Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
| Subscribe to Newser's RSS feeds RSS | Follow Newser on Twitter Twitter


14

Reid's Refusal Leaves $320B Health Care Hole

Dems may look to income tax hike to cover cost of public option

Share

(Newser) – Harry Reid met with Republicans yesterday to diffuse some of his tough talk on health care reform, but as Politico reports, the Senate majority leader has forced a scramble for $320 billion over 10 years to pay for the plan. Reid said he would not support a bill that taxed federal health benefits, but the alternative may be just as unpopular: an income tax hike on Americans making $250,000 or more.

Reid's move to block taxes on health benefits is the largest headache yet for Max Baucus and the bipartisan group seeking to hammer out a compromise on health care. The Nevada senator insisted yesterday that he still wanted a bill with Republican support—a shift from earlier statements chiding Baucus for courting the GOP too much. Many senators are now anxious about the August deadline for the bill, but Reid's office says the Senate is sticking to it.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. speaks in front of solar panels at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Wednesday, May 27, 2009.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. speaks in front of solar panels at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Wednesday, May 27, 2009.   (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)
FILE - In this April 28, 2009 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Reid will take the stage with President Barack Obama on Tuesday at a Las Vegas-style fundraiser billed as
FILE - In this April 28, 2009 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. Reid will take the stage with President Barack Obama on Tuesday...   (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, FILE)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
OFF THE GRID
11.24.09
Murdoch and Microsoft: The Mice Are Trying to Roar
11.23.09
Books Are Bad for You
14 comments
VIEWING:
 
doingtherightthing
Jul 9, 09 8:43 AM CDT
Gee Harry, are we wavering. How are you doing in Nevada polls. You say your in trouble with the voters. I wonder Why? It wouldn't be that they caught your act in congress and found out that you suck at it? Say goodbye to your idiot friend Pelosi, she's next to be ousted. Maybe, then we can start digging ourselves out of debt. This is the beginning of the end for the democrates in Congress. Downslide has started. The American people have caught on....... Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
-3
IN RESPONSE:
Timinator2K
Jul 9, 09 9:07 AM CDT
Let the Dems hang themselves into Massive Tax and Debt Extinction...and pray that the remaining survivors are not asswipe RINO's.
Vote up! Vote down!
-4
Timinator2K
Jul 9, 09 9:03 AM CDT
"Dems may look to income tax hike to cover cost of public option." A TAX HIKE?! WHAT-A-SHOCK! In the Democrat world, ALL problems are nails and they use their one worn-out hammer over and over and over again...to no good effect. Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
-3
IN RESPONSE:
Reader65069154
Jul 9, 09 11:25 AM CDT
But BO PROMISED he wouldn't raise taxes on me if I wasn't rich... how could this be happening?
Vote up! Vote down!
-2
IN RESPONSE:
Snowleopard
Jul 9, 09 1:47 PM CDT
No, he said all along that he'd raise taxes on this top bracket. For most of this century, the top tax brack was between 70-90%. Now it's at somewhere like 32%. Most of that decrease was due to Regan. Bush senior knew this was unsustainable and would create a deficit, so he raised taxes, which helped Clinton to later balance the budget. Then dumb ass Bush Jr. cut it even further while we were fighting wars on two fronts, which McCain strongly criticized at the time. During his campaign Obama said he wanted to raise this top tax bracket up to 39% again, which honestly is the fiscally responsibly thing to do if you're worried about our national debt. In my opinion though, we need a whole new tax bracket for those making over $1,000,000 per year of something like 45%. Most of the wealth in this country is increasingly concentrated in the top few percent of the population, and this extreme wealth disparity is draining much of the wealth out of the middle class. Too bad the elite own the politicians, probably difficult politically to pass.
Vote up! Vote down!
+4

View all 14 comments »

LEAVE A
COMMENT Comment Policy
Facebook ConnectPost this comment to Facebook?

After connecting you will have the option to post your comment on your Facebook profile.

 

Related Newser Stories

295 Stories

Eugene Robinson

We Must
Reduce Health Care Costs*

*But please don't
touch mine, no
matter how wasteful

Nov 24, 09 10:37 AM CST
(Newser) - The brouhaha over mammograms proves that we’ll never corral health care costs for one simple reason: no one wants to give up any care. Intellectually, women may understand that life-threatening breast cancer is pretty rare before age 50, but rare doesn’t mean non-existent. “Many women would rather... More »

MORE ABOUT:
health care • health care costs • breast cancer • prostate cancer • rationing • mammogram • health care reform • U.S. Preventive Services Task Force • Eugene Robinson

 Senate Democrats Clear 
 Health Care Hurdle, 60-39 

Reid gets 60 votes to open full debate after Thanksgiving recess

Nov 21, 09 7:13 PM CST
(Newser) - Harry Reid's hope of passing health care legislation before Christmas took a giant step forward tonight. Reid got the 60 votes he needed to ward off a Republican filibuster and clear the way for full debate on the Senate floor after the Thanksgiving recess. "We can see the finish... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Senate • Harry Reid • Mary Landrieu • health care reform • Blanche Lincoln

 Reid Gets 60th Vote: 
 Holdout Lincoln Agrees 

She'll allow health care bill to move forward; vote at 8pm

Nov 21, 09 1:51 PM CST
(AP) - Democrats have hit the 60-vote number needed to move ahead on health care legislation. Just hours before the 8pm roll call, Arkansas' Blanche Lincoln said on the Senate floor that she will vote with her party. The centrist Democrat had been the last remaining Democratic holdout, after Mary Landrieu and... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Democrats • Senate • Harry Reid • health care reform • Blanche Lincoln

295 Stories


US  •  Politics 
TwitterFollow @NewserUS on Twitter

 
health care • income tax • Harry Reid • Senate Democrats • health care reform • Max Baucus • bipartisanship

from our news partners