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Showing posts with label Senator Dianne Feinstein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Senator Dianne Feinstein. Show all posts

Friday, December 27, 2013

JAHI MCMATH vs THE OAKLAND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: The Hospital Staff Wants Jahi To DIE!!







#JahiMcMathBATTLE

Why Hasn't Pres OBAMA Weighed In On This Situation??

He weighed in on the TRAYVON MARTIN Tragedy.

I wonder if JAHI MCMATH'S Parents Voted for Pres OBAMA in 2008 & 2012??


ARTICLE: "Family Seeks To Move Brain-Dead Girl"


A judge has concluded that Jahi, who suffered complications after tonsil surgery, is brain dead.

"Yesterday we spent Christmas together as a family -- doing a lot of prayers and trying to have some fun, hoping for a miracle, and looks like we may have gotten our miracle.

We found out that someone is willing to take Jahi away from Children's Hospital to a facility nearby here in the Bay Area to treat her," Jahi's uncle, Omari Sealey, told reporters Thursday.

"So right now, we're asking Children's Hospital to work with us to make that possible," he said, referring to Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland.

Sealey declined to identify the other facility.

Jahi was declared brain dead by doctors at the hospital on December 12, three days after tonsil surgery.

The case has drawn National attention and sparked protests from some local leaders who say the hospital should have provided better care.

On Monday, a judge appointed Dr. Paul Fisher, chief of pediatric neurology at Stanford Children's Hospital, to evaluate Jahi as an independent expert.

Fisher testified Tuesday that Jahi meets the criteria for brain death.

Alameda Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo previously ruled that the hospital must hold off on any decisions regarding discontinuing life support until December 30, and the judge encouraged both sides to work together.

Family attorney Christopher Dolan told reporters Thursday that Jahi would need to have tracheostomy and gastrostomy tubes put in before she could be moved.

"The most logical people are the ones in the hospital where she's sitting who have the ability to do that.

If they refuse to do that, and insist upon moving towards this deadline of pulling the plug, then we'll just continue to do what we've been doing," he said.

Chief of Pediatrics David Durand responded in a statement for Children's Hospital.

"Judge Grillo was very clear on Tuesday December 24. He ruled Jahi McMath to be deceased and instructed the hospital to maintain the status quo. Judge Grillo did not authorize or order any surgical procedures or transfer to another facility.

"Children's Hospital Oakland does not believe that performing surgical procedures on the body of a deceased person is an appropriate medical practice.

Children's Hospital Oakland continues to extend its wishes for peace and closure to Jahi McMath's family," he said.



#JahiMcMathOBAMA

JAHI MCMATH vs PRES OBAMA & OAKLAND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL:

Did JAHI MCMATH'S Parents VOTE for Pres OBAMA in 2008 & 2012??

Has anyone other than Myself wondered why Pres OBAMA hasn't weighed in on this National Story about BLACK Teen JAHI MCMATH??

He weighed in on the TRAYVON MARTIN Tragedy.

So why hasn't Pres OBAMA or someone from his Administration stepped into the JAHI MCMATH situation??

Is it because He is NOT campaigning for another Election??

What about JAHI'S LIFE??

Her Parents want to move her to another Medical Facility before the OAKLAND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL removes her from LIFE SUPPORT.

However Hospital Officials want to KILL this Child!

Why??

I believe it is for the purpose of taking some of her ORGANS. (Human Organ Harvesting)

Or.........

It could be about MONEY.

Or...........

It could be about MEDICAID Limits i.e, OBAMACARE.

I thought Pres OBAMA previously claimed to Care about "HEALTH CARE REFORM".

Especially as it relates to CHILDREN!

I can assure You if this National Story was about a GAY Teenager, someone from Pres OBAMA'S Administration would have commented on this Story by now!

I repeat.

Why hasn't Pres OBAMA or someone from his Administration stepped into the JAHI MCMATH fray??

What about JAHI MCMATH's Life??

Why is everyone in such a hurry to KILL this Child??

If it is NOT about HUMAN ORGAN HARVESTING & Money, then why are the Officials at OAKLAND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL in such a hurry to KILL her??

Did JAHI MCMATH'S Parents VOTE for Pres OBAMA in 2008 & 2012??

JAHI MCMATH vs PRES OBAMA & OAKLAND CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL:

WHERE IS PRES OBAMA???

WHERE IS NANCY PELOSI??

WHERE IS DIANNE FEINSTEIN??

WHERE IS JESSE JACKSON SR??

Dear GOD in Heaven help Us!!



UPDATE: A SPONSOR OFFERS TO PAY FOR JAHI MCMATH'S CONTINUED CARE BUT OAKLAND HOSPITAL STILL WANTS TO KILL HER.

WHY??

CAN YOU SAY "HUMAN ORGAN HARVESTING?" (Please Keep Praying)

JAHI MCMATH'S PARENTS CAN FILE A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT AGAINST THE HOSPITAL THAT KILLED HER.

WHERE IS JESSE JACKSON SR.......DIANNE FEINSTEIN......NANCY PELOSI, AND GLORIA ALLRED???

PLEASE KEEP PRAYING!!!

The CHILDREN'S Hospital in OAKLAND where BLACK Teen JAHI MCMATH was admitted for a Simple Tonsillectomy Surgical Procedure, has still NOT provided a Logical Explanation to JAHI'S parents as to why She mysteriously went into CARDIAC ARREST during this routine procedure.

All Surgery involves some RISK but.....

Prior to JAHI'S Surgery Hospital Officials, including the Surgeons,
were made aware of this Child's MEDICAL HISTORY.

So what REALLY happened on the Operating Table??

Is the CHILDREN'S Hospital in OAKLAND a Residency Training Hospital??

Is JAHI MCMATH a MEDICAID patient??

Where is U.S. Senator DIANNE FEINSTEIN and NANCY PELOSI??

Where is GLORIA ALLRED??

Why aren't they Speaking out on this situation???

Is the CHILDREN'S Hospital in OAKLAND a Huge Political DONOR to FEINSTEIN & PELOSI??

And where is JESSE JACKSON SR??

U. S. Rep JESSE JACKSON SR was with DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR when he was Assassinated.

JESSE JACKSON SR used to be a Very Effective, Authentic CIVIL RIGHTS Leader.

However he Foolishly ceded this much needed Role (in BLACK communities),
to Opportunist AL SHARPTON, for POLITICS.......MONEY.......and FAME!

Once the LIFE SUPPORT plug is pulled on Dec 30, 2013, will Hospital Officials STEAL some of JAHI'S Vital Organs??

FYI:

Human ORGAN HARVESTING is Big Business for American Hospitals.

Who better to STEAL Human ORGANS from then Poor BLACK People??

JAHI'S parents will most likely File a WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT against the CHILDREN'S Hospital in OAKLAND,

however.........

In CALIFORNIA there is a Cap on WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUITS of Only $250,000!!

(CALIFORNIA TORT LAW)

If JAHI were My Child, I would SUE based on GROSS NEGLIGENCE and attempt to Charge the Hospital Officials with MURDER!!

If JAHI were My Child, I would also keep this Story in the MEDIA.

This is Not an "Unfortunate Tragedy"!!

It is a PRIMA FACIE case of GROSS NEGLIGENCE and CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE.

It is indeed MURDER and the Hospital doesn't care because JAHI MCMATH is a BLACK Child!

Please continue to PRAY for JAHI & Her Family but Immediate LEGAL ACTION is also needed!

UPDATE: JAHI MCMATH'S PARENTS CAN FILE A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT AGAINST THE HOSPITAL THAT KILLED HER.

WHERE IS JESSE JACKSON SR.......DIANNE FEINSTEIN......NANCY PELOSI, AND GLORIA ALLRED???


Sources: ABC News, CNN; Fox News, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Gate.com

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Leaks From The Obama White House Threatens National Security & U.S. Troops: STOP THE LEAKS!

















Do I believe over a period of 3 1/2 years that an unprecedented number of Serious Leaks of Highly Classified Federal Information have come from the White House?

YES! I Do!

It doesn't take rocket science to figure out where these damaging leaks originate.
They're coming from the White House plain & simple!

While its true NO White House Administration has ever operated without Leaks, this string of Seriously Damaging Leaks from 2009 to 2012 are much more frequent than usual.

I've long Suspected ever since the Underwear Bomber incident, that Information being leaked to Media Sources was coming directly from the White House.

Such Extremely Sensitive Highly Classified Information could NOT have come from Congress Members or lower level White House Employees.

It had to come from ONLY those Executive Employees closest to Pres. Obama.

Thus the Information is coming from someone within Pres. Obama's Inner Circle.

The Leaks may be helping Pres. Obama politically but its Hurting America's National & International Security.

These Leaks are also putting our Troops in Danger & hurting our Relationships with other World Leaders.

They need to STOP!

Immediately!

PLEASE STOP THE LEAKS!




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FBI investigating 'specific' White House leaks about hacking attacks on Iran

The FBI is looking into what is believed to be leaks of top secret details about cyberattacks against Iran, as the White House and GOP trade barbs over the release of sensitive national security data.

The tense sparring underscored how the handling of classified information and national security has suddenly escalated into a presidential campaign-season issue, like no time in recent memory.

Georgia Sen Saxby Chambliss, one of the Republicans leading the charge against the Obama administration regarding the leaks, told CNN that the FBI investigation has begun.

In a joint statement to the network from the leadership of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, lawmakers said: 'In recent weeks, we have become increasingly concerned at the continued leaks regarding sensitive intelligence programs and activities, including specific details of sources and methods.'

The statement came from Sen Chambliss; Sen Dianne Feinstein of California; Rep Mike Rogers of Michigan and Rep C.A. 'Dutch' Ruppersberger, of Maryland.
The statement went on: "These disclosures have seriously interfered with ongoing intelligence programs and have put at jeopardy our intelligence capability to act in the future.

'Each disclosure puts American lives at risk, makes it more difficult to recruit assets, strains the trust of our partners and threatens imminent and irreparable damage to our national security in the face of urgent and rapidly adapting threats worldwide.'

The group also announced a news conference on the subject for Thursday.

Meanwhile, the White House and Republican Sen John McCain of Arizona, were embroiled in a war of words yesterday, as each side accused the other of being 'grossly irresponsible' in connection with leaks of national security data.

White House spokesman Jay Carney denied allegations made by McCain a day earlier that the apparent leaks by administration officials must have been politically motivated to boost President Obama's stature ahead of his attempted re-election this fall.

McCain fired back with a heated statement repeating his suspicions, declaring 'this is not a game' and 'laws have apparently been broken.'

He called for prosecution of whoever is responsible for the leaks, which have included information about a U.S. cyber warfare program aimed at thwarting Iran's nuclear program.

Congressional intelligence chiefs also expressed deep unease about the recent leaks and said they would press the Obama administration to investigate, as well as considering how laws could be strengthened to stop it happening again.

'The accelerating pace of such disclosures, the sensitivity of the matters in question, and the harm caused to our national security interests is alarming and unacceptable,' the leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees from both political parties said in a statement.

'These disclosures have seriously interfered with ongoing intelligence programs and have put at jeopardy our intelligence capability to act in the future,' the lawmakers said.

McCain, who challenged Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign, took to the Senate floor on Wednesday along with Chambliss to call for a special counsel to investigate the recent string of leaks, saying they appeared to have been made for political advantage.

The leaks have included detailed reports on a classified counterterrorism 'kill list' of militants targeted in drone strikes, and an undercover investigation targeted on Yemen-based militants involved in building underwear bombs designed to foil airport security.

Carney, on Obama's plane on a flight to San Francisco on Wednesday, said the administration 'takes all appropriate and necessary steps to prevent leaks of classified information or sensitive information that could risk ongoing counter terrorism or intelligence operations.'

'Any suggestion that this administration has authorized intentional leaks of classified information for political gain is grossly irresponsible.'

'No, what is grossly irresponsible is U.S. officials divulging some of the most highly classified programs involving the most important national security priorities facing our nation today,' McCain shot back in his statement.




McCain doubles down on leak inquiry

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who charged members of Obama administration of leaking classified information for political gain, Wednesday called those who leaked the info "grossly irresponsible," using the same words that White House spokesperson Jay Carney levied at McCain.
Earlier in the day, Carney told reporters, "Any suggestion that this administration has authorized intentional leaks of classified info for political gain is grossly irresponsible," Carney said.

McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, fired back: "No, what is grossly irresponsible is U.S. officials divulging some of the most highly classified programs involving the most important national security priorities facing our nation today."

McCain first called attention to the issue with a fiery speech on the Senate floor Tuesday evening, pointing to a new book by New York Times journalist David Sanger that reveals U.S.-Israeli cybercampaigns used against Iran.

McCain charged members of the administration with leaking classified information and called for an investigation by a special counsel. He also called for people to be prosecuted if guilt is found. His Democratic counterpart on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., agreed to hold a hearing to investigate.

"It is difficult to escape the conclusion that these recent leaks of highly classified information, all of which have the effect of making the President look strong and decisive on national security in the middle of his re-election campaign, have a deeper political motivation," Mcain said.

McCain added: "Over the course of these congressional hearings and other investigations, I would hope that the motivations for these leaks is fully examined and discussed. These leaks clearly were not done in the interest of national security or to reveal corrupt or illegal actions about which the public has a right to know, as in the case of legitimate whistleblowers."

A bipartisan group of lawmakers that lead the House and Senate intelligence committees also expressed concern, calling possible leaks "unacceptable."

"In recent weeks, we have become increasingly concerned at the continued leaks regarding sensitive intelligence programs and activities, including specific details of sources and methods. The accelerating pace of such disclosures, the sensitivity of the matters in question, and the harm caused to our national security interests is alarming and unacceptable," Sens. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Mich. and Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.

The four members of the intelligence committees also called the leaks "damaging and intolerable." They plan to modify and strengthen legislation regarding leaks. "We believe that significant changes are needed, in legislation, in the culture of the agencies that deal with classified information, in punishing leaks, and in the level of leadership across the government to make clear that these types of disclosures will not stand," the lawmakers said in the statement.



Sources: CBS News, CNN, Daily Mail, Fox News, Youtube

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Eric Holder vs Republicans: Umar Mutallab's FBI Interrogation





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Eric Holder: Handling Of Would-Be bomber Consistent With Past Policy


Attorney General Eric Holder challenged his leading Republican critics Wednesday over the handling of the failed Christmas Day bomber, defending his decision to provide the suspect with Miranda warnings and charge him in a civilian court.

In identical letters to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and 10 other top Senate Republicans, Holder said he acted with the knowledge and consent of other relevant government departments and agencies in deciding against treating suspect Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab as an enemy combatant.

Holder also noted that similar past decisions on terrorism suspects by previous administrations of both parties received no criticism.

"The decision to charge Mr. AbdulMutallab in federal court, and the methods used to interrogate him, are fully consistent with the long-established and publicly known policies and practices of the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the United States government as a whole, as implemented for many years by administrations of both parties," Holder's letter said.

"Those policies and practices, which were not criticized when employed by previous administrations, have been and remain extremely effective in protecting national security," the letter said. "They are among the many powerful weapons this country can and should use to win the war against al Qaeda."

Holder's letter said he personally made the decision on the handling of AbdulMutallab, who was taken into federal custody after the U.S. airliner he allegedly sought to bomb landed in Detroit.

"I made the decision to charge Mr. AbdulMutallab with federal crimes and to seek his detention in connection with those charges, with the knowledge of, and with no objection from all other relevant departments of the government," Holder said.

Republicans have severely criticized Holder for the decision to inform the terrorism suspect of his Miranda rights after less than an hour of questioning by the FBI.

The Justice Department also was criticized for failing to promptly consult with the leaders of other national security and intelligence agencies before deciding to push the case into a civilian criminal court.

"Some have argued that had AbdulMutallab been declared an enemy combatant, the government could have held him indefinitely without providing him access to an attorney. But the government's legal authority to do so is far from clear," Holder wrote.

The attorney general's defense followed sharp Republican criticism at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Tuesday.

Holder's letter may not satisfy McConnell and other critics.

In a speech Wednesday, McConnell rejected Holder's argument that the administration of President George W. Bush also tried terrorism suspects in civilian courts.

"That's right. It did, and it was wrong to do so," McConnell said of the Bush administration.

In the AbdulMutallab case, "Yemeni forces needed that information on December 25th, not six weeks later," McConnell said of possible intelligence the suspect might have provided if turned over to military interrogators upon his arrest.

Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Holder "has finally come forward and said he's the one who decided that AbdulMutallab should be treated like a civilian, squandering an invaluable intelligence opportunity."

Sessions called the letter "insufficient" and said Holder must testify before the committee.

Later Wednesday, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee, announced Holder will be scheduled to testify before the panel in March.

The partisan sniping over the failed Christmas bombing comes as Republican senators, with some Democratic support, are proposing a bill to cut off money for a civilian trial for another terrorism suspect -- admitted September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Mohammed remains in custody at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility as administration officials seek a U.S. venue for a civilian trial.

Holder previously announced the trial of Mohammed and four other suspects in the case would be held in New York City, but the administration is reconsidering that venue after concerns about costs and logistics raised by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials.

In addition, congressional Republicans and some Democrats have opposed bringing the suspects to U.S. soil for a trial.



Sources: CNN, MSNBC, Hardball

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Is Obama Admin. Prepared For Another Terrorist Attack?





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Intelligence Chiefs Say Another Terror Attempt In U.S. Is "Certain"


Another attempted terrorist attack on the United States in coming months is "certain," the heads of major U.S intelligence agencies told a Senate committee Tuesday.

Al Qaeda remains the top security threat to the United States, but a growing cyber-security threat also must be addressed by the U.S. intelligence community, the heads of the CIA, the FBI and other agencies told the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The hearing covered a range of security issues and became contentious, with Republicans on the committee arguing with Democratic counterparts and the intelligence chiefs on how the Obama administration has handled terrorism suspects such as the failed Christmas Day bomber of a U.S. airliner.

Asked by committee chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, of the likelihood of another attempted terror attack on the United States in the next three to six months, the officials agreed with Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair's initial answer of "certain."

While none of the intelligence chiefs, who included CIA Director Leon Panetta, FBI Director Robert Mueller and others, cited a specific pending threat, their testimony made clear that an evolving al Qaeda remains their top concern.

"My greatest concern, and what keeps me awake at night, is that al Qaeda and its terrorist allies and affiliates could very well attack the United States," Panetta said.

Al Qaeda is adapting methods to make their plots more difficult to detect, shifting from large attacks with multiple players to using individuals without any background in terrorism, Panetta said.

He noted the Christmas Day attempt as an example, saying the suspect had a U.S. visa but little history of involvement with terrorist groups.

"Obviously, they decided to make use of someone like that within a very short period of time" of the suspect coming into contact with al Qaeda, Panetta said.

Blair also said that deciding whether to prosecute terrorist suspects in a criminal court or by a military commission should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

The question involved the handling of Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, the suspect in the failed Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airliner.

Republicans have criticized security officials for charging the suspect in criminal court instead of treating him as an enemy combatant to be prosecuted by a military commission.

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Sen. Kit Bond, R-Missouri, said it was a mistake for security officials to have read AbdulMutallab his Miranda rights on the night he was arrested, instead of first conducting further interrogation.

Blair, however, said the handling of terror suspects requires flexibility to allow for the appropriate response in each case. FBI Director Robert Mueller agreed, saying that providing a suspect with Miranda rights can bring better information than traditional military or intelligence interrogation.

Mueller noted that incentive agreements with suspects have many times resulted in gaining "actionable intelligence" that otherwise might never have come forward.

Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine and James Risch of Idaho, asked why AbdulMutallab was read his Miranda rights so quickly. Mueller said the decision must be considered in the context of the full investigation.

"You're looking at it through the rear-view mirror," Mueller said.

"Do not discount what has happened or what does happen after that in terms of gaining intelligence."

Later Tuesday, a law enforcement official told CNN AbdulMutallab had been talking to investigators since last week and providing useful, current and actionable intelligence -- leads that the FBI and intelligence officials have been actively following up.

The official was not authorized to speak for attribution because the case remains under investigation. Mueller said none of the intelligence chiefs at Tuesday's hearing were consulted about the decision to read AbdulMutallab his Miranda rights. That decision was made by the chief security interrogator at the scene in consultation with the Department of Justice, Mueller said.

The discussion included a harsh exchange among committee members, with Democratic Sens. Feinstein, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island accusing Republican Sens. Bond and Orrin Hatch of Utah of politicizing the issue.

Feinstein noted the policy of charging terrorists in U.S. criminal courts dates back to the Reagan administration, while Whitehouse called Republican framing of the issue "fallacious."

Hatch also asked Blair if any evidence showed that President Obama's plan to close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility for terrorism suspects would reduce the terrorist threat against the United States.

Hatch and Bond said they opposed the plan because it would bring terrorism suspects to U.S. soil.

Blair responded that Guantanamo has become a major recruiting tool for al Qaeda, setting off an exchange with Hatch that concluded with Blair saying: "Guantanamo has achieved a sort of mythic quality that helps al Qaeda."

In his written testimony to the committee, Blair said it would take the capture or deaths of al Qaeda's top two leaders -- Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri -- to possibly end the group's intent to attack the United States.

On the cyber-security threat, Blair's written testimony described an inability to contend with attacks using computer networks and telecommunications systems.

"Sensitive information is stolen daily from both government and private sector networks, undermining confidence in our information systems, and in the very information these systems were intended to convey," Blair wrote. "We often find persistent, unauthorized, and at times, unattributable presences on exploited networks, the hallmark of an unknown adversary intending to do far more than merely demonstrate skill or mock a vulnerability."

Feinstein agreed with Blair's assessment that the nation was unprepared for the kinds of possible cyber attacks it could face.

"The need to develop an overall cyber-security strategy is very clear," Feinstein said.



Sources: CNN, MSNBC

Sunday, June 21, 2009

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein Doubts Pres. Obama Can Garner Enough Votes To Pass Health Care Reform Bill...This Year



















Bloomberg----

President Barack Obama may not have enough votes in the U.S. Senate to pass his effort to overhaul the nation’s health-care system, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein said.

“I don’t know that he has the votes right now,” Feinstein said today on CNN’s “State of the Union” program. “I think there’s a lot of concern in the Democratic caucus.” Controlling costs of the new system is a “difficult subject.”

Republican Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana said on the same program that the overhaul should be done slowly, and not this year, to ensure it doesn’t “threaten the basic structure of the economy.”

Congress is working to meet an October deadline that Obama, a Democrat, set for signing the legislation into law. As a presidential candidate he pledged to expand coverage to the 46 million people who lack health insurance while lowering the cost of a system of care that makes up 17 percent of the economy.

Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley said on CNN that the Senate Finance Committee is “dialing down some of our expectations” of the legislation in response to an estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that earlier options under consideration would cost $1.6 trillion.

“Our goal is affordability,” said Grassley, who is the top-ranked Republican on the finance panel.

‘Running Away’

Senators from both parties are wary of health-care overhaul because of the $1.6 trillion cost estimate, Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said on ABC’s “This Week” program today. The budget office calculation “was a death blow to government-run health care plan,” he said.

Democratic senators are “running away from the government- run health care where the bureaucrat stands between the doctor and the patient,” Graham said. The Finance Committee “has abandoned” the plan, he said.

Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania said the idea of delaying action on the legislation until next year is a mistake.

The last thing the American people “want us to do is to wait and delay for 2010 or 2011, because this is the economic threat to our country,” Casey said. “If we don’t get this right and get it done, American families are going to pay far too much.”

Most Americans are willing to pay higher taxes so everyone can have health insurance and back a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll. The poll of 895 adults conducted June 12-16 had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.



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Sources: Huffington Post, Bloomberg.com, Wikipedia, Google Maps