Health Care Final Senate Bill Just More Pork!

So this is what it comes down to, progress for the sake of progress. Passing a bill for the sake of a hollow victory, are you progressives sure you want what you're asking for? Going through the bill, I see nothing but giveaways and grants plus incentives and extra payments to different people and the creation of huge Trust Funds for politicians to dish out money. Oh, and the $200,000 and above tax on the rich isn't indexed to inflation!!! That means it's only a matter of time before we get bracket creep and everyone becomes subject to that tax just like with the AMT. Below are just some of the special programs and extra payments. At some point common sense has to take over and sensible people have to open their eyes and see that this bill is garbage. Blame this on the Republicans? How? This will be the end of your progressive reform, after two pork filled stimulus packages and now this crap, who will ever trust progressives again?

‘‘(1) GENERAL AMOUNTS FOR GRANTS.—For
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the purpose of carrying out this section, in addition
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to the amounts authorized to be appropriated under
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subsection (d), there is authorized to be appro-
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priated the following:
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‘‘(A) For fiscal year 2010,
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$2,988,821,592.
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‘‘(B) For fiscal year 2011,
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$3,862,107,440.
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‘‘(C) For fiscal year 2012, $4,990,553,440.
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‘‘(D) For fiscal year 2013,

$6,448,713,307.
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‘‘(E) For fiscal year 2014,
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$7,332,924,155.
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‘‘(F) For fiscal year 2015,
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$8,332,924,155.
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‘‘(G) For fiscal year 2016, and each subse-
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quent fiscal year, the amount appropriated for
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the preceding fiscal year adjusted by the prod-
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uct of—
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‘‘(i) one plus the average percentage
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increase in costs incurred per patient
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served; and
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‘‘(ii) one plus the average percentage
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increase in the total number of patients
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served.’’.
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‘‘SEC. 9511. PATIENT-CENTERED OUTCOMES RESEARCH
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TRUST FUND.
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‘‘(a) CREATION OF TRUST FUND.—There is estab-
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lished in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund
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to be known as the ‘Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
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Trust Fund’ (hereafter in this section referred to as the
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‘PCORTF’), consisting of such amounts as may be appro-
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priated or credited to such Trust Fund as provided in this
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section and section 9602(b).
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‘‘(b) TRANSFERS TO FUND.—
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‘‘(1) APPROPRIATION.—There are hereby ap-
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propriated to the Trust Fund the following:
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‘‘(A) For fiscal year 2010, $10,000,000.
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‘‘(B) For fiscal year 2011, $50,000,000.
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‘‘(C) For fiscal year 2012, $150,000,000.
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‘‘(D) For fiscal year 2013—
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‘‘(i) an amount equivalent to the net
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revenues received in the Treasury from the
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fees imposed under subchapter B of chap-
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ter 34 (relating to fees on health insurance
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and self-insured plans) for such fiscal year;
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and
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‘‘(ii) $150,000,000.
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‘‘(E) For each of fiscal years 2014, 2015,
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2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019—
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‘‘(i) an amount equivalent to the net
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revenues received in the Treasury from the
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fees imposed under subchapter B of chap-
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ter 34 (relating to fees on health insurance
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and self-insured plans) for such fiscal year;
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and
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‘‘(ii) $150,000,000.
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The amounts appropriated under subpara-
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graphs (A), (B), (C), (D)(ii), and (E)(ii) shall
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be transferred from the general fund of the
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Treasury, from funds not otherwise appro-
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priated.
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‘‘(2) TRUST FUND TRANSFERS.—In addition to
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the amounts appropriated under paragraph (1),
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there shall be credited to the PCORTF the amounts
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transferred under section 1183 of the Social Secu-
1
rity Act.
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