Democrats Help Small Businesses with Health Insurance
by RonChusidDemocrats offer small business health bill
WASHINGTON, March 7 (UPI) — U.S. Senate Democrats, led by Dick Durbin, D-Ill., introduced legislation Tuesday they say will help small businesses offer health insurance to employees.
The Democrats, in a release, said they plan to offer their measure as an alternate to a bill offered by Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., when the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee meets Wednesday. Enzi is chairman of the committee and Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., one of 21 co-sponsors of Durbin’s bill, is the ranking member.
The Democratic measure, called the Small Employers Health Benefits Program, is designed to “give small businesses affordable choices among private health insurance plans and expand access to healthcare coverage for their employees.”
The program would allow small business to pool purchasing power and spread risk over a large number of participants. Employers would qualify for a tax credit to help offset contributions for low-income employees.
Enzi’s bill would allow businesses and trade associations to band members together and offer group health coverage on a national or statewide basis.
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Why don’t they just expand Kerry’s plan to make the Federal Employee Health Plan available to the small businesses?
Not surprisingly and though his name does not appear in the press release, John Kerry is a proeminent co-sponsor of this bill, that includes many things he has supported during this campaign:
S.2382
Title: A bill to establish a national health program administered by the Office of Personnel Management to offer health benefits plans to individuals who are not Federal employees, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 3/7/2006) Cosponsors (22)
Latest Major Action: 3/7/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. COSPONSORS(22), BY DATE [order is left to right]: (Sort: alphabetical order)
Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] – 3/7/2006
Sen Reid, Harry [NV] – 3/7/2006
Sen Baucus, Max [MT] – 3/7/2006
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA] – 3/7/2006
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] – 3/7/2006
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] – 3/7/2006
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] – 3/7/2006
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] – 3/7/2006
Sen Carper, Thomas R. [DE] – 3/7/2006
Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] – 3/7/2006
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] – 3/7/2006
Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] – 3/7/2006
Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] – 3/7/2006
Sen Kohl, Herb [WI] – 3/7/2006
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] – 3/7/2006
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] – 3/7/2006
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] – 3/7/2006
Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] – 3/7/2006
Sen Pryor, Mark L. [AR] – 3/7/2006
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] – 3/7/2006
Sen Rockefeller, John D., IV [WV] – 3/7/2006
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] – 3/7/2006
Ginny
It seems that is exactly what they did.
I have been ranting since yesterday wondering why Kerry was not part of the PR on this subject (not anybody from the SBC) and we can see from the bill co-sponsor that many Democrats from the SBC are co-sponsors. I cant find a rational reason for that.
Mass
Perhaps simply because it was generated from a different committee.
Mass.
I suppose my cynical attitude towards expecting rationality from people is what led me to think that the committee wouldn’t have already planned to do the FEHP part.
One of the wonderful things about JK: he is SO rational