In a foretaste of outrages to come, the Obama administration managed to sneak out a federal regulation paying doctors to provide “end of life counseling” to those covered by ObamaCare. The Medicare rule, which Congress never voted on, may encourage thousands to forego lifesaving treatment. This move is a voluntary precursor to the inevitable rationing engendered by socialized medicine. Many conservative media outlets have objected to the pro-death aspects of this decision. However, they have ignored a vital aspect of this story: the way he implemented the policy. This federal regulation inaugurates Obama’s two-year strategy to rule by executive order. The New York Times reports:
When a proposal to encourage end-of-life planning touched off a political storm over “death panels,” Democrats dropped it from legislation to overhaul the health care system. But the Obama administration will achieve the same goal by regulation, starting Jan. 1.
Under the new policy, outlined in a Medicare regulation, the government will pay doctors who advise patients on options for end-of-life care, which may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment.
Although the NYT just discovered this, Steven Ertelt at LifeNews.com reported the regulation nearly a month ago. (We covered it at the time.) For once, the Times included some salient facts along with its whitewash of the administration’s activities.
This program will be overseen by the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Donald Berwick, a fanatical believer in limiting (read: denying) care. The paper quotes Berwick as saying, “Using unwanted procedures in terminal illness is a form of assault. In economic terms, it is waste.” Berwick added advanced directives were one of “several techniques” that led “to both lower cost and more humane care.” There is no question they lead to lower costs, in addition to providing an economic stimulus to tombstone carvers, morticians, and cemetery plot salesmen.
The Times reports the regulation was pushed by two Congressional Democrats: Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Sen. Jay Rockefeller IV of West Virginia. This backing unintentionally reveals the measure’s greater significance: The liberals could not ram a death panels provision through even the Democratic-controlled 111th Congress, so Obama is imposing it with the stroke of a pen, without a single vote. The New York Times admits this is the wave of the future:
While the new law does not mention advance care planning, the Obama administration has been able to achieve its policy goal through the regulation-writing process, a strategy that could become more prevalent in the next two years as the president deals with a strengthened Republican opposition in Congress.
This author first exposed Obama’s plan to rule by executive order, in October. The following month, the Center for American Progress released a lengthy report compiled by Sarah Rosen Wartell calling for the president to implement a “progressive” agenda by fiat over the next two years. In its foreword, CAP president and CEO John Podesta called on Obama to rule through:
• Executive orders
• Rulemaking
• Agency management
• Convening and creating public-private partnerships
• Commanding the armed forces
• Diplomacy
Just last week, the inside-the-Beltway Bible Politico featured an article by John F. Harris and James Hohmann which concluded, “Republican gains in Congress make it essential for [Obama] to use new avenues of power,” including regulations and executive orders.
The Left is irresistibly drawn to collecting as much unbridled power as possible, because its agenda is so unpopular it could never receive sufficient popular support to pass an election. Since the November election, Obama, Reid, and company have followed the authoritarian path I predicted. I wrote in November, “Look for an aggressive agenda in the lame duck session of Congress, focused especially on passing the DREAM Act and repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’” Harry Reid unleashed precisely these two measures (and passed one of them) in his lame duck power grab, cramming in a bid to pass a $1.27 trillion budget besides. Next, I wrote, “After January, Cabinet agencies will issue regulations at a faster clip.” This follows that prediction. Finally, I wrote, “Obama will rule increasingly through executive orders and appeals to the United Nations.” If this regulation means anything, it means we have not seen anything yet.
How fitting one of the first expressions of Obama’s new strategy was a measure to let people die. He seems to have the same fate planned for the U.S. Constitution.
Examine the alternatives that the American People have: The Ballot Box, The Jury Box, or The Cartridge Box. Which of three will save the Nation?
MARINE68, PERSONALLY I PREFER THE CARTRIDGE BOX. THE REASON BEING IT IS SO PERMANENT. THE BALLOT BOX AND THE JURY BOX CAN ALWAYS GO EITHER WAY. AND THERE IS DANGER OF TAMPERING WITH BOTH OF THESE CHOICES. SO DEFINATELY THE CARTRIDGE BOX IS THE CHOICE.
All our safety systems have been compromised beyond reasonable expectation, you and I are in agreement.
I’m agree with the cartridge box, it is the only way.
See my last comment on the appropriate music for the United States , the funeral dirge .
This is only the start, just wait until about the end of Jan.
We've got to impeach this impostor. If he were not black they would have welcomed him in pre-WWII Germany and Italy.
They also wanted to kill off feeble, old, and othe 'undesirables', the smell of this in this administration is undeniable.
These 'fiats' have got to be gotten rid of. Congress had better start taking control of it's domains, and drop controls of domains that are not theirs.
A change you won't believe in- every week it is something else- traitor enjoys stirring the pot while he dances around the world on vacation and two weeks later off again on another vacation -really-I do not see how Obama will finish his term I do not think that all of us disgruntled millions are going to shrug it off any more- this nation has murderers in it and none of us are safe ****** especially***** HUSSEIN
WELL FOLKS THE AMERICAN VOTERS "BOUGHT A PIG-IN-A-POKE." THE DUMB BASTARDS THOUGHT AND WANTED TO BE A PART OF HISTORY. BOY ARE THEY EVER A PART OF HISTORY, THAT FOR THE SAKE OF AMERICA WE CANT AFFORD A REPEAT OF THEIR MISTAKE. NEVER IN MY LIFETIME HAVE I EVER BEEN AFRAID OF MY COUNTRY, AND ALSO AFRAID FOR MY COUNTRY. WE ARE HEADED DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THE CESSPOOL.THE SMELL IS SICKENING, AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? BIDEN WANTS US ALL TO TURN QUEER AND MARRY.
Obama has shown his religious beliefs. Human life is expendable, otherwise why do muslims go around the world blowing themselves up to kill innocent people. Back door, sneaky tactics are not to be, this socialist needs to be impeached. Human euthanasia…not in America!!!!
I got dibs on the right foot.
This scumbag Usurper will continue with his shit as long as we grumble
among ourselves. We must raise hell with the new 112th Congress like never
before. How can this prick think he’s going to pull this off? Even with that
murderous scumbag Soros behind him. During the lame duck, I faxed and
called every senator to vote against the DREAM Act. We must bother the
hell out of them & let them know we’re watching! It’s that or all out
civil war. Keep at the ready just in case. We now know who our domestic
enemies are, & I don’t think they know who they’re pushing!
You are absolutely correct. We need to try Obama for Treason and need to strip Soros of his citizenship, freeze his assets and kick his A$$ out of this country! It won’t be the first country Soros has been kicked out of, but it will bloody well be the best country he has been kicked out of!
It is up to all who are concerned about our nation to keep this anti-Americans decisions on the front pages for the next 2 years ! The following month, the Center for American Progress released a lengthy report compiled by Sarah Rosen Wartell calling for the president to implement a “progressive” agenda by fiat over the next two years. In its foreword, CAP president and CEO John Podesta called on Obama to rule through: >
*Executive orders
*Rulemaking
*Agency management
*Convening and creating public-private partnerships / Commanding the armed forces
*Diplomacy
Just last week, the inside-the-Beltway Bible Politico featured an article by John F. Harris and James Hohmann which concluded, “Republican gains in Congress make it essential for [Obama] to use new avenues of power,” including regulations and executive orders.
The Left is irresistibly drawn to collecting as much unbridled power as possible, because its agenda is so unpopular it could never receive sufficient popular support to pass an election. Since the November election, Obama, Reid, and company have followed the authoritarian path I predicted…. Our enemies of America don`t rest , and neither should we !
once again the communist democrat party headed by Chairman obama tells the serf tax payers of the peoples republic of America , if we can not rule by legislation ….we will rull by regulation, the congress and senate are of no use with this black Marxist wannabe DICK-tater he circumvents them if he does not get what he wants, a play no doubt he learned from his new DICK-tater blow buddy Chavez , now the govt will pay doctors to tell you , look its no use just pull the plug and save the govt some money that they will put to very good use, granting amnesty to a hoard of new entitlement illegals or some other valid social justice plan………..America has been duped by this commie affirmative action community organiser obama is public enemy # one and needs to be kicked out of OUR govt
I hope all of you who voted for this person are well satisfied. We certainly are fundamentally changing the United States of America. I am 84, and no death panel will tell me when to go. God himself is in charge of that date. This is really heart breaking ,the way our wonderful country is going. Reminds me of Hitler during the thirties and forties. How much longer are the senate and congress going to put up with this? John Boehner we are counting on you. Please help us get out of the mess we are in before it is too late.
His plan is clear, so is ours, impeach and nullify.
the communist democrat party and the dear leader of the peoples republic of America chairman obama once again show the stupid serf tax payer that if they cant rule by legislation they will rule by regulation, the black DICK-tater once again shows congress and the senate they are a moot legislative body with him in power, watch for more circumventing of congress in the future by this usurper ………his mentor Chavez must be so proud of his little black protege Marxist commie
I'm sorry, but repeating the 'death panel' moniker looks deliberately engineered to evince the kind of (hilarious) hysteria found in the previous comment. This provision does not encourage patients to forego end of life treatment any more than it encourages them to insist on end of life treatment. If you want to talk to your doctor about end-of-life care, that conversation will be covered. Whether you say, 'I want you to use extreme measures in all cases even if my family say otherwise,' or whether you say 'don't break out the breathing machine if I'm brain-dead' is completely up to you. Oh, and so is having the conversation in the first place.
I vote for Texas Granny for president.