Healthcare reform Beast of Bill

[CougarClaw]

Healthcare costs have gone up because of unbridled tort lawsuits, malpractice insurance AND the fact that no one has any idea how much their healthcare is costing since all they have are 3rd party premiums to pay, and as more people are unable to afford skyrocketing premiums, additional costs are added because of illegal immigration and "emercency room" care. Nothing I've seen in this bill addresses these problems.

But I do understand $938 Billion. It's money we don't have. And the government does not have a good track record of spending money to save money. I wanted healthcare reform. The country needed it. So why didn't a single House Republican vote for it?

I don't know if this bill is a good one or not, because I haven't read it. But this government has spent something like $3 Trillion dollars in 1-2 years. Deficit spending has reached $7.5 Trillion. 30% of GDP Is a VERY scary number.

I wonder what all of us will do with all of these entitlement programs when China stops buying our debt, the dollar collapses under never-before-seen inflation and we can no longer afford ourselves?

Before this bill even passed, Moodys warned about downgrading the quality of American debt due to our untenable spending levels and our crushing debt level. I believe Moodys. We are now nearly $1 Trillion dollars more risky. That's $1,000,000,000,000.00

Usually I prefer optimism to fatalism; and this from someone who wanted healthcare reform and someone who understand something of finances--

this country's finances scare the living daylights out of me.

[Schmoe]

Was healthcare reform needed? Sure. Was this the way to do it? Hell no.

[scott715]

Why haven't you read it? It is only 2,400 pages! I have heard that a lawsuit will be filed against it because if funds abortions. The president's word is not good enough.

[CougarClaw]

Why haven't you read it? It is only 2,400 pages! I have heard that a lawsuit will be filed against it because if funds abortions. The president's word is not good enough.

This seems like a smokescreen to me. Executive orders are not un-repealable, but no one wants to be the politician to "deny coverage" to 32 million more american no matter what it costs.

states are already lining up to avoid the extra costs the government just put on them. The hardest battle is over, but the war has years to go still

[snoscythe]

All you need to get rid of an executive order is an.....executive order.

BTW, why are we calling Healthcare reform "Monica Lewinsky" ?

[bigbluepuma]

Ummmm, an executive order cannot override legislation, sooooooo, where does that put the president's word, and the position of the poor sucker that took it? All I can say is.....We in a heapatrouble! Now I really need health care.

[snoscythe]

Ummmm, an executive order cannot override legislation, sooooooo, where does that put the president's word, and the position of the poor sucker that took it? All I can say is.....We in a heapatrouble! Now I really need health care.

Part of what the president does is execute/carry out the laws....hence the "executive" branch. There's a lot of wiggle room in laws, so executive orders carry the same force as law for executive branch employees as long as they are consistent with the law. Think of it as your manager at work. He can tell you what to do as long as he doesn't violate company policy or the law. As far as you're concerned, it's the law to you as his minion.

So yeah, executive orders can't override legislation, but if legislation is silent/ambiguous, the executive order fills in the blanks.