Senator Baucus Bill vs. Obama Promises

The Senate Finance Committee chaired by Senator Max Baucus cobbled together what is shaping up to be a flawed Health Care Reform Bill. The details of which Senate bills this new Bill came from are undisclosed at this time. There is some speculation as to whether the President will sign, or veto a Bill with so many contradictions to his previous promises that his Health Care Reform vision called for. The Baucus Bill contains eight major contradictions to Obama’s promises. These contradictions are chronicled below:

Obama Promise no.1 - Will not raise taxes on the middle class.
Baucus Bill Contradiction -$2 billion in new “penalties”

Obama Promise no. 2 - Will reject any Bill that “adds one dime to the deficit.”
Baucus Bill Contradiction - $239 B added to deficit

Obama Promise no.3 – “If you like your current plan you can keep it.”
Baucus Bill Contradiction – One half of Medicare Advantage benefits will be cut

Obama Promise no.4 – “If you like your current Doctor you can keep your Doctor.”
Baucus Bill Contradiction – Squeezes Doctors and Hospitals until they reduce patient access.

Obama Promise no. 5- A promise that no Government Bureaucrat will stand between patients and doctors.
Baucus Bill Contradiction – Establishes a Medicare Commission with power to deny treatment.

Obama Promise no.6 – “Slow the growth of Health Care costs for our families.”
Baucus Bill Contradiction – Adds a new tax on hearing aids, eye glasses, wheel chairs, pace makers, breakthrough drugs, etc.

Obama Promise no.7 – A promise that Healthcare reform will fix the economy.
Baucus Bill Contradiction- Adds new taxes on small business.

Obama Promise no. 8 – Promises to insure all Americans.
Baucus Bill Contradiction- Leaves 25 million uninsured.

The information herein was extracted from an article by Newt Gingrich, which appeared in the “Human Events” Conservative Newspaper, dated October 12, 2009.

What do you think? In its present form would Obama sign or veto?