Deviating from the official script, and committing a possibly career killing act of honesty, Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf says Congress' current version of ObamaCare will actually increase costs:
Instead of saving the federal government from fiscal catastrophe, the health reform measures being drafted by congressional Democrats would worsen an already bleak budget outlook, increasing deficit projections and driving the nation more deeply into debt, the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said this morning.Under questioning by members of the Senate Budget Committee, CBO director Douglas Elmendorf said bills crafted by House leaders and the Senate health committee do not propose "the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount."
"On the contrary," Elmendorf said, "the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health-care costs."
....the reform measures put forth so far would not fulfill their pledge to "bend the cost curve" downward, Elmendorf said. Instead, he said, "The curve is being raised."
The CBO is the official arbiter of the costs of legislation, and Elmendorf's stark testimony is certain to undermine support for the measures even as three House panels begin debate and aim to put a bill on the House floor before the August recess.
Maybe there are some people left in Washington that actually care about their reputations. After months of listening to the Obama administration's nonsense about reducing the deficit by taking over healthcare, it's refreshing to hear someone actually testify during this debate that such ideas are ridiculous. Kudos for Mr. Elmendorf for calling it like he sees it.
There are growing signs that the ObamaCare Express may be stalling as voters learn more about the costs and other heretofore undisclosed features that reveal the scheme to be a blatant government takeover of the world's finest medical delivery system.
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Filed under:
Health Care
Tags: CBO, Health Care Reform
Comments (14)
But, but the Democrats are ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by GarandFan | July 16, 2009 2:55 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
But, but the Democrats are here to help us! Remember the "Stimulus Bill". It would help us. No time to debate and reflect. PASS IT NOW! It's an EMERGENCY! Children are DYING in the streets. No time to debate. No time to READ it. Pass it now! Won't cost you a dime. Honest!
1. Posted by GarandFan | July 16, 2009 2:55 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 14:55
2. Posted by Adrian Browne | July 16, 2009 3:23 PM | Score: -9 (13 votes cast)
Quote of the Day:
"The status quo is unacceptable. We support passage of H.R. 3200, and we look forward to additional constructive dialogue as the long process of passing a health reform bill continues. "
~ J. James Rohack, M.D., AMA president
2. Posted by Adrian Browne | July 16, 2009 3:23 PM |
Score: -9 (13 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 15:23
3. Posted by DaveD | July 16, 2009 3:54 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Adrian,
What is interesting is that I know an OR nurse who works at a major referral hospital in Philadelphia and during an email exchange asked her what the sentiment there was among doctors regarding Obama's health care plan. She told me she hasn't talked to one doctor who is enthusiastic. I don't know if opinions vary between let's say family general practice physicians versus the specialists like orthopedic surgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, etc.
3. Posted by DaveD | July 16, 2009 3:54 PM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 15:54
4. Posted by JD | July 16, 2009 4:00 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
You left off the telling portion of the quote:
"We are committed to passing health reform this year consistent with principles of pluralism, freedom of choice, freedom of practice, and universal access for patients."
Just a cursory glance at section 102, paragraph a, subsection 1 of HR3200 and the whole 'freedom of choice' is out the window.
4. Posted by JD | July 16, 2009 4:00 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 16:00
5. Posted by iwogisdead | July 16, 2009 4:22 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Oh, you mean that pesky little part about making it illegal for anyone to change private insurers or to enroll in new private insurance plans? That part that will eventually force everyone onto the government option? Don't worry about that. It's nothing.
Look! Here's some free candy!!
5. Posted by iwogisdead | July 16, 2009 4:22 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 16:22
6. Posted by Trajan | July 16, 2009 4:37 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Mainstream press: "Move along people....nothing
to see here!"
6. Posted by Trajan | July 16, 2009 4:37 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 16:37
7. Posted by bobdog | July 16, 2009 4:48 PM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Wait! You mean we can't spend our way to economic paradise?
Nancy Pelosi said in a press conference today that the Soak The Rich tax may not be needed. If not, she said, we can just apply it to the deficit. Like it was nuthin'.
Never met a deficit funded pork program or a tax she didn't like. Even in a recession.
Here's a suggestion: Cancel the damned stimulus plan. Defeat Cap and Trade. Defeat the Medical Reform Whether You Like It or Not bill. Take that money, divide it up among the taxpayers, and cancel company and personal payroll taxes until it's all used up. It's about $75,000 for every taxpayer in the country.
Oh, yeah. As a major cost cutting measure, send these clowns home until the refund is used up. That alone would cut the deficit in half.
7. Posted by bobdog | July 16, 2009 4:48 PM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 16:48
8. Posted by Neo | July 16, 2009 5:50 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Simple solution regading the matter of cost reductions .. stop all medical research.
You don't need a R&D budget for medical research when you're not going to use it.
Any new innovation will extend the life of users of the health care system, which in turn will raise not just the continued cost of the surviving patient, but additional costs of other like patients.
As a simple matter of economics, there would be no need for a R&D budget that would lead to the extension human life because it would raise costs on two fronts.
8. Posted by Neo | July 16, 2009 5:50 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 17:50
9. Posted by The Big O! | July 16, 2009 6:10 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Everyone knows that the CBO is just a right-wing racist organization that will just make up numbers because they want Obama to fail.
9. Posted by The Big O! | July 16, 2009 6:10 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 18:10
10. Posted by P. Bunyan | July 16, 2009 6:10 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Don't worry Neo, if Obama care becomes law that will happen by default.
Unfortunately that will also happen in every other sector of our ecomony that Obama nationalizes. The motive for R & D is profit. To Obama and likeminded far leftists, profiting from productive activities that contribute to the advancement of the quality of life is evil. Now if you profit from scams like global warming like Algore does, or if you sue your profits off society like Pretty John Edwards, that's O.k.
10. Posted by P. Bunyan | July 16, 2009 6:10 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 18:10
11. Posted by Peter F. | July 16, 2009 6:53 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
CBO=Crushingly Bad for Obama
11. Posted by Peter F. | July 16, 2009 6:53 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 18:53
12. Posted by Upset Old Guy | July 16, 2009 7:18 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
While I get Neo's point, he misses the reality that medical research will be needed so that the very latest in medical technology will be available for use by our permanent, liberal ruling class.
F. Castro has his own floor in the main hospital in Havana. Will Nancy accept any less?
12. Posted by Upset Old Guy | July 16, 2009 7:18 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 19:18
13. Posted by Trajan | July 16, 2009 9:33 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Elmendorf single-handedly gutted the Obamacare
fish.
The Dem spin-machine will need a Pontiac 389-
block with three-deuce aspiration to cure the
sputtering I'm hearing today. But I'm hearing
that Bammy don't know diddley about cars.
13. Posted by Trajan | July 16, 2009 9:33 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on July 16, 2009 21:33
14. Posted by ODA315 | July 17, 2009 12:03 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Quick, get Elmendorf bodyguards before he's found face-down in Ft. Marcy park.
14. Posted by ODA315 | July 17, 2009 12:03 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 17, 2009 00:03