(From AP Sources)
Reid has been merging bills cleared earlier by two separate committees but has a virtual free hand in the bill he crafts.
On one contentious issue, he has already said his measure will include an option for consumers to purchase health care from the government as a way to create competition with private companies. States could drop out of the system. [emphasis added]
If Reid is referencing ‘opt out’ provisions in the Harkin bill, then he is lying. The link below is to the HELP Committee Detailed Summary of that bill. Reid’s “states could drop out of the system” provision is detailed on Page 4:
http://help.senate.gov/DetailedSummar.pdf
“Allowing State Flexibility. States have three options regarding their participation in the Gateway. An “establishing state” is one that proactively seeks such status to launch its Gateway as early as possible and which meets the requirements of the law. A “participating state” requests that the Secretary establish an initial Gateway once all necessary insurance market reforms have been enacted by the state into law, and other requirements have been met. In a state that does not act to conform to the new requirements, the Secretary shall establish and operate a Gateway in the state after a period of six years, and such state will become a “participating state.” Until a state becomes either an establishing or participating state, the residents of that state will not be eligible for premium credits, an expanded Medicaid match, or small business credits.”
Clearly no real ‘opt out’ choice exists given that the Federal program will be forcibly injected into the individual states at the end of six years. No Constitutional authority exists for such an action. Also worth noting is the withholding of individual and small business benefits from states who choose to exercise their Constitutional powers as defined in Amendment X.
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s analysis of current healthcare legislation in both the House and the Senate is correct: bills written by liberals for liberals. It is the intent of the Soros White House to force socialized medicine onto the United States in accordance with the Open Society Institute Socialist Agenda found at: http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=977
