Landmark Health Insurance Bill Passes House 1698
theodp writes "A hastily-crafted amendment imposing tough new restrictions on abortion coverage in insurance policies helped pave the way for the House to approve the Democrats' bill to overhaul the nation's health insurance system. 'It provides coverage for 96 percent of Americans,' said Rep. John Dingell. Rep. Candice Miller disagreed, calling the legislation 'a jobs-killing, tax-hiking, deficit-exploding' bill. The 1,990-page, $1.2 trillion legislation passed by a vote of 220-215 and moves on for Senate debate, which is expected to begin in several days."
Update — 11/08 at 13:45 GMT by SS: Changed vote totals above to reflect the actual bill vote. The 240-194 number was for the abortion restrictions amendment.
Re:12 million people excluded? (Score:5, Funny)
>What's with the remaining 4%? How come not everyone will be covered?
That 4% will be lawyers.
Re:Strikers Vow (Score:4, Funny)
Capitalism is the worst...except for everything else.
37th because... (Score:3, Funny)
we drive more than anyone else, and the WHO includes accidents in "life expectancy."
Re:Strikers Vow (Score:2, Funny)
This whole thread is so full of mind-numbingly self-indulgent American pseudo political philosophy that was debunked by the rest of the world 50 years ago, that it is actually quite painful to realize some people still think there is a debate here to be waged.
Anyway, welcome to the 20th Century, American friends. Next on the list of major social experiments to be hostly debated by your intellectually gifted elites:
When apply your rugged individualism and constitutional wanking to figure out the answers to these important questions, do let us know. We're dying for your leadership here.
Re:Strikers Vow (Score:3, Funny)
This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy.
I then took a shower in the clean water provided by a municipal water utility.
After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC-regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like, using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
I watched this while eating my breakfast of U.S. Department of Agriculture-inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
At the appropriate time, as regulated by the U.S. Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-approved automobile and set out to work on the roads build by the local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank.
On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the U.S. Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.
After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to my house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and Fire Marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.
And then I log on to the internet -- which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration -- and post on Freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can't do anything right.
Re:Bill Itself: 220-215 (Score:4, Funny)
You are looking at it completely wrong man. Paris Hilton is a perfect example of capitalism working beautifully. Here is why:
1. Paris Hilton is a worthless bitch who inherited all of her wealth from others.
2. Paris Hilton spends untold amounts of money on utterly worthless crap: clothing, parties, drugs, herpes medication.
3. Paris Hilton will never, ever contribute anything of value to this world. Her movie, The Hottie and Nottie made like $5 in the theaters.
4. Eventually Paris Hilton will transfer all of her wealth to others. The system works without government intervention.
I think it is a wonderful system. Easter island was destroyed by rich people consuming all natural resources in a bid to out do their rich neighbors. In the United States that wealth gets harmlessly diverted into things like shoes and handbags that cost 20,000 bucks. Society is preserved.