With the Senate passing their own version of healthcare “reform” by a vote of 60-39, let’s take a look at what exactly is in the bill and what is going to happen when the bill is merged with the House bill for the President to sign.

-The official Congressional Budget Office estimate of the cost of the bill is $871 billion. The official cost of the bill that the House of Representatives passed is around $1 trillion. The bill’s costs would be offset by the new taxes and fees as well as the money that the Medicare program would save.

-The bill requires ...continue reading]]> http://www.nycmagazine.com/2009/12/24/what-is-in-the-senate-healthcare-bill/feed/ 0 http://www.nycmagazine.com/2009/11/23/senate-votes-to-start-healthcare-debate/ http://www.nycmagazine.com/2009/11/23/senate-votes-to-start-healthcare-debate/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:00:38 +0000 Igor Derysh http://www.nycmagazine.com/?p=652

In a straight party line vote, the Senate voted to bring the healthcare reform bill to debate this past Saturday, meaning that a vote on the bill won’t happen long after Thanksgiving.

After months of talk about moderate Democrats potentially defecting, the rollcall vote on whether or not to bring the healthcare bill to the floor ended 60-39 with every Senator voting with their own party.

How did the Democrats keep moderate Democrats like Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu from joining the Republicans? Cha-ching.

Just as the Democrats used earmarks to buy Democratic votes for the TARP ...continue reading]]> http://www.nycmagazine.com/2009/11/23/senate-votes-to-start-healthcare-debate/feed/ 0