Fix Health Care Policy

VIDEO: Pre-Presidential Debate Highlights Policy Differences

DENVER — Conservatives and progressives duked it out over policy Wednesday morning ahead of the first presidential debate of 2012 at the University of Denver.

The Heritage Foundation and The Independence Institute hosted a wide-ranging pre-presidential policy debate in Denver, featuring policy experts and commentators from both sides of the political aisle.

The economy and job creation, immigration, health care, entitlement spending, and energy were among the contentious topics or “bucket” issues discussed by the speakers.

Conservative panelists included Bill Beach, director of Heritage’s Center for Data Analysis and author of The Index of Dependence on Government. Beach was joined Mike Franc, vice president of government studies at Heritage; Amy Oliver Cooke, executive vice president and director of energy policy at The Independence Institute; and former Rep. Bob Beauprez of Colorado.

Watch the video on The Foundry…

Tags: Denver, domestic policy, government dependency, health care, Obama, ObamaCare, presidential debate, repeal the law, Romney

Obama’s Empty MedPac Promise

Americans may distrust economists, and most of them would have a rough time with an Econ 101 final exam if they had to take it today, but through everyday experience Americans also have internalized one of the most fundamental concepts of economics: there is no such thing as a free lunch. And it is because Americans instinctively believe in this fundamentally conservative concept that poll after poll shows Americans no longer trust President Barack Obama on health care. Americans know Obama is not telling the truth and that fact was crystallized in this exchange from last night’s press conference:

JAKE TAPPER ABC NEWS: You said earlier that you wanted to tell the American people what’s in it for them, how will their family benefit from health-care reform. But experts say that in addition to the benefits that you’re pushing, there is going to have to be some sacrifice in order for there to be true cost-cutting measures, such as Americans giving up tests, referrals, choice, end-of-life care.

When you describe health-care reform, you don’t — understandably, you don’t talk about the sacrifices that Americans might have to make. Do you think — do you accept the premise that other than some tax increases, on the wealthiest Americans, the American people are going to have to give anything up in order for this to happen?

PRESIDENT OBAMA: They’re going to have to give up paying for things that don’t make them healthier. And I — speaking as an American, I think that’s the kind of change you want. (more…)

Tags: MedPac, Obama

Group Challenges Congress to Actually Read Its Health Care Bill

The Politico notes that a constitutional government group is campaigning to get all 535 congressional lawmakers to pledge not to vote on a health care bill until they personally read the entire thing and it has been posted on the Internet for 72 hours.

This push comes after Congress pushed through the 1,132-page economic stimulus package and the House quickly voted 1,200-page energy and climate change bill — both of which few lawmakers actually read through before voting on, the article says. President Barack Obama campaigned on the pledge that bills would be available online for five days before they would be signed into law. The White House has since pulled back on that promise, saying “it will now post the bills before they pass Congress,” the article says.

So far, the campaign has received pledge promises from Sens. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.).

Tags: health care bill, Obama, pledge

Volunteers Find Health Reform “Harder Sell”

Bloomberg details today the frustration and confusion some Obama health care activists are feeling in trying to promote the president’s health care agenda. One problem is in-fighting among people who want a single-payer system. Another problem cited by an activist is “turning out the vote is far simpler than influencing legislation to remake an industry that accounts for 17 percent of the economy,” the article says.

Tags: health care activist, Obama, single-payer system

White House Distancing Self from Kennedy Bill

Politico reports that after the Congressional Budget Office released its more than $1 trillion price tag for Sen. Edward Kennedy’s health reform bill, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, “This is not the administration’s bill.” Politico helpfully points out that the Obama administration has no official bill, but that pieces from Kennedy’s legislation and others will work their way into health reform that would be signed into law by the president.

Tags: $1 trillion, CBO, kennedy, Obama

Obama Faces “Rare” Protest on Way to Town-Hall Talk

President Barack Obama, who is making an aggressive push to get the more contentious proposals of his health care agenda (like a government-run health plan and employer mandates to provide health insurance), faced a “rare occurrence” yesterday on his way to a town hall-style meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Associated Press reports “several hundred protesters lined the president’s brief motorcade from the airport to a suburban high school, holding signs such as ‘NObama’ and ‘No to Socialism.’”

Tags: Obama, protest