A new report from Families USA, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that pushed for the recent health care reform suggests that nearly 80 percent of Illinois small businesses will benefit from a tax credit in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The tax credit, which targets small businesses that employ 25 people or less, help pay the cost of employee coverage. In Illinois, this means 159,900 small businesses will qualify. Of those that qualify, nearly a third will be eligible for the full tax credit of 35 percent. These are Illinois businesses that employ 10 or fewer people who earn, on average $25,000 or less. Typically these are the businesses that have had the most difficulty affording health insurance. As the number of employees and their average wage increases, the tax credit decreases on a sliding scale. more ›

The Sun-Times is reporting that Illinois will miss the July 1 deadline to establish a temporary high-risk health insurance pool for people with pre-existing conditions. State-run insurance pools are mandated under the sweeping health care reform package passed by congress earlier this year. The delay is due to the General Assembly's failure to pass the necessary legislation, which would enable the state to operate the federal program through the existing Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan. Illinois already has a contract in place with Blue Cross Blue Shield to insure high-risk enrollees but, according to Illinois Department of Insurance director Michael McRaith, the lack of appropriate legislation means that the state will go through the procurement process to find a plan administrator to insure people with pre-existing conditions, a process which could delay enrollment until August. more ›

It's been a few weeks since Mark Kirk vowed to a private group of GOP donors in Winettka that he "would lead the effort, if it passes, to repeal" the recently enacted health care reform bill President Obama signed into law. But the Republican senate candidate has been less than candid with the media when pressed on the issue, saying instead that "I think that the taxes should not be imposed on the American people. The Medicare cuts should not be imposed on the American people," but not saying that he would lead the effort to repeal the bill. more ›

The U.S. Senate today passed a package of changes to the health care reform bill passed earlier this week (and signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday). After a series of procedural maneuvers brought by the GOP, the bill passed by a final tally of 56-43. Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Roland Burris (who at one point last year threatened to vote 'no' on the bill), both Democrats, each voted in favor of the bill. Just as with the main bill's passage in the House, Republicans voted unanimously against the bill. They were joined by three Democrats: Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Ben Nelson of Nebraska. There was one no-vote by Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) who was sick. Minor tweaks of the bill - necessary after Republicans pointed out two provisions violated congressional budget rules - mean that the bill must once again pass the House before it goes to President Obama to sign into law. The House first approved the Reconciliation bill on Sunday night by a vote of 220-211. more ›

While 13 states have filed lawsuits against the federal government in reaction to the recently passed Health Care reform bill, don't expect one from the state of Illinois. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has no plans to do so in spite of a letter signed by Republican reps from around the state. The point of contention for those lawsuits filed by other states is the mandate requiring the purchase of health care coverage. [WBEZ] more ›

• President Obama officially signed the recently passed health care reform bill into law. At last check (around 4:54 p.m. Chicago time), the apocalypse some had been warned us this action would bring still had not yet occurred.
• Mayor Daley's not too hot on the idea of a four-day school week.
• Gapers Block has an excellent feature focusing on the battle over unions and workers' rights at Pete's Fresh Market.

The Tribune has obtained a recording of a speech Illinois Senate Candidate Mark Kirk gave to a GOP audience in Winnetka late last week where he promised to lead the fight to repeal the newly passed health care reform bill. “I’m Mark Kirk and I can’t wait to vote against the health care bill next week,” Kirk said, after saying that the GOP was on its way to making Barack Obama a "one-termer." When asked what he would do if the bill passed, Kirk told the audience member that he would lead the charge to repeal it. “There is one thing about the bill not commonly known: All of the pain of the bill is upfront and all of the gain is later. What do I mean? The bill includes 10 new federal taxes, and dramatic cuts for senior health care under Medicare between 2010 and 2014,” Kirk said. “The actual benefit of the bill doesn’t start until 2014. In between this time and then, is a presidential election. If we can win in the White House -- and we’re on the way to making this guy a one termer -- then if we move to repeal this bill in 2013, all you’re doing is removing the pain and not a single American would have benefited from it yet. And so, as your senator, I would lead the effort, if it passes, to repeal this bill.” more ›

By now, we all know that the U.S. House voted to pass the Senate's version of the health care reform bill by a 219-212 vote. House Dems saw a small splintering as 219 voted yes and 34 voted no; the GOP voted a straight 178-0 against the bill. After voting down a GOP motion to recommit the bill, the House then passed a reconciliation bill that will make changes to the approved legislation by a 220-211 vote; that bill now heads to the Senate. As for the main health care reform bill, here's how area reps voted on the bill: more ›

The House vote on the Senate version of President Obama's health care reform bill approaches this afternoon even as House Democrat leaders scramble to make sure they have the 216 votes necessary to pass the bill. The New York Times reported that as of yesterday afternoon, "Ms. Pelosi appeared to be within 8 votes of the 216 she needed to approve the bill, with 19 Democrats still uncommitted." This morning, Dem leaders reported that they have the 216 votes but that it was still "in flux." Republicans will oppose the bill across the board; Rep. Anh Cao (LA-R) was the lone Republican who voted for the first version of the bill last fall said he would oppose this bill because of this version's “expansion of abortion, an absolute moral evil.” The difference in language pertaining to abortion between this Senate version and the original version the House passed last fall has been at the center of debate. more ›

Last night, President Obama delivered his first official State of the Union speech to a joint session of U.S. Congress. The President focused largely on the economy before moving on the social issues such as health care reform and promising to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. He also further addressed national security issues and partisanship within Congress. You can view the entire speech above and read the text here. Virginia governor Robert McDonnell delivered the GOP response which you can view here and read here. more ›

Last night, Republicans took the Democratic stronghold in Massachusetts in a special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat. Today, both the GOP and media are heralding Scott Brown’s victory as a symbol of a referendum on the “Obama agenda,” even though Martha Coakley didn’t exactly run an effective campaign. Now that the Democrats lost their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and Republicans are riding the PR wave of an electoral victory, everything from health care legislation to the Illinois Senate seat seems a bit closer to landing in Republican hands. more ›

President Obama's health care bill is a step closer to reality after passing the U.S. Senate early this morning by a 60-39 vote (the missing vote was Jim Bunning, R-KY). Not a single Republican voted in favor of the bill. Upon the passage, President Obama addressed the press, saying, "we are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform that will bring additional security and stability to the American people." more ›

By a narrow final margin of 220-215, the U.S. House passed the health care reform bill late last night. With the vote almost completely breaking along party lines, only one Republican - Joseph Cao of New Orleans, LA - voted yes while 39 Dems (none from Illinois) voted no. In an email statement, President Obama said, "This is a night to celebrate -- but not to rest. Those who voted for reform deserve our thanks, and the next phase of this fight has already begun.'' more ›

The battle over health care is revving up this weekend as a deal among U.S. House Democrats has paved the way for a potential House vote on President Obama's health care reform bill. The deal would allow for an amendment to the public option portion that would prevent the the government's plan, as well as private plans involved in the government-run exchanges, from covering elective abortions. However, coverage would still be available in the cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is in danger. The amendment is expected to pass with support from Republicans and conservative Dems and gives Dem leaders hope of swaying enough of those conservative Dems to secure the 218 necessary votes to pass the bill on to the Senate. There are concerns, though, that there won't be quite enough votes to get the bill passed. Clout Street explains: more ›

If Americans needed further proof that health care reform amounts to little more than partisan talking points and political bickering, Mark Kirk came to the rescue yesterday. A Politico report on the GOP’s feelings about a Democratic health care reform bill quotes Kirk: “Several dozen House Democrats risk losing their jobs if they vote for reform.” Kirk’s no stranger to ridiculous statements regarding health care reform; in August, he helped to spread the lie that proposed legislation would give federally subsidized health care to illegal aliens. more ›

At least we can laugh at it all. Right? more ›

Speaking of President Obama and the issue that may keep him from going to Copenhagen in October, he's planning a big media blitz this weekend. You can look for him on the Sunday morning shows across the major networks including CBS, ABC, NBC, and CNN. He'll wrap it up by stopping by David Letterman's show, the first time a sitting present has visited Letterman. [Tribune] more ›

Sure, the First Lady is going and Oprah's mulling it over, but President Obama is skeptical he'll get to visit Copenhagen in October to make a last-second pitch for Chicago 2016 because he's got other things on his "to do" list. But to hear at least one member of the IOC talk about it, President Obama is the key to the whole deal for Chicago. An IOC member named Dick Pound (no, really) spoke at a symposium focused on the Olympics last night and said, among other things, "If you have a popular and transformational leader and you don't use him, you're not maximizing your chances. To the extent that the mayor and Pat Ryan can twist the presidential arm, they should do that. I think it could make a huge difference." more ›

• There's still some skepticism as to whether or not President Obama will make the trip to Copenhagen on the eve of the IOC's October 2nd vote for the 2016 Olympic games.
• Speaking of the Olympics, in the latest edition of one poll that measures where city's rank with their bids, Chicago is now second behind Rio.
• WBEZ talked to local Congressmen to see where they stand on health care reform in the wake of President Obama's speech last night.

Man, it's been a rough summer for President Obama. As if the economy hasn't given him enough problems, the battle over health care reform has turned pretty damn nasty. And now a new poll by the Tribune and WGN shows that support for Obama in his co-home state is waning a bit. Of the 700 registered voters polled, 59 percent approved of the job he was doing, 33 percent disapprove, and eight percent had no opinion. Of course, the real split comes on how Obama's handled health care. more ›

While opponents rallied and Democrats sweated, the debate over health care reform hasn't gone away. Over the weekend, Wyoming Republican Senator Michael Enzi, one of the leading GOP negotiators on the issue said that unless reform means lower medical costs without increasing the national debt, it's a nonstarter. "The bills introduced by congressional Democrats fail to meet these standards," he said. Nevertheless, congressional Democrats are readying to redouble their efforts to pass what may be the landmark social legislation of this administration. “You’ll see a groundswell once it’s here, and you’ll see we aren’t trying to ram this down anyone’s throats,” said House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina. He told Politico that Democrats will be focusing on negotiations and compromise will be key to passing the bill. And the White House is getting into the act as well, with Vice President Joe Biden appearing in a YouTube video to explain the importance of reforming the nation's health care system. more ›

Mark Kirk, Illinois's 10th District Congressman and GOP front runner for the state's U.S. Senate seat, has been been trying to get in front of conservative rage at Obama lately. Earlier this month he held a press conference in a downtown Chicago federal building (in his capacity as a U.S. Congressman) to denounce the House version of the proposed health care reform legislation. Then, he called the bill partisan and expensive, and cited medical malpractice reforms as the key to cutting costs. This week he's upped the ante, lying about the details of the proposed legislation. "Should we provide taxpayer health care for people who are illegally here in the U. S.? I do not think we should provide federally-subsidized health care to illegal aliens," Kirk asked the crowd before rhetorically answering his own question. He failed to mention that the proposed legislation doesn't actually offer health insurance coverage for those in the United States illegally. more ›

Governor Quinn and Treasurer Alexi Giannoulis were among the democratic leaders at Federal Plaza Tuesday pumping up organized labor and liberal advocacy groups in support of President Obama’s health care reform proposal. Hundreds attended to unite against the current insurance system and build momentum for the president’s proposal. As no good rally is without counter-protestors, conservative activists like Eric Odom also made a showing, he told Chicago Breaking News: “We basically feel the legislation being pushed through (is) very dangerous”, and “We are really pushing for everybody to take a deep breath and really look at what we’re getting into and not just jump into something…that’s going to cost us for years to come”. more ›

With the Health Care issue the hot topic on Capitol Hill right now, President Obama took to NBC's Today Show to talk about his proposal for Health Care reform and how he's prepared to do what it takes to ensure it gets passed. more ›

In spite of his appointment to the U.S. House's powerful Ways & Means Committee, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis still has his eye on that vacant U.S. Senate seat that Governor Blagojevich someone will soon appoint. Says Davis, "Well Ways and Means is one thing, but the senate is another one." So, as we alluded to yesterday, we're one step closer to life imitating art? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit. [WBEZ] more ›

In a press conference originally scheduled to announce former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as his nominee as secretary of Health and Human Services - the same position Governor Blagojevich was hoping to buy himself - President-Elect Barack Obama found himself talking less about health care reform and more about Blago. About Daschle, Obama said, "As such he will be responsible not just for implementing our health care plan. He will also be the lead architect of that plan," noting Daschle will also lead the new White House Office of Health Reform; Obama also named Jeanne Lambrew as deputy director the new office. more ›

Just a few weeks after Governor Blagojevich messed with our minds by suggesting U.S. Rep. Danny Davis was his choice to be appointed to President-Elect Barack Obama's vacant senate seat, it seems Rep. Davis has accepted the likelihood it won't be him and has earned himself a spot on the U.S. House's Ways and Means Committee. Davis was approved for the spot by House Democrats after promising to fight for healthcare reform. Davis' Chief of Staff Yul Edwards said, "It's great for our district. Given the number of hospitals we have and the need to create a better system of healthcare, his background and role in working on health for 30 to 40 years can be an asset." Davis' appointment assures Illinois will have a voice in the committee with Rep. Rahm Emanuel's appointment as Obama's Chief of Staff and the retirement of Rep. Jerry Weller. Is it a coincidence that every time we see Rep. Davis' name, we automatically think of Sen. Clay Davis instead? more ›