House GOP to push separate bill to end government shutdown, raise debt ceiling

[OhioChick]

Source: CNBC

Tuesday, 15 Oct 2013 | 9:42 AM ET

The House GOP will propose a bill to open the government and raise the debt ceiling in return for various concessions related to Obamacare.

The bill will ask for, among other things, a two year delay in a controversial medical device tax, and will require income verification for various aspects of Obamacare.

In return, the bill will fund the government through January 15, and raise the debt ceiling until February 7.

Dow Jones reported the House measure would also place limits on the Treasury's ability to take the so-called extraordinary measures it has used to extend the debt ceiling in past.

The House could vote on its version of the plan as soon as Tuesday, the wire service reported.

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101087385

[monmouth3]

1. Nope...n/t

[sorefeet]

2. The shut down will continue.

[Stuart G]

4. Maybe, maybe not.

Just cause the House passes their version does not mean the Senate's version will not get a vote. We will see soon enough..

[lostincalifornia]

26. Not only will it continue, this insures the default. screw them, and the horse they rode on

[geek tragedy]

3. Are there 218 votes to fully fund the ACA, its regulations, its enforcement, and its

subsidies?

Med device tax, cabinet members in the exchanges, income verification--they shut down the government and provoked a crisis over that?

[unionthug777]

5. really?!!

[Turbineguy]

6. The repubs may have this figured out

If they crash the economy and chaos ensures, most of those shooting other people will be republican voters. Sure, millions will die but at least Heulskamp won't need to worry about getting primaried.

[davidthegnome]

7. Ugh.

They know full well that this isn't going to work. So what the hell are they up to? Are they just trying to say, "Hey, we put a bill together, but the senate/President rejected it - don't blame us!"?

If they think that's going to fool the American people, they're even dumber than I thought. They keep this shit up for just a couple more days... and damn, things are going to get a lot worse.

[Zorro]

12. They're not serious

It's a lame CYA move. Deliberately and unnecessarily inflicting financial pain and suffering on millions of Americans is not an act of virtue.

These Republican representatives obviously are not the sharpest tools in the shed, and seem blissfully unaware of the power and effect of the internet to highlight their idiocy to millions of voters.

It's not 1996, and I think this next election cycle they will discover en masse just now much the country has judged them to be unfit to govern. Hopefully they will be destroyed as a major political force for decades.

[gopiscrap]

27. I agree

[Renew Deal]

8. Might as well vote on giving confederate flags to every american

It's not going to happen

[Fuddnik]

9. Keep doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result.

Insanity.--Albert Einstein

[Agnosticsherbet]

10. We are going over the cliff....

This is going to end very badly.

[LiberalLoner]

13. +1

[LibGranny]

22. + another 1

[brooklynite]

11. ...making Boehner's job harder

Either he blocks the Conservative's bill, pissing off the Tea Party, OR he puts the Senate "surrender" bill up for a vote after the Conservatives get worked up passing their own, OR he blocks the Senate bill and takes the hit for destroying the economy.

[Cosmocat]

18. YEP - this spineless twit is in a REALLY bad spot

You KNEW the house lunatics weren't going to just sit there and let the senate offer come to them and have a straight up and down vote without doing SOMETHING to try to spin their way out of it.

[Buddaman]

14. nt

[Xyzse]

15. Same thing they sent last time?

[KansDem]

16. What's with the "medical device tax?'

This is why the medical device tax is in so much trouble

How many times since Reagan have we heard the statement "if my taxes aren't lowered or eliminated, I'll move operations offshore." So their taxes are lowered or eliminated, and they still move operations offshore!

I pay taxes, why can't these people?

This is really getting old...

[JDPriestly]

35. The medical device tax will mostly hit seniors who have to have the devices.

This tax will not affect companies. It will just be passed on. I think that people are becoming more aware of the importance of Made in the USA. If the companies move, raise the tax more. I say that as a senior who will need to pay the tax. I really want to see the ACA succeed. It is important for the future of our country.

I would like to know what kind of health insurance plans, the companies in the medical device industry offer their lowest level employees. Are they part of the healthcare problem or part of the solution. What is the point in making medical devices if people don't have the income (from the jobs the industry threatens to take out of the country) or the health insurance to pay for the devices you make?

The arguments of the medical device industry make no sense.

I favor a tax on imports to pay for the ACA among other things. That's where the profits and money are in the US. Reduce taxes on paychecks (income taxes) and increase taxes on purchases from other countries (import taxes). That is how you keep jobs in a country.

The German economy and German industry and workers are keeping Europe as afloat as it is. In short, Germany is doing well. Let's see some of Germany's rules about employment. They work.

Here a quote:

The mandatory Social Security System in Germany consists of health insurance, home care and nursing insurance, pension insurance and unemployment insurance. Generally, its is mandatory that all employees are insured by the German Social Security System. Health, home care and nursing, unemployment and pension insurance premiums are paid equally by the employer and by the employee (50% each). Premiums amount to approximately 22% of the employees’ gross salary for each the employer and the employee.

In companies with more than five employees, the employees may elect a works council. The works council represents the employees and negotiates, cooperates and consults with the employer in various situations (e.g., hiring of new employees, changes to the place of business, shut down of the business, mass layoffs).

. . . .


If a company engages in a mass layoff (which is deemed to occur when the employer intends to dismiss a large percentage of its employees during a one-month period) prior approval by the employment office is required.

http://www.wilmerhale.com/pages/publicationsandNewsDetail.aspx?NewsPubId=90463

[KansDem]

37. The article addressed only industry concerns.

Thanks for the clarification.

If the companies move, raise the tax more. I agree.

[L0oniX]

17. YAwn n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. `Absolutely NO

An attempt to tie the hands of the Executive branch regarding how we meet our debt obligations is a total deal breaker in particular. That is a power grab on top of everything else.

[chelsea0011]

20. I see the clowns can't let it go.

[hobbit709]

21. My response to the House GOP is simple "GO FUCK YOURSELVES!!"

[phiddle]

23. I'm expecting that the House conservatives will collude with the Cruzaders in the Senate,

Who will use procedural means (denying consent to proceed, filibuster, etc) to prevent the Reid-McConnell bill from passing. In this case the House bill would be the only one standing. Were this the case Reid must consider the nuclear option and we'd have a full-blown governing crisis on our hands.

[Swede Atlanta]

24. No, no, no.......

Obama needs to stand firm and teach the talibaggers that extortion is not a winning strategy in a representative democracy.

Unfortunately I think Reid has already come to some compromise/concession agreement with McConnell which sets the stage for the House traitors to demand even more.

If we were doing this as part of normal budget or policy making negotiations I would support tweaking the ACA. I preferred a single payer system but accepted the ACA as probably the best we could get and I knew it would take some work to iron out unforeseen consequences and other problems.

I wouldn't oppose some adjustments to the medical device tax and even the individual mandate. I appreciate that HHS has issued numerous temporary exemptions for some businesses and can see the issue of fairness on providing similar exemptions for individuals. Had HHS not issued any exemptions or waivers then this issue of fairness wouldn't even exist.

My understanding is there are already income verification requirements in the ACA. I believe the systems check both the social security number and income with the SSA and IRS and then there is the controversial identity verification being done by Experian.

I am totally opposed to any attempts to limit Treasury's ability to do what it considers necessary.

[TomCADem]

25. NY Times - "Unclear Whether Plan Has Backing from RepublicansIt was far from clear whether enough H"

I guess Boehner's latest ransom demand may not even have the support of a majority of his members. I guess Boehner, Issa, and Ryan just want to feel relevant.

http://www.nytimes.com/news/fiscal-crisis/2013/10/15/unclear-whether-plan-has-backing-from-republicans/

It was far from clear whether enough House Republicans, a group that is deeply divided over raising the debt ceiling at all, would get behind the plan.

“I would say there are sincere deep thoughts of concern,” said Representative Walter Jones of North Carolina as he left the meeting. “Right now the fight is whether we stand our ground.”

Representative Charlie Dent, Republican of Pennsylvania, said hardline conservatives may oppose the plan as insufficiently tough on the health care law and moderate Republicans could balk as well.

That could force consideration of the Senate measure.

[Robbins]

28. Get ready to go over the cliff

They are asking tons of reward for this crisis.Reid and Obama will reject It.

Default here we come.

[JDPriestly]

29. No. Just raise the debt ceiling until at least the next election and leave the Afforrdable Care Act

alone. If Democrats bargain with Republicans in this way, the country will never be able to make ANY progress in any area.

The Obama administration needs to let people in Republican districts understand how the ACA works and why each element of it is vital to the functioning overall.

The ACA is not perfect, not by any means. But it has been negotiated. We wasted a long, long time and hours and hours of Congress' precious, well paid work hours to arrive at a compromise on the ACA. Let's don't start over.

The Obama administration needs to get on talk radio and answer its critics. It needs to put offer qualified spokespeople, not just politicians, but doctors and nurses that are really versed in what the ACA is about, to answer critics more succinctly and clearly.

What is going on in a travesty of democracy. Republican idiots in the House are throwing a temper tantrum at a time when the country needs to put this first attempt at health care for at least more people if not all to bed.

No. No. No. Don't give in. Give more information.

[former9thward]

39. Each element is vital to the functioning overall?

That would be a very difficult explanation to make given that companies were given a one year waiver and the cap on out of pocket expenses was given a one year waiver.

[JDPriestly]

41. That is enough of a compromise.

The fact is that the Republicans are attacking the ACA, bit by bit. We cannot let them do that.

This government closure is also an attack on our scientists. That is a huge industry in this country that Republicans ignore. It is going to hurt doctors who submit bills for pay to the government. It is going to hurt seniors citizens, the disabled. It is going to hurt exports, imports and every aspect of our economy.

The Republicans are insane, and any person who votes for a Republican should have a psychiatric examination.

If our dollar becomes seriously questioned thanks to this Republican stunt, our military may not be as welcome overseas as it is now. Personally, I think that might be a very good thing. But the Republicans will be furious.

Republicans are so short-sighted.

If they are the business sector in our country, it is no wonder that our economy has been struggling so. We've got a lot of stupid people running our businesses.

I remember back in the 1960s, business was considered an easy major. If you didn't have good SAT scores but had the money to go to college, you majored in business. That was a huge change from the days when our business leaders had serious degrees like liberal arts or engineering.

We are now seeing what happens in a society when you put people in charge of the economy who don't know much and never wanted to learn much. Marketing? My eye. Sorry if this offends people. But marketing is not a science. It is not an art. It takes people skills that you don't learn from books. There are aspects of business that take learning and intellectual skills, the kinds of things that should be taught in college. But most of them don't.

Chemists need a lot of education. So do electrical engineers. Musicians and artists need to perfect their skills (but many do it without education).

We worship the leaders of business, pay them huge salaries, give them power, but we never stop to think whether they have the education, the wisdom or the knowledge or even just the compassion to make the kinds of decisions about our society and our economy that their wealth and position allows them, sometimes requires them to make. Generally, I think not. Very often a lower level employee, someone with real expertise, or someone simply with compassion could make those decisions, far better informed or far wiser decisions, than high level business "leaders." Business leaders often get to the top of their businesses because they are colder, more self-interested than others.

So we need to rethink some fundamental structures and values in our society.

The Koch brothers -- inherited wealth, narrow human experience, self-satisfaction, greed, the desire to dominate -- horrible characteristics for anyone in a powerful position. Would you marry a man or woman like that? For anything other than his/her money? I think not.

[EC]

30. Income verification?

I thought it was based on your tax returns anyway, what other verification do they want?

[former9thward]

40. Under current law income is verified when you file your taxes the year later.

The Rs want the income verified before you sign up.

[Liberalynn]

31. Absolutely F..ing No

Especially on the treasury part. They only want to do that so threatening to breach the debt limit is an even stronger blackmail weapon.

Each time I think they've reached their maximum level to infuriate, they up the ante. I am skeptical about Karma but if it is real, I hope it truly bights each and every one of them in the ass. The only problem is it can't bee soon enough.

[Baitball Blogger]

32. Don't do it.

They'll just demand more concessions in February.

When did Congress become a third-world flea market?

[Kablooie]

33. Even with the Senate bill the Dems have caved.

It's not a clean bill at all.
None of of this is.

The GOP wins because we are negotiating.
It's a time proven method to get what they want once again.
Threaten to destroy the country and get a free gift.
Works every time.

[florida08]

34. White House just sent out release

Indicating we will not be held hostage by a minority in the House. Waiting on Boehner to make an announcement on now

[lostincalifornia]

36. Just announced house bill on hold

[warrenswil]

38. stalemate?

It won't fly!
They are so blind ... the Tea Party can't yet see it lost.
The longer they stall the worse things get for them.

[Kablooie]

42. Sounds like they've already ripped into several parts.

[Divernan]

43. "Controversial medical device tax" ?!?!? My A**!

As Bill Maher commented:

"One of the big teaparty complaints about the affordable care act is the 2.3% tax on medical devices. WHY??? It costs approximately $350.00 to manufacture the metal parts for a hip replacement. Your insurance ends up billing you $25,000 to $30,000 for that same appliance. WHY SHOULD THERE NOT BE A TAX ON A MARKUP LIKE THAT?"