The Politics Thread

[janea4old]

This has begun in the Senate:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote-a-rama
It is expected to last all night, apparently

 

Watch live:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?522197-1/senate-debates-inflation-reduction-act&live

Edited August 7, 2022 by janea4old

[DRW50]

What a surprise. Bernie undercutting any positive press for this bill and giving the media talking points they are already running with. This is the media story now.

 

[janea4old]

That might be what the press is running with ...

But, just my opinion, but that's not really what Bernie is aiming for, at least as far as I can see while watching the overnight proceedings. (I don't know any scoop, just relaying my observations from watching live).

It's more like Bernie is saying what most Democrats actually think about some of the provisions of the bill .... and he's using his voice to express the ideas formally on the floor, ... BUT
...
But Bernie knows perfectly well that the Dems are going to
* vote as one* in a block ... and thus reject some of the stuff they themselves support ...
so as to get the bill passed.

Some of the motions that the Dems are rejecting - are clearly fairly mainstream ideas that most of them support.  They're just trying to get the bill passed.

Bernie will go along with the rest of the Dems. He's just formally putting forth some of the Dem ideas that aren't in the bill.  He is raising them on the floor, and with each of his motions, all the Dems vote him down (in addition to the repubs voting him down).

On one of Bernie's proposed amendments:
Senators Voting in Favor - Ossoff, Sanders, and Warnock.
All the rest of the Dems voted no.
And all the repubs voted no.

Most of Bernie's proposed amendments are being voted "NO" by all the senators from both parties - with Bernie being the only "aye" vote."
Obviously he expected this.

It really feels like a formality (to me who is simply watching and doesn't know any behind-the-scenes scoop).
I think Bernie wants his motions entered into the Congressional record, as some way to get the voice of the Dems in there. That's all.  I don't think he's grandstanding - he knows his proposals will fail. He's just serving a role.

(but yeah the press will try to spin this for drama.)

----------

Here's an example of what I mean:

-------------------------------------

Meanwhile the repubs are proposing all sorts of amendments to the bill that are clearly crazy attempts to overturn some of the bill's basic ideas.  The repubs are all supporting these amendments, but they don't have enough votes (per the reconciliation rules) to get their amendments approved.

Edited August 7, 2022 by janea4old

[janea4old]

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by janea4old

[janea4old]

Edited August 7, 2022 by janea4old

[janea4old]

This twitter account is tracking each of the amendments to the bill and the votes on each one:
https://twitter.com/SenatePress

 

[DramatistDreamer]

This was a depressing read.
What the advocates of baby drop box try to obscure is the fact that over half of these babies have some sort of health and/or developmental problems because their birth mothers never received the proper pre-natal care. What will drop boxes solve that issue? Not to mention that most of these babies are unlikely to know their medical or family history. This does absolutely nothing for the birth mothers who, had they had the necessary help pre/post natal care, childcare/parental resources- might have been able to parent. None of these issues will be resolved with a drop box.

Drop boxes should be for ballots, not babies.

It is being reported that Eli Lilly will leave the state of Indiana as a result of their new abortion ban. If true that is big since the company has been there in some fashion for at least a century.

Edited August 7, 2022 by DramatistDreamer

[janea4old]

[janea4old]

Insulin amendments to the bill: (compiled from various tweets and articles)

Senate voted on Kennedy's amendment – he said he will "re-implement a rule Biden repealed to make insulin available at community health care centers."  Would pay for it by redirecting money away from Obamacare.

Murray said Rs should support the insulin price cap instead.

(This Kennedy amendment was essentially a bid to show Republican support for addressing the cost of insulin, though Democrats opposed it as insufficient. It came right before Republicans were expected to strip out the Democratic-authored insulin proposal in the bill for violating Senate rules on budget reconciliation.)

Kennedy amendment did not pass.

Republicans challenged the $35 cap on insulin prices for the private marketplace, as a violation of the strict budget rules governing passage of this bill. 

The $35 cap on insulin prices for private insurers is officially out of the bill. 
Seven Republicans voted with Democrats to keep the cap for private insurers in the bill,
57-43, insulin price cap for private market is stricken from the bill 
(needed 60 to survive).
7 Rs voted to keep it in the bill: Cassidy, Collins, Hawley, Hyde Smith, Kennedy, Murkowski, & Sullivan

The cap on price of insulin for those on Medicare is still in the bill. That part was ruled to comply with reconciliation rules.

Summary:
The $35.00 cap on insulin for private insurers was stricken from the bill.
The $35.00 cap on insulin for Medicare patients remains in the bill.

Senate Finance chair @RonWyden gives out this statement:
“Republicans have just gone on the record in favor of expensive insulin. After years of tough talk about taking on insulin makers, Republicans have once against wilted in the face of heat from Big Pharma”.

Edited August 7, 2022 by janea4old

[Vee]

Sanders being obstructive won't be the story. But it is an annoying distraction.

 

 

 

[Vee]

It's done:

 

[Vee]

 

 

[Vee]

 

[DramatistDreamer]

[Soapsuds]