Congress and the M&M Complex

Republicans, Blue Dogs and spineless lawmakers are lamenting that real health care reform will be too expensive, will take choices away from people, and will put the government in charge of our health care. Those are, of course, bald-faced lies that will be dealt with later in this post. First of all, let’s recognize the contradictory rationale they are using to torpedo real reform, and then we’ll expose the duplicity behind their misfeasance.

On October 2, 2002 the “go to war” Iraq Resolution was introduced in Congress. It was fast-tracked, won approval in both Congressional bodies, and was signed into law - 14 days later - by George W. Bush on October 16, 2002. The economic estimates for going to war? Endless.

According to Linda J. Bilmes, a lecturer in public finance at Harvard University’s Kennedy School and Joseph E. Stiglitz, a University Professor of Economics at Columbia University and winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics, “all told, the bill for the Iraq war is likely to top $3 trillion. And that's a conservative estimate”. Other distinguished economists agree.

That works out to at least $10,000 for every man, woman, and child in our nation!

That $3 trillion + was a blank check made payable to the foibles of Bush. And even today, when it comes to war, Congress is like the gift that keeps on giving.

Estimates of the cost in human lives – both military and civilian - range from a low of 101,000 to a high of 1,000,000! That is tragic, and particularly so given that the war is unjust and illegal.

Then there’s the Patriot Act. It was introduced into Congress on October 23, 2001 and was signed by Bush on October 26, 2001!

Congress is able to act expeditiously when the military-industrial complex and agencies dedicated to curtailing our liberties come a’calling, but when it comes to health care reform that will serve the people, they haven’t done their job for fifty years!

Why? Follow the money.

Arms manufacturers give generously to their pals in Congress. We’re talking big bucks here! Then, too, the oil companies have likewise been exceedingly generous. (The rare breed of courageous and honest lawmakers have correctly pointed out that if there was only sand under the sand in Iraq there would be no war.)

Not to be outdone, the medical-profits industry has lavished $2.2 billion on Washington D.C. in the past decade. Do the math! That works out to $400,000 per year for every Member of Congress. To be fair, not all lawmakers are on the take. That means that some received much more than that amount. Take Senator Max Baucus (D – MT). He chairs the Senate Finance Committee That Committee has massive power and is crafting a health care “reform” bill. Max has received an average of somewhat in excess of $1500 per day from January 2003 through 2008. That’s $3.4 million is six years! The family of former Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is also the recipient “munificent gifting”. The Frists are among the richest 400 families in the U.S. And would it surprise you to learn they founded the Hospital Corporation of America. HCA is a for-profit hospital chain.

Don’t be fooled! What will emerge from the Senate Finance Committee will be a sham authored largely by Max’s benefactors.

There are many other Congressional culprits in the military/medical payola scheme, which explains why war is quick to come by, and true health care reform is little more than a slogan.

It is particularly galling when lawmakers like Rep. Larsen (WA-2) alibi war-funding, then turn around and lie about how expensive single payer health care would be, and how it would cause Americans to “lose their choices”. Larsen, et al, are doing nothing more than repeating the reprehensible, deceitful “talking points” concocted by right-wing message guru Frank Luntz.

Here’s the real lowdown: HR 676, the single payer bill in the House which is co-sponsored by nearly 100 Democrats, would cover everyone for all medically-necessary care. HR 676 would cost less than the $2.4 trillion that will be spent on health care in the U.S. this year. The average family of four with health insurance would save about 75% of what they currently spend. There would be no deductibles or co-payments or bills to pay. All payments would be made by a National Health Insurance trust. You would have your choice of doctors and other providers and hospitals – anytime, anywhere! Like the doctor you now have? If so, HR 676 will not in any way hinder your right to keep that provider. Medical decisions would be made by patients and their doctors. Bean-counters representing the medial-profits industry would no longer be able to interfere in your health care! Every resident of the U.S. would be covered. Everyone would have access to high-quality care. Everyone! All the time! For everything!

How would HR 676 be funded? First and foremost, profit-takers would be removed from our health care system. That means that medical insurers and for-profit hospitals would no longer be part of the equation. Hundreds of billions of dollars that they currently waste on “administration” each year would be saved. The excesses of the pharmaceutical industry would be curtailed. Additional funding sources would be:employer payroll tax of 4.5% in addition to the already existing 1.45% for Medicare; employee payroll tax of 3.3%, in addition to the already existing 1.45% for Medicare;
· establish a 5% health tax on the top 5% of income earners;
· 10% tax on top 1% of wage earners;
· 1/3rd of 1% stock transaction tax;
· closing corporate tax loop-holes;
· repeal the Bush tax cut for the highest income earners.

Alas, what we’re likely to wind up with is a bill with the word “reform” in its title and perhaps even the words “public option” somewhere in the text of the bill. Neither will significantly alter our fragmented, broken health care system. Those who believe otherwise - those who trust that Congress will suddenly be prompted to do what is ethical and moral – are ignoring fifty years of history, and are tragically underestimating the tremendous influence that profit-takers wield over a Congress with its hand out. Some pie-in-the-sky dreamers claim that a “public option” will eventually lead to single payer. Dream on. A “public option” will have more holes in it than Swiss cheese. For starters, it will leave the profit-takers at the table. Another, ominous tone coming from the Congressional faux-reform crowd is that “a public option will allow people to tailor health care plans to fit their budgets”. That means Band-aid and aspirin coverage for people who are financially-strapped, and primo, Cadillac coverage for the affluent. Why don’t they just say “all medically-necessary care will be covered”? Because that’s not what they mean! That’s not what they have in store for you. And how many politicos have stated, “everyday people should have access to the same health care plan I have”. Hold your noses when you hear that one.

The Congressional plan - The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program – is not all that it is cracked up to be. (Tens of thousands of federal employees are unable to afford it.) Congress gets 75% of the premium for FEHB paid by taxpayers. And Congressional salaries of $180,000 per year allow lawmakers to pay whatever deductibles or co-payments may accrue. So the next time you hear someone like Larsen spout the “you can have what I have” line, say ok as long as 75% of your premium is paid by someone else, and providing you are guaranteed an income equal to that of Congress.
If we allow Congress to shove fake-reform down our throats just like it shoved NAFTA, the war, and The Patriot Act down our throats we shouldn’t be surprised when we wind up with something that will look a lot like what we have today. They’ll do whatever we allow them to get away with.
Lawmakers who are lying to us and who are carrying the water for the military/medical complex need to be defeated in their bids for re-election. The time to find credible challengers to run against duplicitous, malfeasant politicians is now!

Unless we are willing to take militant and activist steps to win real reform, we’ll wind up with something that will seek to treat a heart attack with a Band-aid.