September 23, 2009 5:00 PM

Senators Debate Transparency of Health Care Bill

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Health Care
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
After listening this summer to protesters crying out for legislators to "read the bill" before they vote on health care, a Senate panel amending a health care bill today held a lengthy debate about what exactly is worthy reading material.

The Senate Finance Committee considered for two hours today a Republican amendment -- which was ultimately rejected -- that would have required the "legislative" language of the committee's final bill, along with a cost estimate for the bill, to be posted online for 72 hours before the committee voted on it.

Instead, the committee passed a similar amendment, offered by Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.), to put online the "conceptual" or "plain" language of the bill, along with the cost estimate.

Usually, the Senate Finance Committee considers "conceptual" language because the actual legislative language in a bill is filled with jargon and references to existing legal code that can make it nearly impossible to follow.

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) described his attempts at reading the legislative language of a bill: "You read it and say, 'What did that say?'" The committee, he said, uses "plain language so that even I can understand" a bill.

Still, "this is not a normal bill for us or for the American people," said Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), who introduced the amendment. "The devil is in the details. The way legislative language is written could have a large impact."

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Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said the amendment was "fundamentally a delay tactic" for a piece of legislation that must progress quickly at this point, if Congress hopes to get it to President Obama before the year is up.

"Anybody who thinks that is going to be transparent to the American people is really not telling it like it is," added Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.).

However, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), the Republican most likely to favor the bill, said the amendment represented a "practical, pragmatic good govermment approach" to legislating.

"We should not be afraid of having a better and complete understanding of what we are all doing," she said. "The fact is, words matter, and so do the numbers."

Snowe voted with Republicans on the issue, and one Democrat -- Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) -- also voted for Bunning's amendment, which failed 11 to 12. Bacus' alternative amendment passed with a partisan vote.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

Add a Comment See all 24 Comments
by brenda4754 September 24, 2009 8:01 PM EDT
I don't like Glenn Beck.
Reply to this comment
by brenda4754 September 24, 2009 7:59 PM EDT
The insurance co. doesn't want to abide by the state law when it comes to medicare. That is why everyone is in this mess. We the people. Not the Insurance co.
Reply to this comment
by brenda4754 September 24, 2009 7:46 PM EDT
I have a friend that is disabled and her husband has a good job. she had a wreck and his employer pays very good insurance for them. she doesn't need medicare. But I have another friend who has medicare and has been honest in choosing to have medicare and when her husband gets a job. she gets harrassed because she has medicare. The one friend says to the other you should have never taken medicare. Medicare don't pay.
But because she didn't take medicare she can lie to his employer and not have any reprecussions.
His employer doesn't know that she has a prexisting condition. Moral to this is one is a republican one is a democrat. Guess which one lost his job and his wife harrassed by insurance co. THE DEMOCRAT
curious
Lexington, KY

What are you hearing, Dolly?
dolly
East Bernstadt, KY

Guess who has to help pay the republican salary.

The democrat. what is wrong with this picture.

The republican has two homes, his wife draws disability, social security and has good insurance. But oH well fight the democrats. I am just tired of every month I send out my telephone bill and I struggle just to have a home.
dolly
East Bernstadt, KY


what do you thing curious?
dolly
East Bernstadt, KY

I am tired of my democrat friend being harrassed and struggle to make ends meet when she and her husband struggle. But each month when she sends her phone bill in she is supporting the republican that is getting all the breaks by not being honest about his wife's disablity.
dolly
East Bernstadt, KY

The republican laughs at the democrat because she got her disability and her husband has good job and will not find out she had a preexisting condition all because she didn't take the medicare insurance.
dolly
East Bernstadt, KY


the senate said the medicare advantage prescriptions were 3.00.

more like 30.00 to 70.00 per prescriptions.
Tim

Where does the republican work that has such good benefits and his wife on disability and has 2 homes?
Dolly
East Bernstadt, KY
Reply to this comment
by brenda4754 September 24, 2009 7:41 PM EDT
the senate said the medicare advantage prescriptions were 3.00.

more like 30.00 to 70.00 per prescriptions.
Reply to this comment
by peggy97478 September 24, 2009 6:01 AM EDT
We were promised "transparency" by this Administration and that is exactly what we expect! If the Dems try to rush this Bill through without anyone reading it or without posting it on the internet for access by the American people, there will be hell to pay. It's time for the Democrats to respect the wishes of the people who pay their bloated salaries! We have had about enough of this nonsense!
Reply to this comment
by Libertariano September 24, 2009 2:43 AM EDT
Typical nonsense. Let's pass a healthcare bill but not discuss its actual contents or cost online at least 72 hours in advance of any vote. This is transparency? The arrogance of Congress is astounding. Moreover, this behavior exemplifies the paternalistic and condescending attitude towards the American public (i.e., we'll tell you what WE think you need to know).
Reply to this comment
by Kf153 September 23, 2009 11:52 PM EDT
I can not understand why anyone would want the government to have the power to control your health care. It's not the governments job to take care of us!!!

If this is such a great deal, then why does Congress think it's not good enough for them? Congress is EXCEMPT from Obamacare.

"Americans need to think long and hard before they put their very lives in the hands of government. If we cede to government the responsibility of paying for our health care, along with it will go the power to decide who is treated and who is not. That question won't be answered based on the best interests of an individual. It will be answered based on the best interests of the government."

I prefer taking responsibility for my own health insurance.
Reply to this comment
by stuart-johns September 24, 2009 6:45 AM EDT
Good. And you are free to do that. And you are also free to stop listening to Glen Beck too. He's filling your head with false information. You do know that Beck is just a loathsome entertainer out for ratings don't you?
by jgg00009 September 24, 2009 9:56 AM EDT
actually, glen beck should win an award for "journalist of the year" because without him nobody would have ever known about that racist lunatic Van Jones, or the slimeballs at ACORN.
by jgg00009 September 23, 2009 11:30 PM EDT
I love how the dems are blaming the republicans for stalling. You have the presidency, the house AND the senate. Blame yourselves. Your own party can't pass the bill you want to shove down the public's throat.
Reply to this comment
by stuart-johns September 24, 2009 6:42 AM EDT
The dems never had the votes idiot! Do you ever read or do you just come here and post non-sensical rants all the time. You are woefully embarrassing to yourself and this country.

You sound like a whiny little snot nosed teenager. Grow up for crying out loud.
by byebyefreedom September 23, 2009 11:24 PM EDT
Yeh, it's about time the Dems did the right thing. Don't show anyone the real bill before you vote on it, that would just give the detractors more ammunition when they point out all the flaws or hidden earmarks. Those stupid Repubs don't even know that transparency is just a campaign slogan. They're so dumb, they probably thought the Dems would really follow through. And besides, we Americans are too dumb to understand this stuff. Just tell us what we want to hear and we'll bend over and take it. We need to get more actors and comedy news guys to push the support for this thing, cause that's the only people we dumb Americans listen to. Everyone knows the US Government is the most efficient organization to run things. So what if it will cost twice as much, so what if the quality of healthcare will go down. Let's just ram this puppy though and not take time to read it over. Besides, it won't take affect for 4 years anyway, so we can reelect Obama before the public says, "hey, maybe the CBO was right about the sky rocketing cost of healthcare under the government".

I swear, each new administration that comes in is more corrupt than the previous administration.

I thought the movie 'Idiocracy' was a comedy, I didn't realize it was a glimpse into the future.
Reply to this comment
by jab232 September 23, 2009 7:44 PM EDT
Talk, talk,talk. Congress, get off your duffs and pass a strong public option plan. We don't want another Medicare D.
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