Policy & Advocacy News
ArchivesCongress Overrides President’s Veto
Late Tuesday night Congress successfully averted a 10.6 percent cut to the Medicare physician reimbursement rate just before it was scheduled to take affect at midnight. Congress voted to override the president’s veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act.
Under considerable pressure from physician and patient groups, many Republicans split with the president and vote in favor of an override. The House of Representatives voted 383 to 41 to override while the Senate voted 70 to 26. Both well above the required 2/3 majority.
Posted by Joe Arite on July 17th, 2008
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Tags: Congress, Medicare, President Bush
Kennedy Returns to the Senate
Greeted by a standing ovation from senators on both sides of the aisle, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) returned to the Senate floor on Wednesday for the first time since he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in May.
His return brought a victory to a stalled Medicare bill. The Medicare Improvements for Patients Providers Act (HR 6331) was approved yesterday by a veto proof margin in the Senate. Now the 10.6 percent cut to physicians’ payments, which went into effect on July 1st, will be reversed.
Posted by Joe Arite on July 10th, 2008
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Tags: Medicare, Senate, Senator Kennedy
Happy 4th of July!
There’s nothing like the 4th of July to remind us of how great our country is. For me, what I love most about being an American is my right to speak out in support or opposition of what my elected officials are doing up in Congress and in the White House.
When I turned 18, I was so excited that I finally had the right to vote (you can imagine how much fun I was in high school). As a bona fide history geek, every time I vote, or place a call to Congress or write a letter to my electeds, I think about the patriots who embarked on a Great Experiment and sought to create a government of the people, by the people, for the people. How unsure they must have been that it would work, that a country without a strong central government would be able to thrive, that its citizens wouldn’t naturally gravitate back into living under tyranny. Ultimately, their faith in humankind won out over the fear and doubt. Man, that gets me.
Posted by Carlea Bauman on July 3rd, 2008
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Senate Goes on Vacation…Seniors Suffer
Last week the U.S. Senate was unable to vote on HR 6331, The Medicare Improvements for Patients Providers Act. The Senate voted 58-40 to cut off debate and take up the bill, but they were two votes shy of what was needed.
What does this mean? If the Senate vote to cut off the debate ended up 60-40, the Senate would have been forced to vote on the bill. Instead, the Senate debated endlessly (filibuster) until they finally adjourned to go home for the entire next week. Because of this inaction, payments for physicians who treat Medicare recipients were cut by 10.6 percent on July 1st.
Posted by Joe Arite on July 3rd, 2008
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Tags: Congress, Medicare, Senate
President Bush Signs FY 08 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill
President Bush signed the Fiscal Year 2008 emergency supplemental appropriations bill today. We are happy to report the bill included an additional $150 million for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Click here to read a statement from Senator Byrd (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Posted by Joe Arite on June 30th, 2008
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Tags: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill, FDA, President Bush
