Legal Commentary

Will The Senate's Refusal To Fix The Excise Tax "Kill The Bill?"

By Big Tent Democrat

E.J. Dionne:

At least two amendments are essential to getting the bill through the House. They involve reducing the burden of the tax on "Cadillac" health-care plans, which is wildly unpopular with House members and voters; and getting rid of the special Medicaid subsidy deal for Nebraska, which just about everyone hates. Even Nebraska's Ben Nelson, the senator for whom that deal was put together, wants it out.

(Emphasis supplied.) All the caterwauling about "Passing the Damn Bill" will not change that reality. You want to get the "damn bill" passed? Then the Senate must be pressured to gut the excise tax. It's a simple as that. You can't pass the Senate bill in the House unless the excise tax is gutted. Will the excise tax purists in the White House, the Senate and the Village insist on killing the bill if they do not get their way on the excise tax?

Speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on February 08, 2010 (boomark / email).