Health Care Bill Passes with No Republican Votes; Florida Democratic Senator Loses Medicare Exception

President Obama's campaign promise of Congressional bipartisanship was lost when no Republicans voted for the Health Care Bill this past Sunday.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, gavel in hand, linked arms with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Representative John Lewis (D., GA) to walk toward the Capitol past several thousand protesters for the final vote. In this Fox News video, the crowd was being held back by police. Accompanying Fox commentary deemed it "the feel of a civil rights march."

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wrote a National Review column on Monday 3/22. He called the passing of the healthcare bill "an historic usurpation of the legislative process" and went on to state the Democrats were unsuccessful in getting even one Republican to vote for it, while bribing hesitant Democrats and paying off unions.

Polls across the country, including last week's in the L.A. Times, showed anywhere from 61-73 percent of respondents against this health care bill.

What does the Health Care Bill mean for individual states? Florida weighs in:

Here in Florida, both Republicans and Democrats took losses.

Florida's U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D), who criticized Obamacare's public option back in September 2009, had proposed exceptions from Medicare Advantage cuts for 800,000 Florida recipients. He lost that bid in the final health care vote on Sunday. Tampabay.com (St. Pete Times online) called Nelson "the biggest loser" in the health care bill.

State Sen. Mike Haridopolos (R) announced, in a March 20 video on his Web site, that Medicaid already controls the Florida state budget - $19 billion of Florida's $66 billion budget goes for Medicaid.

After two or three years of extra federal money, a potential $1.5 billion more will be needed from Florida's budget to subsidize the program in Florida after the health care reform goes into effect.

Where will it come from, who will pay?

Haridopolos explained this will mean a slashing in education funding and teaching jobs (less money and attention per child), Florida's planned roadwork, transportation and many other areas will suffer.

But he suggested that Republicans didn't have to be "the party of No;" they had ideas such as Medicaid waivers because one size doesn't fit all, preventive health measures, and other concepts.

Governors gathering for a fight:

According to a March 19 Reuters report, a lawsuit storm is gathering among U.S. State Governors to fight the broad reform that this particular health care bill will bring.

Thirty-six states were already pondering ways to limit the sweeping health care reform before the vote took place. Virginia, Idaho, Texas, Utah, Florida, Missouri and Georgia are among these.

Massachusetts and Vermont already have uniform health care. New Hampshire's legislature passed a bill demanding federal funding for expanded Medicare. It remains to be seen whether these exceptions will be allowed.

Sources:
-L.A. Times: Cast your vote on Obama's Health care plan, 3/20/10;
-St. Pete Times Staff: the buzz: "Winner and loser of the week in Florida politics", 3/20/10;
-Florida Senator Mike Heradopolis website: "This is the week that will decide" - video Part 3, 3/20/10.
-Mitt Romney, "A Campaign Begins Today," National Review Online, 3/22/10;
-Reuters, Factbox: State and U.S. healthcare reform, 3/19/10;
-Fox News video and commentary - Pelosi walks to Capitol 3/21/10.