Baucus Accuses Kyl Of Stalling Markup Of Health Care Reform Bill

Travis Martinez, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

While the third day of the Senate Finance Committee's markup of the "America's Healthy Future Act" opened Thursday with an exchange of bipartisan jokes, it quickly turned serious as Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) painted Senator Orrin Hatch (D-Utah) and other members of the conservative caucus as defenders of the status quo. Baucus also accused Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) for stalling the markup process.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R- Iowa) strongly criticized Medicare drug benefits and doughnut-hole dual eligible Americans, saying that the Baucus bill, “would undermine the [Medicare] part D program. Added Grassley, "The [Congressional Budget Office] is like God around here,” a reference to CBO estimates that the nation would face increased deficits if the bill is passed.

Democratic committee members on Thursday said they would focus on gaining the backing of the centrists in their own party, particularly Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.). In addition, Democrats were expected to attempt to win over the support of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), a moderate Republican who is viewed as a potential swing vote.

With 564 amendments, the markup of the America's Healthy Future Act 2009 is expected to continue into next week.

Small business was big business in Geithner hearing

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service


“This is a very good budget, because it’s an honest budget...Now just because this is an honest budget does not mean that this is an easy budget. The budget presents some difficult realities, and it presents some hard choices.” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Max Baucus (D-Mont).

Today in the Senate Finance Committee meeting, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testified and expressed why President Obama’s budget plan will work. "We are absolutely committed to working with you on how to produce a package of reforms that meets the President's broad principles in a way that is fiscally responsible for the country...We wanted to put on the table, to improve the credibility of our commitment to do this, concrete proposals that would achieve that.” Geithner stated. 

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said that in 2007 small business created 74% of new jobs. “I don’t understand why you would charge small business operators more than you would charge corporations...I want to emphasize for the Secretary over half are between 20 and 500 employees. Those larger small businesses are also businesses most likely to expand or contract depending on business conditions.” he stated.

In addition to discussions about small business, taxes, and health care reform, Geithner expressed two critical functions that the government must accomplish to get the economy back on track. “We need to make sure that banks have the resources needed to provide credit to the economy...The basic machinery necessary for credit to work in our country is broken in some respects, the pipes are clogged...So a critical second part of our program is to act directly to get credit flowing again to get those markets to start opening up. The entire small business lending market, the auto finance market, the student loan market, the consumer credit markets depend on that machinery.” Geithner concluded.