Costs Slowing Healthcare Reform Momentum?
Media coverage of the healthcare issue last night and this morning tended to portray the White House and Congressional Democrats as struggling to cope with new CBO forecasts on the cost of their reform plans. The CBS Evening News was the only network broadcast to cover the story, reporting, "Today we learned more about the staggering sums involved. At least a trillion dollars over the next ten years according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office." Moreover, "there are growing concerns that President Obama lacks a realistic plan to pay for this sweeping reform."
The Washington Post says that Obama's "plan to expand health coverage to the uninsured is likely to dig the nation deeper into debt unless policymakers adopt politically painful controls on spending, such as sharp reductions in payments to doctors, hospitals and other providers, congressional budget analysts said yesterday." The AP says Senate Democrats were "jolted by cost estimates as high as $1.6 trillion," and adds that they have "agreed to scale back planned subsidies for the uninsured and sought concessions totaling hundreds of billions of dollars from private industry Tuesday to defray the cost of sweeping health care legislation."Sebelius Criticizes Insurance Industry
The AP reports that in an interview, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius "said the 'ballpark' cost for providing full coverage seems to be about $1 trillion," and that "the budget office estimates suggested the price tag could get even bigger." Sebelius also said that "the insurance lobby won't be able to block a public health plan because most Americans realize they would be better off if the industry had competition."
Obama Won't Rule Out Health Benefits Tax
Bloomberg News reports that in an interview, President Obama said yesterday that "he wouldn't rule out a proposal in Congress to tax employer- provided health-insurance benefits as a way to pay for his health-care plan. "
Obama: Jobless Rate Will Hit 10%
Bloomberg News reports that President Obama told Bloomberg Television yesterday that "the US unemployment rate will reach 10 percent this year, even as the economy begins to emerge from the recession." Said Obama, "The economy is going to turn around, but as you know, jobs are a lagging indicator and we've got to produce 150,000 jobs every month just to keep pace, just to flatten this out." AFP notes that asked during the interview "whether the jobless rate, which surged to a 26-year high of 9.4 percent in May, would reach 10 percent, the president said: 'Yes.'"
House Passes War Funding Bill
The House on Tuesday passed the supplemental spending bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but a growing partisan divide increasing colored debate over the measure. The bill included several last minute additions at the request of the White House, which contributed to a decline in GOP support for the bill. The AP reports, "War-funding legislation survived a fierce partisan battle in the House on Tuesday, a major step in providing commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan the money they would need for military operations in the coming months." The "$106 billion measure" provides "about $80 billion for military operations," and funds "an array of other spending priorities, including $7.7 billion to respond to the flu pandemic and more than $10 billion in development and security aid for Pakistan and Iraq as well as countries such as Mexico and the nation of Georgia." The vote "was 226-202, with only five Republicans voting for the bill and 32 Democrats opposing it."
Latest From Late Night Comedians
David Letterman: "Thank you very much. Welcome to the 'Late Show', ladies and gentlemen. Now, when I call your name, please come forward and pick up your apology."
David Letterman: "But let's focus on the good news. And the good news is that Sarah Palin has accepted my apology. ... And she also accepted a $500 gift certificate from LensCrafters. I thought that was a nice touch."
Jimmy Kimmel: "Hi, everyone. I'm Jimmy, I'm the host of the show. Before we go any further, I want to just take a minute to apologize for some jokes I'm planning to make about the Palin family tonight. They are in extremely poor taste and I know that I will regret saying them."
Jimmy Fallon: "John McCain said on his Twitter feed, on Monday, that he's buying a brand new Ford Fusion Hybrid. A year ago, McCain didn't use a computer. Now he's on Twitter and buying a hybrid. What's going on? I think he's like Benjamin Button. He'll be a cute little baby."
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