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Huckabee and Voight Discuss Obamacare |
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Prayer-Soldier writes "
On 30 Aug 09, John Voight was interviewed on FOX's Huckabee. During the interview, Voight and Huckabee discussed the efforts of President Obama to engage religious groups across America as a means to push through health care reform. Voight said, “We are witnessing a slow and steady take over of our true freedoms.” Voight related that he felt the American people do not want this government intrusion in their lives.
The discussion targeted President Obama's appeal, on 19 Aug 09, to faith based groups to support Health Care Reform. Voight opined that President Obama was trying everything to get health care reform to include invoking God. Voight said, “If you love God, he tells us, if you love God, then it's your duty to vote this health care bill in.” Voight continued, “I say, they are attempting to take away God's first gift to man, free will.”
On 19 Aug 09, CNN reported that Obama participated in a 40 minute call that included an estimated 140,000 members of a coalition of 30 faith based groups. The beginning of the call began with a prayer, by Dr. Cynthia Hale, pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church of Decator, GA. She began the prayer by saying, “Our agenda is simple, we want to see your will done on earth as perfectly as it is in heaven.”
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Hale continued, “We believe that it is Your will that every man, woman, boy and girl receive affordable quality health care in America. It is YOUR will that every person would prosper and be in good health even as our souls prosper. We pray our President and Congress may be guided by compassion and visionary leadership in our nation's quest for health care reform and for this interfaith coalition of Your people. Bind us together God, with cords that cannot be broken. We know there is blessing and power in our unity, especially when we pray. Give us wisdom and give us courage for the facing of this hour.”
At the conclusion of the prayer, the speaker stated, “This is not about ideology or partisan politics, this is about people's lives. This may be about your life or may be a family member's life or a close friend.” The call related a number of problems with our current health care system and then went on to answer a number of questions from the White House's perspective. President Obama spoke towards the end. During his comments, Obama stated, "There are some folks out there who are, frankly, bearing false witness." Obama pointed to references to such subjects as death panels, government take over and abortion as issues being misrepresented by opponents.
In reference to the death panel issue, Obama stated, "That is just an extraordinary lie," the CNN report quoted Obama as saying that “It was based on a provision in the House legislation that would allow Medicare to reimburse someone who voluntarily sought counseling on how to set up a living will for the end of life. It gives an option that people who can afford fancy lawyers already experience."
Opponents point to one version of the democratic bill which states on page 432, “For purposes of reporting data on quality measures for covered professional services furnished during 2011 and any subsequent year, to the extent that measures are available, the Secretary shall include quality measures on end of life care and advanced care planning that have been adopted or endorsed by a consensus-based organization, if appropriate. Such measures shall measure both the creation of and adherence to orders for life sustaining treatment.” On page 624, the bill lists a number of items that the measurements will assess, but it is not until page 628, that the bill indicates one purpose for such quality measures. It states that, “the Secretary shall make public a list of measures being considered for selection for quality measurement by the Secretary in rule making with respect to payment systems under this title.....”
While it is true that the term “death panel” is not used in the bill, opponents are concerned about the connection of references that identifies quality measures will be used for purposes of rule making with respect to payment systems. Some would say that this is no different than what currently exists within our health care system today, while others point out there is no limit upon what government may do. The fear is that without language that limits powers, the results may be used to ration health care.
Additionally, opponents point to the requirements for end of life counseling. Such counseling is designed to provide assistance with considerations related to establishing living wills and to make plans for end of life decisions. Opponents, however, point to the book that the Obama administration resurrected in Jul 09 to counsel veterans on advance care and end of life decisions. In an 18 Aug 09 Wall Street Journal editorial, Jim Towey outlined some of the considerations the book asks veterans to make. He stated that the “hurry-up-and-die message is clear and unconscionable.” Towey questioned, “When the government can steer vulnerable individuals to conclude for themselves that life is not worth living, who needs a death panel?”
In relation to the “government take over” issue, page 14 of the draft legislation states that the purpose of the section is to establish standards to ensure that new health insurance coverage and employment-based health plans that are offered meet standards guaranteeing access to affordable coverage, essential benefits, and other consumer protections.” Page 16 identifies plans which are grandfathered, supporting Obama's assertion that “if you like your health care coverage, you get to keep it,” but on page 17, the bill states that within 5 years current employment based plans “must meet the same requirements as apply to a qualified health benefits plan under section 101, including the essential benefit package requirement under section 121.” Section 101 refers to Title B which sets the standards for the “Public Option.” Opponents would suggest such standards and pricing controls will eventually lead to a government takeover through the public option.
Opponents point to abortion as another issue where the lack of limiting language opens the door to the use of taxpayer funds for the purposes of abortion. Pro-life advocates point to actions by legislators to prevent such limiting language to be inserted. In one exchange, according to a 9 Jul 09 Washington Examiner report, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) sponsored an amendment that would require contracts with organizations like Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading abortion provider. Opponents of the amendment, such as Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), expressed concerns that the proposed wording was too broad and could open the door for taxpayer funded abortion. Hatch attempted to include wording that would exclude abortion coverage, but Mikulski objected.
Pro-life advocates point out that explicit language is required to prohibit the use of taxpayer funds for abortion, else broad interpretation could lead to the coverage of abortion as a standard medical procedure. A similar point was made by 19 House Democrats in a letter to Nancy Pelosi on 25 Jun 09. The letter stated, “...we cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan.”
Opponents point to such failures to limit governmental powers and overt action to prohibit such limitations as proof that that the scenarios of concern are not only possible, but intended. Whether such scenarios are misinformation may be in the eye of talking points. As one fact checking organization, Politifact.com, points out, “The fact that several versions of the health care reform bill are floating around Congress makes it difficult to say with certainty what the final plan will or will not include.” This is perhaps the greatest cause for concern by opponents. Legislation is what is written, regardless of the talking points. The best means to convince the public that the scenarios presented by opponents are not possible is to present the specific language that limits government power.
President Obama said to those on the call, "I need you to knock on doors, talk to neighbors, spread the facts and speak the truth." The 40 minute call, which was concluded with the 6 minute speech by President Obama, included a variety of pleas for the participants to take action in their congregations to support health care reform. Opponents, however, might question, how can the faithful spread the truth if the truth, meaning the final language of the bill, is not yet known?
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Posted on Monday, August 31 @ 01:30:57 MDT by drbonebrake
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