You can always count on John McCain and Tom Coburn for some high drama, but now they mock American families with this one.
Congressional Republicans opposed to the public insurance option want House and Senate members who vote for it to take a dose of their own medicine — and enroll in the plan.
Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), a family physician, kicked off the quixotic bid last week, urging House members to give up their right to participate in the much-revered Federal Employees Health Benefits Program if they support a government-run program as part of the health care reform package.
Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma are pushing the same concept in the Senate, preparing separate amendments that would require members — and maybe even their staffs — to sign up for the public option. With Democrats firmly in control of Congress, the idea is not likely to gain traction. Proponents of the public plan say the resolution would do exactly what Republicans have warned against, undermining the private insurance system by moving people into a public plan.
But the effort has caught fire in the right-wing blogosphere and on talk radio, serving as a rallying point for conservatives opposed to one of the top priorities of Democrats...read on
The blogs have been suggesting that all members of Congress should give up their health insurance and then try to find it on their own without mention that they are in Congress and then we'll see what they think about the health care debate. I'd say 40% of them wouldn't get any coverage at all. (My number is just a guess)
Now with this dopey amendment I wish the media would ask these two and the rest of Republican obstructionists to give it all up.
Republicans who oppose universal health insurance should immediately relinquish their federal health insurance. After all, these members of Congress have long enjoyed taxpayer-subsidized health insurance, a privilege that they apparently believe tens of millions of working, uninsured Americans and their families don't deserve.
Congressman Fleming of Louisiana says that "Congress should lead by example."
I agree.
If Republicans don't think being uninsured is a big deal, then they should go right ahead and try it out. And if they really believe a public plan is such a bad option, maybe they can persuade their parents to give up Medicare too.
I'm so sick of these gasbags and their elitist views about life in America. Mrs. McCain can build her own mini-hospital with her cash if need be, but her husband attacks reform that could help millions of American families. Instead of mocking workers with satirical amendments they should try to find real solutions. Playing games with dumb proposals is government waste. Maybe Coburn and McCain can refund the portions of their salaries back to us for the time they waste with this on our dime.
