Schwarzenegger Rails Against Health Care Bill

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Health Care

(CBS)

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger withdrew his support for President Obama's health care plan today, making him one of the latest politicians to express displeasure with the deals and concessions Democrats have made in order to secure enough votes for the legislation.

"While I enthusiastically support health care reform, it is not reform to push more costs onto states that are already struggling while other states get sweetheart deals," Schwarzenegger said today in his State of the State address. "Health care reform, which started as noble and needed legislation, has become a trough of bribes, deals and loopholes."

The White House hailed the Republican governor's earlier support of the health care bill as an example of bipartisan support for the Democratic package. Indeed, in October, Schwarzenegger said his state's interests aligned with President Obama's plans.

"Our principal goals, slowing the growth in costs, enhancing the quality of care delivered, improving the lives of individuals, and helping to ensure a strong economic recovery, are the same goals that [President Obama] is trying to achieve," he said. "I appreciate his partnership with the states and encourage our colleagues on both sides of the political aisle at the national level to move forward and accomplish these vital goals for the American people."

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Now the governor, whose state faces an out-of-control budget crisis, says the plan will simply "pile billions more [in expenses] onto California."

"California's congressional delegation should either vote against this bill that is a disaster for California or get in there and fight for the same sweetheart deal Senator [Ben] Nelson of Nebraska got for the Cornhusker State," he said. "He got the corn; we got the husk."

Before Nelson promised to vote for the bill, which passed in the Senate on Christmas Eve, he secured a deal in which the federal government would completely pay for any expansion of Medicaid in Nebraska, leaving the state government off the hook.

Schwarzenegger isn't the only one who disapproves of Nelson's deal: A Rasmussen poll last month showed only 17 percent of Nebraska voters approved of it, while Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas said Tuesday that the deal should be removed from the bill.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by j1400 April 30, 2010 1:41 PM EDT: In what is supposed to be the richest and most pwoerful country in the world our health care is a sham, a disgrace. Not the quality the quality is generally very good. The U.S. spend 16% of its GDP on health care more than any other industrialized nation and have the highest infant mortality rate of all the industrialized countries and we rank 72nd in the world for life expectency. I have worked construction and construction support jobs my whole life and only rarely did I have health benefits and when I did they were very limited. This bill my be far from perfect but its a step in the right direction. Most of my life I've worked hard and long hours, not many people can or would poor concrete or build houses 10-12 hrs a day six days a week to make a little too much money to get govt. help with health care but no where near enough to pay for any serious health problems. And, in fact people who can pay for their own health care already do pay for those who are unable too. The main reason health care cost are so high is the prices are jacked up to pay for people who have to wait until they are deathly ill to go to the emergency room and then can't pay the exorbitant bill. So that cost is defrayed by the hospital onto patients who have the money to pay, by higher overall costs. You don't think it really costs the hospital $2500 a night to have you stay there do you? If health care costs were split between everyone and poor people could afford preventitive care then health care costs would ultimately be lower overall. It seems everyone against centralized health care is spening a dollar to save a dime intead of just freely giving up the dime to save us all the dollar. Take a look at europe it works there the people are happy with it overall and everyone gets equal affordable health care.; Reply to this comment


by macgerson January 9, 2010 12:49 AM EST: Hey California. Don't feel too bad. Both New York Senators sold us out too.
OTOH, they're both up for election this year. So we have a shot at getting rid of both of them. We'll probably be able to ditch only one, but it's a start.; Reply to this comment


by mtjoel January 8, 2010 5:27 PM EST: Obama is a really bad president.; Reply to this comment


by josero71 January 7, 2010 1:23 AM EST: Share your support for new Health Care Plan at http://www.obamahealthcareplan.org; Reply to this comment


by sjc_1 January 7, 2010 1:16 AM EST: Put a fork in it Arnie, you are done! You managed to crash California into one big mess. Go back to making bad movies, if they will have you at your age.; Reply to this comment


by Flagwaverlizzie January 6, 2010 11:09 PM EST: Arnold is right again. Besides, if you read the proposed bill (which I doubt most of Congress has done) they would see that it violates our Constitution.

Article 6 of the Constitution requires that members of both houses of Congress to "be bound by oath or affirmation to support the Constitution". Read it. There are too many violations of our Constitution in this newly proposed "Health Care Bill". Congressmen can not vote for it in good conscience and if they do, we will hold them accountable for ignoring their oath of office.

On the surface the proposed bill masquerades as a "health care bill", but what it actually does is transfer a massive amount of power to the Executive Branch of government. Passing it will destroy major portions of our Constitution, destroying what is now a masterfully crafted balance between all three branches. Congress will end up transferring to Obama and his administration, authority over our lives and our businesses.

There is no actual authority in our Constitution granted to members of Congress to "regulate health care".

This proposed legislation provides for access by Obama appointees to all my personal health care, financial, employer, physician and hospital information, in direct violation of the 4th Amendment. That destroys my right to privacy. I would no longer be protected against unreasonable searches and seizures if this bill is passed.

If this bill is passed I will be taxed if I decide to use a private insurance company that is "not acceptable" to the Health Choices Administrator (another Obama appointee). This so-called "tax", however, is really a "fine" because of it's intent to avoid due process guaranteed in the 5th Amendment. I would not have the opportunity to contest or appeal the imposition of this "tax", thus depriving me of property without due process of the law.

It violates the 10th Amendment too. Neither the people nor the states will have rights and powers in areas that were once ours to control.

Congress should not in good conscience vote for this proposal without fully reading it and looking at it from a Constitutional viewpoint, and not just a politically correct, feel-good idealism.; Reply to this comment


by drbob10001 January 6, 2010 9:55 PM EST: Arnold Schwarzenegger does not look good in green. His short-sighted jealousy, is second only to his short-sighted fiscal policy that has left California nearly bankrupt.; Reply to this comment


by Mokkie57 January 6, 2010 8:35 PM EST: I would still like to know what was promised to Andy Stern and SEIU? And what was promised in return? When he visited the White House 22 times during the time the congress was debating there part of the health care bill.; Reply to this comment

by us_1776 January 6, 2010 7:01 PM EST

We either do the healthcare reform bill that has managed to make it this far. Or we will have an utterly failed system and massive chaos in less than five years.

Unless, of course, we could all agree on single-payer which is the sanest solution of them all and the one chosen by the majority of other western nations. A solution whose average healthcare cost per citizen is about HALF of that under the American private greed-based system.

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by retm-w January 6, 2010 7:33 PM EST: So we go to singlepayer and shut another industry in the U.S. down, that provides thousands of jobs directly and indirectly.


by SocietysNightmare January 6, 2010 8:10 PM EST: retm-w:

The alternative is to fleece millions of Americans so Americans work. Given a choice of paying more so someone keeps their job or saving money, which am I more likely to choose?

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by retm-w January 6, 2010 6:51 PM EST

He's telling it like it is. The states are going to get the bill dropped on them for Medicaid. Sure Obama isn't going to raise your taxes, but the states will. The rest of us in the other 47 states will be picking up the bill for Nebraska, Louisiana and Nevada. Yes the MSM is leaving those deals out of the news, wonder why.

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by gboyd41 January 6, 2010 7:14 PM EST: retm-w: I can to tell you why the MSM is not covering this, because they think we are stupid. I would LOVE to help pay Neb. medicaid costs, forever-NOT! This is a flat-out bribe; guess this ok if you are the govt. However, I suspect they will find out differently in 2010. The scary part, however, is that they appear not to care. The dems in mildly conservative areas will be bailing out like rats leaving a sinking ship. GO ARNOLD!