The Senate is expected to try to take up S. 1776 today for a cloture vote. What that means is the Senate will see if it can get 60 votes to cut off debate on the measure.
As I told you yesterday, S. 1776 is a deficit busting bribe to the doctors’ lobby to support Obamacare. If this passes, Obamacare will probably pass.
The measure is a three quarters of a trillion dollar payout to doctors through increased medicare subsidies. That sounds good until you consider it will drive up the deficit, it is how the Democrats are claiming their health care legislation does not increase the deficit, and it will amount to a tax on seniors who will pay for a portion of the increased costs.
This is bad news. But the American Medical Association is rumored to have promised full support for Obamacare in exchange for this.
Several Republican Senators are wavering.
Chief among them is Bob Bennett whose own health care plan is further left than Obama’s. Bennett, one of MItch McConnell’s loyal lieutenants is pressuring Republicans to support cloture to give him cover.
Here are the big targets today. I’ll add to it as field reports come in from activists:
Bob Bennett (UT) at 202-224-5444*
Richard Burr (NC) at 202-224-3154
Jon Kyl (AZ) at 202-224-4521
Tell each one to oppose cloture on S. 1776. Supporting cloture is an endorsement of the Democrats’ strategy to pass Obamacare and will seriously increase the deficit.
NOTE: you’ll probably be told that S. 1776 has been pulled from the floor. Yes, to the extent that they want you to stop calling and once the phones go silent they’ll rush it out this afternoon.
*Bob Bennett’s office tells me that he should not be on this list and that, in fact, I should have called his office and fact checked all of you who called him and were told by his office that he would be supporting S. 1776. According to his office, though 3 of you specifically were told he’d be supporting it, that is not true and he is opposed.
