GOP Health Care Reform Repeal Vote on 1/12. Dems Say "Bring It."
House Democrats are not going to be passive and silent while Republicans endeavor to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Now that the GOP has set January 12th as the day to bring back pre-existing conditions, Democrats are stepping up to force them to own the consequences of their effort.
Greg Sargent has details on their strategy.
In an interview with me just now, Dem Rep. Anthony Weiner, who is one of the best there is at framing liberal arguments in pugnacious terms, said Dems are leaning towards seeing this fight as an opportunity, and appear to be eschewing their typical "fetal position" on health reform.
Separately, in another development, Dem Rep. Peter Welch -- last seen leading the charge on behalf of House liberals against the Obama tax cut deal -- is circulating a letter among Dems vowing to introduce amendments to the GOP's repeal bill forcing votes directly on the Affordable Care Act's most popular provisions.
Weiner told me this afternoon that he's urging fellow Democrats to see the GOP's repeal push as a chance to do what they failed to do last year in the runup to the midterms: Aggressively make the case for the individual provisions in health reform that the public likes.
"This gives us a chance to unmake the mistake that we made in 2010 -- we shied away from the challenge of explaining exactly what's in the bill," Weiner said. "Polls show that parts of health reform are very popular. That argues for talking more about what's actually in it."
I am looking forward to seeing Republicans argue for repealing the donut hole closure for seniors, and for allowing people to be excluded for pre-existing conditions. I'm especially looking forward to their arguments for repealing the tort reform provisions contained in the bill, too.
Senate Democrats have already fired their shot across the bow in a letter to Speaker-elect Boehner signed by Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Debbie Stabenow, Dick Durbin and Patty Murray.
If House Republicans move forward with a repeal of the health care law that threatens consumer benefits like the "donut hole" fix, we will block it in the Senate. This proposal deserves a chance to work. It is too important to be treated as collateral damage in a partisan mission to repeal health care.
I'm looking forward to seeing them trip over themselves to explain to those seniors who were at the town hall meetings in the summer of 2009 why they're taking away their drug benefit. Or explaining to the parents of college kids why they can't be on their group policy any more. It should be lots of fun. (A full list of provisions taking effect in 2011 can be found here)
Lead on, Boehner, lead on.
Late update: After 2 years of GOP whining about hearings and lack of bipartisanship, this repeal effort will be brought to the floor without even one hearing in any committee.
the key word for those opposing the Affordable Health Care Act will be the "mandate". Many won't know anything else regarding the heath care legislation, pro or con, but will hang their argument on the "mandate" clause. the health care insurance industry wanted the "mandate" in order to cover pre-existing conditions.
What if I don't schwing that way?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Didn't the previous president have a mandate? Or was it just a sleepover?
That's a good one!
Before enlightenment - chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment - chop wood, carry water.
the problem in this country is monopoly capitalism, the health care "reform" bill did nothing to reform this basic equation, therefore it will fail. the cost of this bill falls solely on the working class, therefore it should be opposed.
bandaid factories will need to hire more workers!
Actually it did. There's a provision calling for an 85% loss ratio, there's a government regulated option (the same option Govrnment employees have- including Congress critters) on the exchange, there's the exchange itself and there's the mandate that all preventive care be paid for. To say nothing of eliminating pre-existing conditions.
Is there anyone here that's man enough to appologize when in 2014 the health care bill actually works well and is quite popular (unless if the NOT GOOD ENOUGH! attitude prevails on this board and they let it be destroyed through lack of interest). Virtually all social programs begin with this type of hand-wringing from both the left and the right. Until it's implimented, then it turns out to be popular. But no one says they're sorry. Reagan got to be President after he publicly trashed medicare and said it would be the end of freedom. Sound familiar?
the Health Care Bill is, of course, very important and trying to make it better is an even better idea. However fighting for the people of this country should be at the top of every list in Washington D.C. The easiest way to do that is to fight for a comprehensive campaign finance reform bill. Design it so the every American can see what the biggest problem we have right now really is. It is the corporate attempt to take over, completely, the political structure in this country. With the Citizens United decision from the Supreme Court to Justice Scalia's recent fantasy that women are not Constitutionally protected from discrimination (The Equal Rights Amendment gone on any ones To Do List lately?). There was a movement early in this nation's history that wanted to make only land owners eligible to vote, I can see Justice Scalia attempting to justify imposing a dollar value on the right to vote. Must have a net worth of what $20,000,000?
This would be a great issue to challenge the GOP on. Let the American people see how they are not the populists they pretend to be, but really just pathetic social climbers who want to party with folks in the Hamptons.
"Let the American people see" , if the dumb shits have not figured it out by now , after the last twelve years in particular , they never will .
Insanity , it is what it is , there is no understanding it .
...and appear to be eschewing their typical "fetal position"
I'll believe it when I see it. The dems wouldn't have even gotten the the Zadrogba bill passed if Stewart hadn't done the show with the throat cancer guys.
they're all (mostly) pussycrats I tell ya! they got no balls and no agenda. I miss Feingold and Grayson already.
Apparently their contsituents did not.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtTNkL3q12Q
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
but I can't seem to get too excited about the repeal attempt of Romneycare; it might just save Medicaid 500m if they do.
Harry Chapin wants you.
http://rules-republicans.house.gov/Media/PDF/...
Apparently their argument is going to be that the Affordable Care Act is a JOBS KILLER.
I can't wait to hear them explain this one to all of us.
I personally don't like the bill either, but if this is the best they can come up with to say that it should be repealed they are in trouble.
I see no mention of "the mandate" in their repeal legislation anywhere.
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
Program on January 13th. That would show the markets they have real confidence in what their vote on Januarty 12th will do for employment recovery. As we all know, there is nothing markets like more than confidence.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
They won't need to explain it. They just need to have it repeated relentlessly until enough people believe it. Since the media is on their side, a few phone calls is all it takes to have that arranged.
Everyone is equally entitled to the pursuit of happiness. Wasn't that once self evident?
I would like to see Obama explain those exemptions granted to crony corporations, so far 6 including McDonalds, if the Affordable Care Act is not a jobs killer. The "bump" in hiring is seasonal, so expect the unemployment rate to tick upward over the winter.
These days, most of the expansion in "manufacturing" jobs is "assembling" hamburgers and "processing" french fries. Even the MICC has frozen hiring, excepting for companies fulfilling overseas defense contracts for mercenaries -- business for them is "booming".
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
They gave the exemptions to corporations with bare-bones (barely insurance) insurance policies. The reasoning is that crap policies are better than no policies at all. Their figuring is that these types of policies will cease to exist in 2014 anyway. I know you like to write everything as Obama "selling out" to big corporations, but there reasoning is to allow people to have SOME insurance until the full bill kicks in.
No town meetings??
Does this mean their will be no Tea party buses headed to DC for demostrations? I was so looking forward to expectorating on a Democrat or two.
"Folks, this is not your father's Republican Party."
Joe Biden
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5UQE3QnZwI
After 2 years of GOP whining about hearings and lack of bipartisanship, this repeal effort will be brought to the floor without even one hearing in any committee.
Shocking. I guess we should capitulate in the hope that the GOP will see the err of their ways and do the right thing.
What's the definition of insanity.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
The health care insurance industry loves the mandate , I don't think this attack on the bill is going to get all that far , insurers are potentially going to get millions of new customers that they can gouge , rip off and prey on , you think they will screw themselves out of that deal ?
Insanity , it is what it is , there is no understanding it .
Yup. If anything the mandate is the one thing that will survive. Of course, they'll simply have to cut any low income subsidies, you know, for the deficit.
It's time to show the Republicans that we will stand up to them and be just as tough for what we believe as they are. "Bring it on," is a perfect way of putting it.
CaliforniaMike blogs at All Voices and at his own blogs, http://www.mikerappaport.net/onevoice and at http://oneminutewithmike.blogspot.com.
FOAD.
me-oww!
Arguments will be framed, and letters will be written . . . with vows in them no less.
Republicans ought to be quaking in their boots.
FUX News will do it for them. It will be the Democrats' fault. And at those town meetings, sensible questions like that will be shouted down by angry teabaggers screaming, "Communist Terrorist Muslim Hippie!"
If modern history is any indication, Democrats will kick and scream for a little bit, getting their ever-shrinking excitable base excited once again, whereupon the Republican media and its political wing will lie and distort everything as best they can getting their ever-growing base of faithful maniacs more maniacal, and some sort of "compromise" will be reached without any average citizen really knowing what happened.
Then, the usual arguments will ensue. Third-partiers will say, "Told ya so;" progressive Democrats will say they've been "betrayed once again;" apologists will say, "At least we held off Republicans in the House, since they control it, there wasn't much more we could do than minimize damage, and that's a kind of progress, or at least sets the way for progress later if Democrats can retake the House;" and the rightward drift will continue.
If the Democrats gear up, and manage to fight this fight correctly, in the face of the Right Wing Propaganda Machine, I certainly won't begrudge it.
But I won't hold my breath either.
Everyone is equally entitled to the pursuit of happiness. Wasn't that once self evident?
Yes, they are following their usual script. Why do Dems only put up this pseudo-fight when they are in a position of weakness and not when they have the position of power?
...yes, that was a rhetorical question.
seem to be much more comfortable as a minority. They have gotten quite good at crying foul, and throwing hissy fits when the mean old Republicans make them shut up and sit in the corner.
I have this image of them running through the streets throwing rocks at tanks; makes them feel good, but accomplishes nothing.
to "buck up and eat their spinach" in a most patronizing way.
So which part of the Constitution do they site as giving them the authority to do this.
Let's see how far to the right they go before they fall off of the edge of this flat world.
These blockheaded republicans are going to have this fight on my birthday. I don't think the repugs can do anything about the health reform that was passed last year. But it will be fun to watch the GOP talk about how being denied for pre-existing conditions is a good thing. How denying health care to children is a good thing. And they will show everyone who anti-American they really are. Go get 'em GOP!
Reslug Hypocrisy is the word that comes to mind.
I hadn't realized that one of the reforms in the health care plan is that 85% of insurers income must be spent on customer health care. So if/as they make more money they must spend 85% of that increase on their customers care. I bet there's more good stuff in there that everyone should know about before forming any opinion.
"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-
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