bill, and just how the legislation will work. Hard answers will be needed, not predictions or promises.
November 21, 2009
WASHINGTON, November 21 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) made the following statement tonight after voting with the 60 to 39 majority to begin debate on health care reform legislation:
In an unusual Saturday session on November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping healthcare reform legislation by a narrow 220-215 margin. One Republican supported the bill, and a total of 39 Democrats voted to oppose it.