Community | October 07, 2009 | 32 comments

CBO: Healthcare bill would reduce deficit by $81 billion

source: http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/?last_story=/politics/war_room/2009/10/07/baucus/

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WakeUpPeople
Liberals are still not happy about the bill put together by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who chairs the Senate Finance Committee. But as of Wednesday afternoon, it has a few points in its favor: 81 billion of them, in fact. That's because the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation have released their preliminary scoring of the bill, including the conclusion that it would reduce the federal deficit by $81 billion.

The big number that Republicans are likely to focus on isn't the deficit reduction, but the total cost of the bill, which the CBO and JCT estimate at $829 billion. That's high, but the fact that it still allows for a deficit reduction, and comes in well under the $1 trillion price tag that Democrats have feared for political reasons, means that the White House and their allies on the Hill are likely to be very happy.

As for whether the bill would work, the CBO and JCT estimated that it would reduce the number of non-elderly U.S. residents who don't have insurance by 29 million. That would still leave 25 million uninsured, one-third of whom are illegal immigrants. But the percent of non-elderly legal residents who are insured would go up from about 83 percent to about 94 percent, and that's the number that Democrats will focus on.
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32 comments // CBO: Healthcare bill would reduce deficit by $81 billion

  • artemis6
  • akamaial
    • 0
      akamaial [removed]  

    • The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 - you have had 234 years to get it right; it is broke.

      Social Security was established in 1935 - you have had 74 years to get it right; it is broke.

      Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - you have had 71 years to get it right; it is broke.

      The “War on Poverty” started in 1964 - you have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to “the poor”; it hasn’t worked and our entire country is broke.

      Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - you’ve had 44 years to get it right; they are broke.

      Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - you have had 39 years to get it right; it is broke.

      Trillions of dollars were spent in the massive political payoffs called TARP, the “Stimulus”, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009… none show any signs of working, although the unions appear to have found a new patsy: the American taxpayer.

      And finally, to set a new record:

      “Cash for Clunkers” was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009! It took good dependable cars (that were the best some people could afford) and replaced them with high-priced and less-affordable cars, mostly Japanese. A good percentage of the profits went out of the country. And the American taxpayers take the hit for Congress’ generosity in burning three billion more of our dollars on failed experiments.

      So with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that “services” you shove down our throats are failing faster and faster, you want Americans to believe you can be trusted with a government-run health care system?

      20% of our entire economy?

      With all due respect,

      Are you out of your frickin’ minds?

      http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/10/centralized-authoritarian-government.ht...

    • 2 years ago
  • FoosMaster
    • 0
      FoosMaster  
    • akamaial:

      USPS - Profits rose from 1982 thru 2002 then (profits) started falling the same as All other shipping companies. In 2006 they had their first net loss since 1981, the same as All other shipping companies. What is broke is the economy, not the USPS.

      Social Security - It is broke because of “Entitlements” to the rich. 28% of all SS money is paid out to people with annual incomes of over $100,000.00. It was created to help people who have had a hard life and can’t take care of themselves when they can no longer work. It was not suppose to be a savings account for everyone. The rich feel they are “Entitled” to get their tax money back when they retire and most get All the money they paid in within 10 years after retiring, the rest comes from everyone else. Broken? YES! Why? Because of the rich “Entitlements”! Would you eliminate Social Security and have the poor elderly live in the streets and eat out of garbage cans? I hope not. It is a desperately needed program and could be fixed by eliminating payments to the wealthy!

      Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - Yes they are broken. Why? Because of GWB deregulations allowing what happened in the financial markets. Do you want to do away with low interest loan competition to small businesses and low income home buyers and just let large banks control everything? The entire banking industry needs Strict Regulations. They can not be trusted to handle the public’s money in a responsible manor. Greed is the name of the game with them.

      Medicare and Medicaid - Yes they have problems, mostly caused by Underfunding. Would you eliminate millions of peoples only chance for healthcare and just let them “Die Quickly”?

      Tarp Payoffs - I’m with ya on this one. We should not have bailed out any of those fat cats!!! I say if a company fails then let someone else take their place, someone always does. That’s how capitalism works. GWB started it and Obama was just continuing a program that was already in place. But we really don’t know if it has had the needed effect on the economy yet, it will take a couple of years of financial statements to tell if it actually had a positive effect on the economy. I say “It has been done, lets give it time to see if it works.” Government policies take years to have their full effect on the economy. GWB sure messed things up! I just hope Obama can fix it. I’m willing to give him a chance.

      As for Poverty - Do you suggest we just ignore the poor and let them fend for themselves?

      I think I covered all your points.

    • 2 years ago
  • telcod
    • 0
      telcod  

    • To foosmaster. Sorry about your cancer brother and sorry you had to be born in the wasteland of the free. Might want to see if you can marry a Canadian and get treatment. Or you could married an Iraqi and get free medical care. I am with you 100% and look forward to a day when that moron you referred to will wake up and smell the bullshit he wallows in and spews. I'm serious about the Canadian marriage bit.

      Resist brothers and sisters and do not be fooled by the divisive rhetoric. We already have socialism for the rich. They just don't want to share it. Capitalism for everyone else. Good luck with that. Personally, I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.

      Capt. B Class of '67

    • 2 years ago
  • FoosMaster
    • 0
      FoosMaster  

    • Spanky calling me lazy because I want healthcare? You piece of $hit!!!
      I worked hard all my life and when I got cancer I was fired for getting sick, my insurance was cancelled, I had 7 months of Chemo, I lost everything I had, I have to rent a room to be able to afford a place to stay, I can't get a job because nobody wants to hire someone that had cancer and is now partially disabled. I don't qualify for government help and I can no longer afford to go to the doctor, who by the way gave me the remaining chemo I couldn't afford to pay for by writing off the bills for me and several of his other patients. (The Greatest Doctor in the World, who by the way Supports Universal Healthcare). He lost his practice because He went broke helping me and the others. He is now in with a group of doctors connected with Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance that has a Board of Directors that approves things. He recently requested to give me some tests for free because he is worried about me because I had Stage 3 Metastatic Melanoma and I need to be tested regularly to see if it is back (95% chance of recurrence). The board DENIED the request. It has been a year since I have seen a doctor now. I guess Spanky would rather that I ‘Die Quickly!” so it won’t cost him any taxpayer dollars. FK YOU SPANKY!!! You are a greedy piece of $hit!!!

    • 2 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • krush_productions
  • telcod
    • 0
      telcod  

    • More political and corporate bullshit. What do these scum suckers offer? Another death of a thousand cuts. And you simpleton, so called Americans, just passively sign on for yet another round of mediocrity in the name of compromise. There can be no more compromise. Sorry about that. America, Love it or Leave it????? No! America, Change it or Lose it. That is, if we haven't already passed the point of no return. Single payer, that's it. Nothing less. You are the government (forgot that didn't you). You need to be the resistance.

      Study up on fallacies (great stuff on the internet). The United States of Fallacies. Rings kinda true, if you do the work and think.

    • 2 years ago
  • akamaial
    • 0
      akamaial [removed]  

    • Are you kidding me? We elect these yo-yo's to represent out interests, and they don't have a clue what is actually being voted on?
      ... Oh, yeah, right, for a moment there I forgot that this is one of a host of those blood-sucking bureaucrats who represents the "sheeple."

    • 2 years ago
  • samthesixth
  • akamaial
    • 0
      akamaial [removed]  
    • Image

    • Let me get this straight. We're going to pass a health care plan that:

      1. Was written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it
      2. Passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it
      3. Signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes
      4. With funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes
      5. Overseen by a surgeon general who is obese and
      6. Financed by a country that's already broke

      What could possibly go wrong?

    • 2 years ago
  • FoosMaster
    • 0
      FoosMaster  

    • To the person that did the math on the taxes;
      You must be using Republican math. They support the stance of the rich (Everyone pays the same amount of Tax. $6,000.00 for everyone no matter how much you make.) That would sure make the millionaires happy! Luckily things don’t work that way. If the rich are made to pay their fair share then the burden on the little man is FAR less. The figure I hear is around 2.8%, not a set amount, which means that someone who makes $25,000.00 a year would pay around $700.00 a year. I would Gladly pay that for healthcare if I could. Insurance companies definately would not give me insurance for $700.00, actually they won't insure me at Any price. Pre-Existing Conditions.

    • 2 years ago
  • stolenapples
  • nursediesel
    • 0
      nursediesel  

    • The federal government NEVER saves us money, they just SPEND it.
      And remember it's the money they have taken from us, in the first place.... (they generate no money).

    • 2 years ago
  • mark1957
    • 0
      mark1957  

    • If you do the math, 140,000,000 people file tax returns. (2008) Many don't pay any tax. (Mystery number) It's a return with a big 0 at the bottom of the form. $829,000,000,000 divided by 10 years then divided by 140 million is just shy of 6 thousand for each person, for every year. That's one hell of a tax increase to me. With the math wizards we have in Congress it's no wonder we're in the shape we're in. It's very nice that the CBO tells us it will be a deficit reducer. If We the People spent money like these guys.................

    • 2 years ago
  • asherp
  • asherp
    • 0
      asherp  

    • Buy making it mandatory to buy private insurance-- even if you can't afford it.

      They're taking the debt off of the government and putting it on the poor.

    • 2 years ago
  • serenden68
    • 0
      serenden68  

    • ugh im just tired of hearing about what should have been done. you guys should underline "should have" and remember the fact that its already been done. take the time to think about what's to be done.

    • 2 years ago
  • extracrazykiwi2008
    • 0
      extracrazykiwi2008  

    • I want a public option! The health insurance companies are to powerful and will not lose this fight. I say increase my taxes and give me the same health care that the UK and Canada enjoy. A public option with save our employers a ton of money and they will be able to increase your pay, thus offsetting your additional tax burden from a public option or maybe just save our employer enough money not to lay you or someone you care about off. A public option would be a huge bonus for the self employed. Many people have jobs that they hate just for the insurance and that shouldn't be the case.

    • 2 years ago
  • Ares
  • larrysnotes
  • masterzip
  • masterzip
  • overxertionoftheMIND
  • mister_stu
  • RickLD
    • 0
      RickLD  
    • masterzip:

      no one forced obama to pass the bailout...
      yes bush left obama with unwinable war, and a economy on the downhill slide (unwinable afgan war.. took russia 15 years to figure that one out. and see where it got them?)
      but nothing forced him to pass the bailout program.
      imo, the bailout should never have happend.
      if the company cant keep itself afloat, why should the tax payers do so. even after they recived the bailout money, they still went bankrupt. so what good did it do? Other than give goverment an excuse to get their hands in on the businesses. (we give you money, you must abide by our rules).

    • 2 years ago
  • timetide
  • WakeUpPeople
  • brit50
  • carmalite
    • 0
      carmalite  

    • Taking our troops out of all the countries like Germany would also reduce the deficit.
      I wish some of the cowards who represent us would talke about how much we wasted and are still wasting on the unnecessary war in Iraq.

      But Halliburton and the private armies really got rich, didn't they?

    • 2 years ago
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