It was a close-run thing, folks. The nearest-run thing you ever saw.
Sen. Tom Harkin, the chairman of the Senate Health Committee, said negotiators from the White House, Senate and House reached a final deal on healthcare reform days before Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts.
Labor leaders had announced an agreement with White House and congressional representatives over an excise tax on high-cost insurance plans on the Thursday before the special election.
[snip]
Harkin said “we had an agreement, with the House, the White House and the Senate. We sent it to [the Congressional Budget Office] to get scored and then Tuesday happened and we didn’t get it back.” He said negotiators had an agreement in hand on Friday, Jan. 15.
(Via The Corner) No chance at that point for calling an emergency session on Saturday the 16th or Sunday the 17th, of course. But Monday the 18th… was Martin Luther King Day. In other words, a federal holiday. So there was no chance of action until Tuesday the 19th; and Tuesday the 19th was too late. Imagine what it would have looked like if they had passed this thing on the very day that Scott Brown won a Senate election in Massachusetts on a platform of stopping this thing; but even if you couldn’t, Democratic legislators apparently could.
Moe Lane
PS: Nope, it’s not even ironic. Just… karmic.
Crossposted to Moe Lane.
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Wishful Thinking Sen. Harkin?
saintgeorgegentile Saturday, January 30th at 11:46PM EST (link)Kinda sounds like a CYA move for Harkin – We had it passed except for those darn pesky accountants!
Freedom is the glue of capitalism, that amoral wisdom of the markets that most efficiently allots goods and services to a citizenry.
-Victor Davis Hanson
Trouble down the road...
writeblock Sunday, January 31st at 4:20AM EST (link)Both the LA Times and the Chicago Tribune report Democrats are working quietly behind the scenes to rally lawmakers to finish the job via the sidecar idea and reconciliation. I think they are going to go for it.
playing...
loupgarou1317 Sunday, January 31st at 12:27AM EST (link)a little CYA there Dem’s ? Something to throw to the Kos Kids to keep them quiet……..I hope it blows up on them…….BBOOOMMM!
This is a great quote from the article....
LaborUnionReport (Diary) Sunday, January 31st at 12:37AM EST (link)“Instead of touting the historic passage of healthcare reform, Obama focused his speech on jobs and the economy. The president waited until the 60th paragraph of his speech to ask Congress not to let reform talks collapse.”
“I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes.” Thomas Paine December 23, 1776
In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit.-Ayn Rand
LaborUnionReport.com
The Most Comprehensive Source for
News & Views on Today’s Labor Unions.
Follow @laborunionrpt
First the democrats blamed it on kennedy now they are blaming it on MLK. obamacare was ROADKILL written by slip and fall lawyers from Day 1. reid, schumer and obama. NT
bobojake (Diary) Sunday, January 31st at 12:54AM EST (link)If they had a deal, they would pass a bill
clintonformccain Sunday, January 31st at 1:42AM EST (link)That’s what I say to all my Dem friends and family whining about those “meanie” Republicans. The Republicans can’t stop squat in Washington. The Democrats run the place right now. If they can’t pass a health care bill it’s because Democrats can’t agree on one.
I don’t believe for a minute they had the votes to pass a deal on Friday before Mass election.
the finest of threads lead from point to impossible point
jsbrodhead Sunday, January 31st at 3:12AM EST (link)God’s fingerprints are in the tiny, but critical details.
Miracles are not in the mundane.
God Bless America Again! and Still!
Give NO Ground!
if this is true then
kyle8 (Diary) Sunday, January 31st at 7:34AM EST (link)God Bless Dr. King.
“Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty”
Kyle
OH, you mean another story of the Dems
Dan Perrin (Diary) Sunday, January 31st at 9:00AM EST (link)saying they have a deal, and then it all going sideways?
For a minute there, I thought this report was something different — whew!
And people still doubt that there is a God?
Praying (Diary) Sunday, January 31st at 9:28AM EST (link)Thank you Lord!
No!!!11!1!!1!1! The Bilderbergers are coming
I don't buy it
bkeyser Sunday, January 31st at 10:15AM EST (link)Mark Kirk is still voting. If they had a deal, they’da passed it on Wednesday. How do I know this? Because almost every day since the election the House has been saying ‘we’ll get it done somehow.’ If they had a deal, they would not have forgone it just just because of the election. No way.