House sets healthcare reform vote for Sunday but the battle is not over
The American people have been battling the healthcare reform bill– as has congress– for almost a year now and the media is portraying the end as being near now that the House has scheduled a vote on healthcare reform for sometime on Sunday. But the end is not yet here, no matter what happens on Sunday.
If the House does vote on Sunday– and that is still iffy as the votes are not yet there– it will mean that the House is confident that they can either pass the bill on a straight up or down vote, or they will use the Slaughter solution to pass the bill without voting on it. But that is not the end of the battle, the Senate will still have to approve the changes. If the Senate does not approve the all of the changes the House will once again have to vote on the changes that the Senate did make. This process if still not over.
If the house votes on and passes the bill this Sunday, it will be a setback for all that we have worked for for the past nine months, but it will not be time to despair and it will not be time to throw in the towel. With every passing obstacle that is cleared the bill gets closer to passage, and as the bill gets closer to passage the natural reaction is for those who are fighting against it to become more nad more disheartened– possibly even throwing in the towel. Now is not the time to throw in the towel, that is what the Democrats are hoping for. I know firsthand how hard it is to rail against this everyday, wondering if it is worth it. After all, aren’t they going to do whatever the hell they want to regardless of what the people want? But we cannot give up until the president has signed this bill into law. We can’t give up even then because there will be constitutional challenges to this legislation. The press may say that the battle is nearing an end but in fact the battle is just beginning.
Please remain vigilant in the days ahead, we need to keep up the pressure as long as this bill is being debated, no matter how bleak it appears and no matter what our chances are of stopping it. Please continue to call, write, and email your representatives, let them know that if they do not listen now they will not have to worry about listening after November because they will join the ranks of the ever growing unemployed.
As this bill gets closer to passage, it is the most critical time to make our voices heard. If a full effort is given by us and we still lose at least we will know that we did everything we could and never gave up, but if we give up now before the bill is finalized we will regret it for the rest of our lives.
Remember the words on Thomas Paine:
These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.
America's Watchtower 
Well said Mr. Pink Eyes. It’s not over, not by a long shot. And even if they get this abomination through both houses, and signed into law, the states will then be fighting it, and we will have to fight all of the other abominations that are to follow. After that, it will be election time. There will be no rest.
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You are right, there will be no rest. This is likely to draw on for years in litigation. And then there is amnesty which could be on the table next. I think one of the reasons the “benefits” of the healthcare reform bill do not go into effect for four years is so that they will have time to legalize the illegal abd get them on the plan.
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Good post, Mr. Pink Eyes and good words of encouragement to keep in mind as this debate continues.
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Thanks Larry, I think I was writing this to myself as well. It is getting pretty discouraging to watch this take place.
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No reason to give up because this is much deeper then a health care reform bill. With every violation of the Constitution, with every progressive move by this president the American population is growing more and more aware of their own standing.
How many Americans are for the first time in their lives getting politically involved?
We will see in November.
In the meantime:
If Congress uses the Slaughter rule the Senate bill will be signed into law not the reconciliation bill.
This is the predicament they are in. But challenge it all you want, once signed the whole Healthcare issue goes away and anyone who brings it up will be accused of not being able to deal with reality. They will be added to the ranks of the birther.
But give up? Hell No
I will continue to remind my Democratic friends what they voted for and to conceder who they are enabling with their vote.
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We can’t give up, we must win back the congress in November, people are waking up and realizing what is happening. We can taks back both houses in November and stop this president in his tracks.
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Now, it is Sat afternoon, and boy I’ll tell ya, the Dem leaders sure seem excited. DO they have the votes or not? The people on Foxnews seem all giddy too, which is very disturbing. BUt like Rick said, we’ll just see in November.
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If they hold a vote, they will have the votes. Unless something unforeseen happens, this will pass because Pelosi would never take the chance of embarrassing herself by losing a vote.
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