House Dems do healthcare math

Posted: Saturday, October 31, 2009 10:43 AM by Chuck Todd
Filed Under: Congress, Democrats

From NBC's Chuck Todd
House Democrats are trying to fight back against Republicans on the "numbers" front when it comes to their just released health care bill. As many folks know, the cost per page and the number of pages have been used as sledgehammers by Republicans to hit the bill.

So House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn's office passes along this numerical breakdown:

-- It has been 80 days from when the House bill was first introduced. The public has been able to view the bill and extensive information about it online the entire time.

-- It has been 126 days since the House discussion draft was first made available online.

-- There have been 100 hearings on health reform in the past two years, including 8 since the discussion draft was released.

-- There have been over 81 hours of Committee markups on the bill, over 86 hours of hearings, and over 203 hours of Democratic Caucuses.

-- Republicans have had ample opportunity to debate the bill and offer amendments – and they have. During the markups, 129 amendments were offered by Republicans and 23 were passed.

-- Democrats have promised that the reintroduced bill will be publicly available for 72 hours before the House votes.

-- Democrats have held roughly 3,000 public events on health reform this year, including almost 2,000 between August and now.

It does say a lot about this health care debate that the back-n-forth in the House right now isn't about policy but about everything BUT.

EMAIL THIS

Comments

Thank you and the House Democrats for these numbers. They reveal that people have been busy. But what I want to see from the Democrats and the media is a non-biased, neutral analysis of the cost-to-benefit balance in the bill. The Republicans continue to cite figures that this bill will cost $900 billion in new taxes for 10 years before anyone benefits from it. Such statements sound patently absurd, but in the absence of contrary information from the Democrats, they are the only figures the public knows.

Larry Barton, Crookston, MN (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 11:34 AM)

This ridiculous ticking off of irrelevant numerical statistics by the Democrats adds nothing useful to the discussion of nationalized health care.

They are purposely obfuscating because any discussion on the merits is unhelpful to the Democrat's cause.

Los Angeles, CA (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 11:53 AM)

Then they should debate the cost benefits of a single payor system, HR 676, and actually look at the numbers rather than spout the red herring remarks like it will reduce quality or produce death panals. If this congress can't, won't, debate the only real cost saving measure that is already on the hill, then this whole debate is a sham designed to make the American people think they are doing their job when in fact they are just ensuring that the insurance companies are going to continue stealing from us.

Laurent, San Francisco, CA (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 11:53 AM)

The republicans are whining about the cost per page and the number of pages. How many pages is their bill? And as far as cost, its zero,keeping in mind that they are looking to provide exactly zero help and relief to the American people.

Karen, Charlotte, NC (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 12:02 PM)

"House Democrats are trying to fight back against Republicans on the "numbers" front when it comes to their JUST RELEASED health care bill.

-- It has been 126 days since the House DISCUSSION DRAFT was first made available online.

-- There have been 100 hearings on health reform IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, including 8 since the discussion draft was released.

-- Democrats have promised that the REINTRODUCED BILL will be publicly available for 72 HOURS before the House votes." (Highlights mine)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Things that make you go 'Hmmmmm'...

What point is made by 126 days? Is this an apparent attempt to claim "transparency”?
Plenty of discussion has been made within that time that in all probability has been changed, scrapped, or simply will never be mentioned in the vote...

What has been discussed in the "past two years" (of both Democratic controlled houses) that has bearing on what is proposed now?...Trying to tie the previous administration to this, in case it does not do well in the vote?...That way they can go into the 'Blame Bush' mode?...Only 18% of GOP suggested amendments were passed anyway...

Or of 8 hearings during the 126 days concerning the 'discussion draft’?

So, I guess even though they hype '126 days', 'two years', 108 hearings, and ‘23’ amendment proposals (of 129 = 18%)...

And why do they buildup that 72 hour window to read almost 2000 pages?

It will not matter…They will vote without further input or opinion anyway…

Seems like a ‘moot’ is an understatement…

Southside FF, Illinois (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 1:07 PM)

Can we get a copy of the Republican health care bill?
How about just giving all Americans the same choices on health insurance as govermment employee's get. If we can't lets at least drop all those who vote NO on reform. We can drop them and call it a pre existing condition (Anul).

Mishka Anaconda MT (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 1:36 PM)

NYTimes today has an article about a study on KIDS and health care(Johns Hopkins 7-year, multi-state study):
Those without insurance were 60% more likely to DIE.

How 'bout them NUMBERS, folks, back to policy, huh???

Deborah Greenlawn, NY (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 1:57 PM)

As well it SHOULD. This is one of those NEW DEAL moments. Recessions no longer have people eating fried flour for dinner or living in a cardboard box.
And oh how the small-minded, unfeeling, opposition squealed about any govt. help then too.,

How about dollars given per Republican from the health insurance industry?
How about how many deaths per month 2000-2008 when
a GOP majority did little or nothing to insure all ;
How about how many get sicker, undiagnosed or die while the GOP obstructs and 'DITHERS'??
How 'bout them numbers.

Deborah Greenlawn, NY (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 2:02 PM)

We're broke! No jobs now and on the horizon! So the democrats/liberals idea is to spend trillions more! Wow, what are you on; give me some!!

Dolores, Staten Island,NY (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 2:19 PM)

I have a solution for Health care Reform--cut the politicians pay by 7/8, eliminate their health insurance and tell them to deal with it!

Jay Kerr, King of Prussia PA (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 2:32 PM)

Rep. Clyburn is correct. Republicans are not interested in reforming the current system. Unfortunately, some Democrats are, like Republicans, still in bed with the insurance companies. Oh, for a REAL public health program like I have with the military. I feel so sorry for most Americans.

Lt Col Bob Foessett, USAF (Ret) North Las Vegas, NV (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 3:34 PM)

If you have no ideas, like the House Republicans, then that is all you can complain about, procedure and all that, everything but policy. It is time that the democrats forget them and simply pass the bill.

Rick Umbaugh Hercules, CA (Sent Saturday, October 31, 2009 5:30 PM)

SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.):

Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private) Remember me?

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=2115611