Stupak Update from Barbara Boxer

12/23

Dear Linda,

Thank you so much for signing our petition, urging the Senate to defeat the Stupak Amendment and defend women's health.

Thanks to your support and the support of hundreds of thousands of other people across the country, we were able to defeat the Stupak Amendment in the Senate. As you know, this dangerous amendment would have prohibited women from using their own private funds to purchase health care policies covering abortion through the new insurance exchanges.

Fortunately, the Senate rejected the Stupak Amendment, and in order to move health care reform forward, agreed instead to an accounting procedure detailing how federal funds would be separated from private funds for plans that cover abortion. A firewall separating federal and private funds was already established in the underlying bill. This accounting procedure would be in place for everyone in the plan.

To craft a solid health care bill that could pass the Senate, it was crucial to resolve this vexing issue, and with your support, so far we have done it.

Over the coming days and weeks, I will continue to vigorously defend women's health and choice in the final health care reform bill that is sent to President Obama's desk. I hope you'll continue to speak out and stand with us in this fight.

With deepest thanks for your concern,

Barbara Boxer
U.S. Senator

Senate Canendar 12/23/09-12/24/09

12/24/09 Convenes: 6:45am The Senate will convene at 6:45am and will resume consideration of H.R.3590, Health Care Reform, with the time until 7am equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. At 7am, the Senate will proceed to a series of 2 roll call votes in relation to the following items: - Passage of H.R.3590, Health Care Reform; and - Passage of H.R.4314, an act to permit continued financing of government operations (60-vote threshold). 12/23/09 Convenes: 9:45am At 9:45am, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.3590, Health Care Reform, with the time until 10:00am equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. At 10:00am the Senate will proceed to alternating blocks of time until 2:00pm, with the Majority controlling the first hour. The time from 2:00pm and until 2:13pm will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders, with the Majority Leader controlling the final half. At 2:13pm, the Senate will proceed to a series of up to 5 roll call votes in relation to the Health Care Reform bill, including votes in relation to points of order, adoption of the Reid Substitute amendment, and cloture on the underlying bill, HR3590. Under an agreement reached on Tuesday, if cloture is invoked, all post-cloture debate will expire at 8:00am Thursday, December 24. Votes: 389: Ensign Constitutional Point of Order (violation of enumerated powers in Article I and the 5th Amendment) (majority vote); Not Well Taken: 39-60 390: Baucus Motion to Waive Budget Act (Corker point of order with respect to unfunded mandates) (majority vote); Waived: 55-44 391: Baucus Motion to Table Cornyn Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair with respect to Rule 44 ((disclosure of congressionally directed spending)) on the Reid-Baucus-Dodd-Harkin substitute amendment ((majority vote); Tabled: 57-42 392: Hutchison Constitutional Point of Order that Reid amendment #2786: (Tenth Amendment); Not Well Taken: 39-60 393: Baucus Motion to Table DeMint Motion to suspend the Rules for the purpose of proposing and considering DeMint amendment #3297: (create point order); Tabled: 53-46 394: Adoption of the Reid-Baucus-Dodd-Harkin substitute amendment (Majority vote); Agreed To: 60-39 395: Cloture on HR3590, as amended (60 vote threshold); Invoked: 60-39 There will be no further roll call votes. Unanimous Consent: Passed H.R.730, Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act. Passed H.R.3819, an act to extend the commercial space transportation liability regime. Discharged EPW from further consideration of Timothy McGee to be an Assistance Secretary of Commerce, and referred to Commerce Committee.

Senate Calendar 12/22/09 -12/24/09

12/24 Votes: 8am Roll Call Votes:- Passage of HR3590, as amended - Passage of HR4314, government operations (60 vote threshold) 12/23 Convenes: 9:45am At 9:45am, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R.3590, Health Care Reform, with the time until 10:00am equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. At 10:00am the Senate will proceed to alternating blocks of time until 2:00pm, with the Majority controlling the first hour. The time from 2:00pm and until 2:13pm will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders, with the Majority Leader controlling the final half. At 2:13pm, the Senate will proceed to a series of up to 5 roll call votes in relation to the Health Care Reform bill, including votes in relation to points of order, adoption of the Reid Substitute amendment, and cloture on the underlying bill, HR3590. Under an agreement reached on Tuesday, if cloture is invoked, all post-cloture debate will expire at 8:00am Thursday, December 24. 12/22 Convenes: 7:00am

At 7:00am, the Senate will resume consideration of HR3590, Health Care Reform, with the time until 7:18am equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. At approximately 7:20am, the Senate will proceed to a series of roll call votes with respect to H.R.3590, Health Care Reform. The votes would be in relation to the following items: - Reid Motion to table Reid amendment #3278 - Adoption of Reid-Baucus-Dodd-Harkin amendment #3276 - Motion to Invoke Cloture on Reid Substitute amendment #2786 If cloture is invoked, the Majority Leader will be recognized to offer amendments. Senators may need to remain on the floor in order to obtain a sufficient second when Senator Reid offers amendments to the bill. The time until 9:30am will then be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. The time from 9:30am and until 5:30pm will be controlled in 1 hour blocks of time with the Republicans controlling the first hour. The Senate will recess from 12:30 until 2:30pm. All time during any recess period or adjournment will count post-cloture until 5:30pm. The Senate has entered into the following agreement: If cloture is invoked on HR3590 tomorrow, all post-cloture debate time will be considered expired at 8:00am Thursday, December 24 and the Senate will proceed to vote on passage of the bill, as amended. Please note, that this agreement is in addition to the votes with respect to points of order, adoption of the Reid Substitute amendment, and cloture on the underlying bill. Those votes are expected to begin at approximately 3:20pm tomorrow, Wednesday, December 23. Upon disposition of HR3590, the Senate will proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R.4314, an act to permit continued financing of government operations, with no amendments in order. The Senate will then proceed to vote on passage of the bill. Passage of HR4314 will require 60-affirmative votes. Therefore, there will be 2 votes at 8am Thursday, December 24: - Passage of HR3590, as amended - Passage of HR4314, government operations (60 vote threshold) On Wednesday, January 20, 2010, at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, following consultation with the Republican Leader, the Finance Committee will be discharged of H.J.Res. 45, Increasing the statutory limit on the public debt, and the Senate will proceed to the measure. Senator Reid or his designee will be recognized to offer a substitute amendment. The following are the only amendments in order to the joint resolution: - Thune-TARP - Murkowski-Endangerment EPA regs - Coburn-Rescission package - Sessions-spending caps - McConnell-relevent to any on list - Reid-relevant to any on list - Reid-paygo - Baucus-3 relevant to any on list - Conrad-Gregg-fiscal task force Each of the listed amendments will be subject to an affirmative 60-vote threshold. Upon disposition of all amendments, the substitute amendment, as amended, if amended, will be agreed to; the joint resolution, as amended, will be read a third time and the Senate then proceed to vote on passage, with passage subject to a 60-vote threshold. Further, on Wednesday, January 21, 2010, after a period of morning business, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination of Beverly Martin to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the 11th Circuit. There will be 60 minutes of debate with respect to the nomination with the time equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Sessions or their designees. Upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will proceed to vote on confirmation of the nomination.

Votes: 386: Reid Motion to Table Reid amendment #3278: ; Tabled: 60-39 387: Reid-Baucus-Dodd-Harkin amendment #3276: ; Agreed To: 60-39 388: Motion to Invoke Cloture on Reid Substitute amendment #2786: ; Invoked: 60-39

What Happen on Monday 12/21

Convenes: 12:01am

Resume consideration of H.R.3590, Health Care Reform. H.R.3590, HEALTH CARE REFORM ALEXANDER- some may be wondering why on earth the Senate is convening at midnight in the middle of a snow storm. The Majority Leader sets the schedule. He plopped down a 400 page amendment yesterday and now he wants us to vote on it. This is the mother of all unfunded mandates. The Majority Leader insists that we vote on it in the middle of the night. It was written in secret. When they are asked to explain what’s in it, they are afraid that they will lose support. Eight Democratic senators asked that any legislation be made available for 72 hours before we vote on it. This bill was given to us yesterday. It is 400 pages. We shouldn’t even think to vote on it until at least Tuesday. We should have an opportunity to amend it. What’s the rush? I think the rush is that they don’t want to explain the bill. Democrats don’t want the American people to know about the $500 billion in taxes that will go into effect next year. All those new taxes on medical devices will be passed on to the consumers. This bill will increase the cost of health care. David Brooks said that according to chief actuary of Medicare this bill will cause national health care costs to increase faster. Then it’s going to be hard to explain to the 9 million people who will lose their insurance under this bill. This bill is like giving you a ticket for the bus when the bus only runs half the time. They don’t want to explain why they changed the abortion agreement. They don’t want to explain the CLASS Act. This is a Ponzi scheme worthy of Bernie Madoff. It’s obvious why the majority cooked up this amendment, brought it forward in the middle of a snow storm. They don’t want people to know what’s in it. MCCAIN-this all began in the presidential campaign. Health care was a big issue. Obama said concerning health care reform “I’m going to have negotiations televised on CSPAN so that people know who are making arguments on behalf of drug companies. There have never been true bipartisan negotiations. AMA signed up because they were promised the doctor’s fix. We should have set up a tent and put up Persian rugs; that’s how this has gone here. It’s the Louisiana Purchase, Florida Flim-Flam. Reid today said that a number of states are treated differently. That’s the nature of compromise. Really? I see Durbin here. I said what’s in the bill? He said, I don’t know. I’m in the dark too. This does not represent 60% of the American people. We will not give up after this vote, believe me. For the first time is history there will be major reform on a party line basis. Today I thought about when I joined the Naval Academy. They taught us about a battle with an American ship and a British ship. The ship was surrounded. John Paul Jones said I have not begun to fight. We’re going to carry this message that we will not commit generational theft. We won’t give them unfair policy where deals are made in back rooms. We have just begun to fight. HARKIN- all we’ve heard is attack, attack, attack, no, no, no. McCain said this is not a bipartisan bill. As I see it, the Republicans have no bill of their own. Our bill has 60 people. They do have the Coburn-Burr bill. It has 7 supporters. They have no comprehensive bill like we have. Who do we deal with? Just McCain? Alexander? Coburn? I’m sorry the Republicans are all split up. So, they’ve come together to say no. We extended a hand. If we wanted to follow republicans, we would have rammed it through like the Republican tax cut through reconciliation. HELP has a mark up that lasted 13 days. We accepted 151 Republican amendments. Baucus didn’t just go the extra mile, he went the extra 10 miles. Republicans have nothing they can agree on—60, a super majority. Comprehensive reform has eluded us for decades. They focus on fear. The American people don’t want fear; they want hope. They want to have the peace of mind that if they lose their job they will have insurance. That they are just one illness away from bankruptcy. We are the only country in the world that allows people to go bankrupt because of medical bills. This bill ends all that. The American people want us to move forward. We’re going to do 3 big things: 1) cover 94% with insurance, 2) crack down on abuses of insurance companies, talks about insurance reforms, and 3) this bill will lower your premiums and you will be able to keep your insurance if you like it. Ted Kennedy fought all his life for health care. He said it ought to be a right, not a privilege. He said that almost 50 years ago. He thought it as a moral imperative. We are called upon to right a great injustice. We are closer than we’ve ever been to making Ted’s dream a reality. The other side says fear; we say hope. They say no, we say yes. CORNYN- parliamentary inquiry. Earlier today, Grassley made a Rule 44 parliamentary inquiry. The question had to do whether the statement under Rule 44 related to the manager’s amendment had been submitted? CHAIR-the Chair is not aware if it has been submitted. DODD- This is the vote to make health care a right. If you believe it is a privilege, you don’t have to vote for this. We believe health care is a fundamental right. This effort has gone on for decades. John Chaffee worked tirelessly on reform. Good people have tried to come up with this issue. It is with sadness that this will be a partisan vote. Tonight, this is our answer. The 60 of us will vote to move forward. No one was a bigger champion that Ted Kennedy. He knew it was going to take an incremental approach. If he could have written it alone he would have written it differently. I think history will judge us well for taking on this challenge again. MCCONNELL-the bill we are voting on tonight will impact everyone in America. Make no mistake, if the people who wrote this bill were proud of it, we wouldn’t be voting in the dead of night. $1 million for unnamed health care facility in the US. No one will claim it. 1 state in 50 will not have to pay for Medicaid expansion, but the rest of the states will have to pick up the tab. No one imagined this is how this would end—a couple of cheap deals and a vote in the dead of the night. How did this happen? The final product is a mess and so is the process that brought us to vote on a bill that the majority of the American people oppose. Any challenge of this size and scope has been done on a bipartisan basis. Social Security Act was approved by all but 6 members. ADA was approved with only 8 senators voting no. Americans believe that on an issue this important, one party should not be able to impose their will. This bill is not about reform, it’s about “making history”. In the end, it’s not about differences between 2 parties, it’s about a $2.3 trillion 2,000 page bill that doesn’t reform health care. Obama said that his plan would bring down the costs of premiums, will not increase the deficit now or in future, and no family making under $250,000 wouldn’t see their taxes increased. We will have an open and honest debate, bringing all parties together negotiating on CSPAN. That was then. This is now. The Reid plan raises health care costs. It raises premiums. It raises taxes on 10s of millions of families. It cuts Medicare by $.5 trillion. For the first time in history, the bill uses taxpayer dollars for abortion. Everything the President set out to do changed. 12 months and $2.3 trillion later, lawmakers are poised to vote on a bill that doesn’t bend the cost curve. The impact of this vote will long outlast this one frantic, snowy weekend. This legislation will reshape this nation. Americans don’t want it. They don’t like lawmakers messing with their health care. They won’t even give us 72 hours to examine the details. When we woke up yesterday morning we hadn’t seen the details of the bill we’re being asked to vote on tonight. Can all these Americans be wrong? Americans are asking democrats to put party loyalty first. It’s not too late. All it takes is one, just one. One can stop it or everyone will own it. REID- all over this country, people are dying too soon. The medical records will show that they died of complications, but the truth is that they died because they lacked the necessary insurance. Every 10 minutes another American dies due to lack of health insurance. Medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy in America. This bill protects patients and consumers and greatly reduces our debt. This makes it illegal for an insurance company to deny coverage to children because of a preexisting condition. This bill closes the donut hole. Contrary to what McConnell said, premiums are reduced. This bill will lower the deficit. What McConnell is saying is without basis or fact. It cuts the deficit more sharply than any other legislation. McConnell said this will reshape our nation. That’s why we’re doing this. With this vote we will reject the idea that good health depends on wealth. It confirms that health care is a fundamental right. This is not about partisanship or procedure. We all know that we are here at this hour because of the Republicans. for weeks we’ve heard opponents criticize the length of this bill. I see the people behind the bill. Tells story about Lisa—we want to be able to go to a doctor. This bill will make it illegal to use preexisting conditions as an excuse to take our money and deny coverage. I will vote for this bill because I believe Caleb deserves a new pair of legs. Mike Tracy’s son is diabetic. He can’t afford to treat his diabetes. Now it’s turned into Addison’s disease, which they also can’t afford. TODAY’S ROLL CALL VOTES 385: Cloture vote on Reid-Baucus-Dodd-Harkin amendment #3276; Inovked: 60-40 SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2009 The Senate stands in recess until 12:00 o’clock Monday, December 21. At 12:00 noon, the Senate will resume consideration of HR3590, Health Care Reform, and will resume post-cloture debate on the Reid-Baucus-Dodd-Harkin amendment #3276, with the time until 12:30pm equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees. Beginning at 12:30pm and until 6:30pm there will be one hour alternating blocks of time, with the Democrats controlling the first block. All post cloture time will continue to run during any recess, adjournment or period of morning business until 6:30pm Monday. If all post-cloture time is used, the vote on adoption of the amendment would occur at approximately 7:20am Tuesday, December 22. Immediately upon adoption of the amendment, the Senate will proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Substitute amendment #2786.

Votes: 385: Cloture vote on Reid-Baucus-Dodd-Harkin amendment #3276: ; Inovked: 60-40 This was posted on http://democrats.senate.gov/calendar/2009-12.html

Letter from Barbara Boxer

Dear Linda,

It's a cold, snowy Sunday morning here in Washington D.C., and I wanted to write you about this weekend's breakthrough on health care reform.

On Friday, I joined a 7-hour marathon negotiating session to hammer out the final details of the reform bill. By the end of the night, we had finally reached a solid compromise to insure more Americans, lower costs, and hold insurance companies accountable to deliver for the premiums we pay -- all while protecting women's health and right to choose.

We still have several more days of hard work ahead to get it passed through the Senate -- but if we can fix America's broken health care system by working around the clock through the holidays, that's a step that I'm more than willing to take.

With the rest of the year consumed by the health care debate, that's going to leave me very little time for campaigning -- so I'm asking for your support to fill the gap and help us reach our fundraising goals before the December 31 deadline.

Can I count on you?

Please contribute today -- and help us reach our ambitious $250,000 grassroots fundraising goal before the year-end December 31 deadline!

I'm committed to staying as long as it takes and doing everything I can to get health care reform passed through the Senate this year, because hard-working American families deserve it.

Unfortunately, right-wing senators are doing everything in their power to derail reform and bring the Senate to a grinding halt. Their obstructionist tactics mean that we'll be working day and night right up through Christmas Eve.

There are so many good things in this bill, even though I surely wanted it to be better. But, at the end of the day, this is still a very good bill -- and the most significant reform of America's broken health care system since Medicare was enacted in 1965.

Among other things, the bill would:

• Extend health insurance coverage to 31 million more Americans, including 14 million lower-income, working people through Medicaid
• Prohibit insurance company discrimination based on gender or pre-existing condition -- and make sure you can't lose your insurance when you get sick
• End the upward, unsustainable increases in insurance premiums
• Increase funding for community health centers in 10,000 communities across the country, enhancing primary care for more than 25 million people who have traditionally been uninsured or underinsured
• Close the prescription drug "doughnut hole" for seniors
• Require insurance companies to spend at least 85% of their income on patient care, not executive pay or profits
• Cut the federal deficit by $132 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office

We can't let this opportunity pass us by. That's why I'm going to keep fighting for the very best health care reform bill we can get -- while defending women's reproductive health -- and then work as hard as I can to get it passed and signed into law.

Now, while I'm back in Washington DC, I hope you'll help our campaign keep up the momentum before December 31 -- so we can show the press, pundits, and our right-wing opponents the strength of our grassroots support at this important year-end deadline.

Please contribute today -- and help us reach our ambitious $250,000 grassroots fundraising goal before the year-end December 31 deadline!

We're so close to passing significant health care reform.

As we approach this crucial vote, I think about all of the Congresses and all of the presidents who tried to ensure that no more American families would ever have to know the heartbreak of bankruptcy due to a devastating illness. Now we can finally do the right thing.

Thanks so much for your help and support, every step of the way.

In Friendship,

Barbara Boxer
U.S. Senator

P.S. The December 31 fundraising deadline is just 11 days away -- and we still need your help to reach our ambitious $250,000 grassroots fundraising goal. Please help us get there: Contribute now!

Obamas' Accomplishments

Obamas' Accomplishments

Obama has made quite a few accomplishments, though not enough for an A. If the healthcare bill is passed, Obama said his grade should tip over into an A-minus.

equal pay for women
hate crimes against gays
stabilizing the economy
withdrawing troops from Iraq
settling on the “best possible plan” in Afghanistan
improving America’s image around the world
finding international consensus on disabling nuclear weapons in Iran and North Korea.

B+ because Healthcare refom has not been accomplished yet.

I added:

Appointed Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
tapped at least 48 other Hispanics to positions senior enough to require Senate confirmation

Featured Legislation

• Signed on October 30, 2009

  Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009

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• Signed on October 28, 2009

  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010

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• Signed on October 22, 2009

  Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act

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• Signed on August 06, 2009

  Cash For Clunkers Extension

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• Signed on June 22, 2009

  Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

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• Signed on May 22, 2009

  Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009

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• Signed on May 22, 2009

  Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act

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• Signed on May 20, 2009

  Helping Families Save Their Homes Act

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• Signed on May 20, 2009

  Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act

• Signed on April 21, 2009

• Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

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• • Signed on March 30, 2009

    Omnibus Public Lands Management Act

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  • Signed on March 20, 2009

    Small Business Act Temporary Extension

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  • Signed on February 17, 2009

    American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

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  • Signed on February 11, 2009

    DTV Delay Act

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  • Signed on February 04, 2009

    Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act

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  • Signed on January 29, 2009

    Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Tinted Photographs From Paris 2000 Collection & Original Art work by Connie Ketchum

 

        Artist: Connie Ketchum

Having back surgery is so much fun but 4 in 5 years along with 4 hip surgeries has basically turned me into a hermit.

In 1985 when we moved to CA I never thought I would spend so little time here but, after my divorce in 1990 I went on the road traveling almost fulltime for my job. I have lived in so many places I can't remember them all. More motels, hotels and Residence Inns than anyone should ever endure. Short stays, a day or two or long stays nine week or more. My time in CA consisted of two weeks in the summer (if we didn't go to IRELAND) and two weeks at Christmas, hardly enough time to make friends or even an acquaintance or two.

My longest assignment was the most interesting and challenging. Moving every nine weeks was great, if you liked where you were you had some time to do some sightseeing, if not you would soon be gone. I found that every place I stayed had something worth seeing.

Then one day in CO I had a bad fall. Ruptured a disk in my back but didn't know it right away. Worked on until the pain as so bad that test were done and diagnosis made. One surgery, back to work and after the second one too. Number three didn't go well and work, either traveling or at home was now out of the question.

In the meantime, I had a hip replaced. Several months later while tying my shoes my old hip replacement dislocated and this stared a chain reaction of surgeries. First correction failed in the first few days. Found out on follow up visit. Second surgery was scheduled with same outcome. Waited a few months and had third surgery, newly designed part and two months in bed to make sure the bone had healed and it seems to be OK.

So I opened my mouth on New Years' eve and said, "no surgeries in 2009." Should have kept it shut. After two months of bed rest hours of therapy for my hip my back pain returned and got to the point that I couldn't function. So, back to the doctor and then another. Tried more therapy, a brace and more pills. So off to surgery I went. Now two months later things are coming along. Slow. I had in home therapy and now that it is completed I do my own exercises. I can walk a bit, sit for 20 minutes at a time and stand for five to ten minutes. The rest of the day is spent on my back. Yesterday I actually browned the meat and started the spaghetti sauce.

I am staying with my younger daughter and her family. She is a real Christmas fan and has decorated her house with her snowman collection. She has three trees. One for the family and one for each of her boys, twelve and twenty-one who each have a collection of ornaments given to them since they were born. She decoratedthe family tree last night (I directed) and it looks beautiful. The boys will do their own soon.

Soon I will be going home. My daughter, her husband and their 2 yr old son have had the house to themselves. for quite awhile. It will be fun reading, singing and watching Sean play again. I have missed them all very much. It will be nice to try and help with the cooking again which use to be a passion of mine.

I will also be good to see my neighbors. I do have a few that stop by. We have only lived in our house for four years. I also need to get out and get involved in something to make some new friends. There is a senior center close by and plan to try there first.

In the meantime I spend a lot of time on twitter, helping with the fight to get Health Reform passed. I have found a place that allows me to speak my mind and communicate with people who feel the same way I do about this any several other major issues facing us today.