White House Says Congress Underestimated New Medicare Costs

[jamesinca]

White House Says Congress Underestimated New Medicare Costs
By ROBERT PEAR and EDMUND L. ANDREWS

Published: February 2, 2004


WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 — Bush administration officials said Sunday that Congress had grossly underestimated the cost not only for prescription drug benefits, but also for private health insurance plans that would be offered to elderly people under the new Medicare law.

When President Bush signed the legislation on Dec. 8, the Congressional Budget Office said it would cost $395 billion in the decade from 2004 to 2013. On Thursday, the White House put the cost at $534 billion.

Mr. Bush will try to explain the difference when he submits his budget to Congress on Monday.

The budget is expected to show a record deficit of more than a half-trillion dollars in 2004, up from $375 billion last year. But the president says his policies will reduce the deficit to $364 billion in 2005 and to $237 billion by 2009, fulfilling his vow to cut the deficit in half in five years.

Administration officials said that Mr. Bush's budget would not include the costs of the Iraq war. Nor, they said, would it include the costs of restructuring the alternative minimum tax, estimated at more than $162 billion over five years.

<SNIP>

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/02/politics/02BUDG.html?th

[Newsjock]

1. Does he EVER accept responsibility for ANYTHING?

Darnitall, I was all tired and about ready to finally go to bed, and then I had to read this. Now I'm all angry again.

[leftchick]

3. In a word,.... NO.....

Will the average murican notice? I think not... :grr:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. I think so

I keep having surprising conversations with average Americans who usually don't talk politics. One is really mad that his mom's Medicare costs are going up-and he puts the blame squarely on Bush. He said quite decisively that Bush would be a one-term President.

[jamesinca]

4. One more reason to get out and vote

Have a shot of tequilla and stomp around a bit, then go to bed. Or make sure you get out and vote to change this. Make sure you take somebody to the polls that day with you.

As Wesley Clark said, he wants all of the credit and none of the responsibility of being president.

[Maccagirl]

2. You mean the Republican-controlled Congress?

THAT one?

:D

[jamesinca]

6. That one

the one with a minority of tax and spend liberuls.

[JNelson6563]

5. Rs in Congress will take only so much

before they lash out at their fearless, blame-placing, finger-pointing leader.

Jr's a fool.

Julie

[nofurylike]

7. is true, but, sigh, was the plan all along:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=342736

now for the slashing. just like reagan did ("balanced budget amendment"), but now to the next level. and that's a level i was sure we could never go.

gasp

'camps' next...

sigh


peace

[nofurylike]

8. must add that

of course it isn't really to balance any budget.


peace

[jamesinca]

9. He has stated that he will cut programs in his next budget

one of those programs will be environmental thingys. Social programs will probably take the rest of the hit. I bet you there will not be enough money to fund edumacation so we will have to cut that also. As if we do not sell enough stuff for fund raisers as it is already.


http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=425...



http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullS...

[nofurylike]

11. endless gasps anymore

hey, you brought back to mind the ol' "what if every time they wanted to have a war they had to hold a bake sale?" days.
thank you!

it IS their turn, yes!


peace!

[GoBlue]

10. I balanced my budget

I decided not to count my mortgage or car payments. Works for me.

[JNelson6563]

14. oooh, excellent idea!

Wait till Ishow my hubby our new bottom line!! ;-)

[Beaker]

17. and when the bank calls about their money...

just tell them: "vice-president cheney said that defecits don't matter..."

[0007]

13. Slip and slide on a little discrepancy? - No biggy!

The new medical is such a great plan that the average American won't mind, 'eh?

It is those rich nasty Republicans that are upset.

[gristy]

15. Congress Underestimated New Medicare Costs???

It's fault of Congress now? Just in the past week we've got bush blaming Congress on Medicare costs and the CIA for faulty intelligence.

Just two more examples of "blame the accountants" syndrome. Pathetic :grr:

[snippy]

16. This is odd. Why did Bush not blame Clinton or the CIA for this?

[54anickel]

18. But didn't he keep referring to this as "MY" bill? He tends to use that

MY, ME, I crap alot.

My Repug sister made this comment on the SOTU regarding the shot of Kennedy turning red and shaking his head -

"You sure could tell he was disgusted, and what's scary is I agree with him. I always thought the Kennedy's were nothing but crooks, if suddenly Ted looks good and makes sense to me, how much more crooked and corrupt does that make Bush?"

It was great! She's not voting for Shrub this year.

[MaineDem]

19. But there's money for marriage!

How much for his silly marriage thing? Priorities are all screwed up in this White House.

[Mari333]

22. Dont forget the MOON!

:crazy:

[chelsea0011]

20. A minor slip up on the way to nowhere

"Round up the usual suspects". Just don't include me.

As a member of AARP and somewhat well read, I have spent months trying to figure out what the hell this bill is about. The fact that the people who made the bill haven't a clue of the cost really warms my heart.

[Mari333]

21. Welcome to DU BTW

=)))))))))))))
I left the AARP and told them to shove it, basically. =)

[wryter2000]

26. Hi, Feeny

:hi:

[Beetwasher]

23. Thank You Sir, May I Have Another!

I gotta believe that this is wearing thin...It's no longer possible to be too cynical...

[snippy]

24. Congress did it. "Yeah. . . that's the ticket."

Someone has got to begin running ads ridiculing Bush for his incessant lying. Bush would be toast if 10% of the time and money spent by the RNC in 2000 ridiculing Gore was spent on ridiculing Bush.

[wryter2000]

25. Gee-hosophat!

Lying little worm. Can't you get anything right, moron? Maybe, finally, this'll tick some of the maggots in Congress off. How I'd love to see the Chimpster on DeLay's hit list.

[jamesinca]

27. He is also blaming everybody else for intelligence failures

I guess that is true, the intelligence on Iraq WMD would have to be somebody Else's fault. Here is why, he has no intelligence so his could not have failed, it had to be somebody Else's. He blames Clinton for the recession, he blames everybody else for his administrations failures. They are his administrations failures, not somebody Else's. He took credit for the economy when the GDP was 8.2% last year, will he own up to that if the stock market continues to trend downward, will the BUCK STOP HERE ever with this administration?

[snippy]

28. He also blamed Laura for dropping the dog.

[salin]

29. what he doesn't blame is the built in corporate welfare

that escalates the costs exponentially. The stripping of the government the power to negotiate costs down with pharma based on large buying power (as every private entity has the power to do) - while also building in provisions to prevent US buyers to shop via Canada giving Pharma the ability to keep gouging consumers - and not have to negotiate fair market prices to medicare while getting to expand its customer base through medicare.