“‘Deem and Pass’ is dead” reports FoxNews. This means that the Democrats will have to put their faces not only to “the ostensibly redeemable aspects of the bill—namely the amendments—in hope of hanging onto their jobs,” but to the complete hulking thing. It also means that the Democrats are confident they have the requisite 216 roach votes to pass what is an enormous expansion of government and debt. A sad development for the republic, RIP.
Meanwhile, tea party patriots make a last stand, egged on by the indomitable, much-maligned Michele Bachmann.
Update (March 21): PASS IMPENDING. “‘We have the votes now,’ Representative John Larson, head of the House Democratic Caucus, said on ABC’s ‘This Week,’ although other House leaders were more cautious in their assessment.”
“House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer told NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ the number of votes still needed for passage were in the “low single digits.'”
[SNIP]
The English language makes an appearance, in the main Bill, at “SUBDIVISION A,” SEC. 100. The Amendments are an affront; they are written in the legalese reserved for the Managerial State; evolved over time to ensure the people have not the faintest notion what’s upon them.
Here is an entirely representative excerpt from the Amendments portion of the Bill:
PREMIUM TAX CREDITS.—Section 36B of the In6
ternal Revenue Code of 1986, as added by section 1401
7 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and
8 amended by section 10105 of such Act, is amended—
9 (1) in subsection (b)(3)(A)—
10 (A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘with respect
11 to any taxpayer’’ and all that follows up to the
12 end period and inserting ‘‘for any taxable year
13 shall be the percentage such that the applicable
14 percentage for any taxpayer whose household
15 income is within an income tier specified in the
16 following table shall increase, on a sliding scale
17 in a linear manner, from the initial premium
18 percentage to the final premium percentage
19 specified in such table for such income tier: ….
[SNIP]
What in bloody blue blazes is this? It’s an affront; an “eff you, little serf” if ever there was one.