The internet is alive with the sound of people analyzing the CBO’s “scoring” of the Max Baucus aka Senate Finance Committee Health Care Bill. Before everyone gets too deeply into their thoughts, please keep in mind the following (get ready, all CAPS, bold, indented signifies a really important concept):
THERE IS NO BAUCUS BILL.
The CBO scored the concepts described by the Baucus Committee. There is no legislative text. None. Baucus and his Democratic colleagues refused to reduce their concepts to actual legislation prior to a vote. Here is the CBO’s disclaimer:
CBO and JCT’s analysis is preliminary in large part because the Chairman’s mark, as amended, has not yet been embodied in legislative language.
The Baucus Concepts are disasterous, but that’s for another post. For this post, let me get across a simple concept: THERE IS NO BAUCUS BILL.
Your esteemed Senators on the Senate Finance Committee will not be voting on legislation because THERE IS NO BAUCUS BILL.
Your esteemed Senators have so little respect for you that some of them are willing to vote in favor of legislation which does not exist because THERE IS NO BAUCUS BILL.
The actual legislation will be drafted in secret by Harry Reid and a few other people, including staffers whose names and political connections you never will know, and the resulting legislation will be rammed through the Senate and House before anyone gets to read and analyze it.
Months of debate mean nothing. It’s all smoke and mirrors by people who think you are too stupid to realize what is going on.
Have I made myself clear on this? THERE IS NO BAUCUS BILL.
Update: Fausta Wertz understands that There is no Baucus bill. And so do Pundette and Pat in Shreveport who felt my post warranted a News Flash. An overview of the stinkiness of the Concepts (it’s not a Bill) starts at Dan Riehl’s place.
Update No. 2: The NY Times does not get it, titling their report “Health Care Bill Gets Green Light in Cost Analysis.” They make the misleading headline even worse with these opening words (emphasis mine): “The Senate Finance Committee legislation to revamp the health care system ….” Someone call them and tell them that there is NO BILL and NO LEGISLATION.
And the TaxProf notes that scoring the Baucus “concepts” could mean 80% Marginal Tax Rates After Health Care Reform?
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Related – There is a House Bill HR3200 and a Senate HELP Committee Bill, and they stink beyond belief, so take a look at some of these posts to find out why:
The Health Care Bills Still Stink
Bureaucracy Expansion Act of 2009
IRS The New Health Care Enforcer
Taxing Your Mere Existence
Health Care Tax Insanity Chronicles, Part 3 (IRS To Decide Amount of Taxation)
Get Rid of the Mandate
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