Posted on 05/12/2009 8:41:29 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Forty-five House Democrats in the party’s moderate-to-conservative wing have protested the secretive process by which party leaders in their chamber are developing legislation to remake the health care system.
The lawmakers, members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, said they were “increasingly troubled” by their exclusion from the bill-writing process.
They expressed their concerns in a letter delivered Monday to three House committee chairmen writing the bill, which House leaders hope to pass this summer.
Representative Mike Ross, an Arkansas Democrat who is chairman of the coalition’s health task force, said: “We don’t need a select group of members of Congress or staff members writing this legislation. We don’t want a briefing on the bill after it’s written. We want to help write it.”
Mr. Ross and eight other lawmakers who signed the letter are on the committees responsible for writing the legislation.
Centrist Democrats said they fully endorsed President Obama’s goal of guaranteeing access to health insurance and health care for all. But, they said, they are concerned about the cost of the legislation, which could easily top $1 trillion over 10 years. And they want to be sure that the role of any new government-sponsored insurance program, expected to be a centerpiece of the bill, is carefully delineated.
Many Blue Dogs come from usually Republican districts or swing districts and see their stance on health care as vital to their political survival. By contrast, the committee chairmen writing the House bill have safe Democratic seats.
The Blue Dogs said the policy-making process in the House compared unfavorably with the approach in the Senate, where two committees have held open forums and the chairman of the Finance Committee, a Democrat, is working with the panel’s senior Republican.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Enterprise, quite a few issues have been moved to the legislative back burner recently to avoid a showdown.
Why do you think Obama is starting to get heat from the far-out fringe recently?
Yeah....I saw Loretta Sanchez’s name on the list, too...and thought....HUH? But.....it’s worth it to apply pressure!!!
Pork can buy you only so much.
Look at Arlen Sphincter. His vote on the Porkulus Budget was purchased with the promise of cancer research funds.
Now, not only is his political career about to end, switching sides has only exposed him to gleeful ritual humiliation at the hands of his “friends”.
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
I find that hard to believe.
“The lawmakers, members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, said they were “increasingly troubled” by their exclusion from the bill-writing process. “
You blue dogs have been insulted by the liberal leadership. First they made you blue dogs because you were afraid to run as Republicans and next they will bring in liberals and accuse you of being too conservative.
Best to change parties now and help rather than sit back and totally screw the pooch.
If the Dem “centrists” are really digging in their heels, then God bless them. As yet though, we have had some dreadful economic bills passed which will adversely affect us for a long time. I am hoping that the “centrists” will impede, stop or reverse some of the things that have been passed.
Look up HUA in the dictionary and Specter’s picture is next to it.
That’s certainly a thought. Blue Dog dems going Republican are guaranteed to get far better treatment than RINOs going dem.
Whereas, if they stay democrat, they will be subjected to ruthless winnowing out. Dems don’t indulge their dissidents, they execute them.
Calling Ira Magaziner...calling Ira Magaziner.....Obama calling Ira Magaziner...
Silly questions, actually. This is going to be government through party diktat. Dontcha just love that "change"?
Plenty of Red State reps. in that group. I’m sure Zero will allow many of them to cross over for cover. Of course one or two short of stopping “Rationed Care”
If you don’t know your history, then you are forced to repeat it. Nazi Germany: the Jews had homes confiscated, art work, jewelry, religious practices outlawed, land taken, the ability to earn a living. “Let’s see what happens,” they said, “we are lower than the government, there is nothing we can do.”
Present day America: we have a similar scererio occurring. We are lower than the government. Strike swiftly and with vengence to curtail what is about to happen. We too have lost jobs, billions of dollars, land, homes, praying, gun ownership. Shall we also say, “Let’s see what happens next.” No, and hell no. Potus has even told the auto makers how much money they can spend on advertising..
Government has forgotten that they work for us, we provide their living quarters, food, entertainment, cars, gas, telephones, traveling expenses, heating & cooling, chefs, housekeepers, secretaries. Perks and luxuries beyond what most of us will ever achieve. Time is now to remind them that they are civil servants, not dictators, who work to protect (not protest us) preserve us, and to carry out our wishes.
Socialized health care is a culling of selective citizens, done by the stroke of a pen by the health czar, much in the same wayas Stalin penned the names of the next 6,000 to be killed, and the next 6,000 to be examined by the health czar, found wanting, or elderly or a smoker eve, and the death penalty carried out 20 minutes after the trial (or sent home from a hospital 20 minutes after arriving and be told No Soup For You)
Can we constitutionally stop socialized medicine from being foisted upon us by insisting on a vote by the people, after first reading the conditions and aspects of this new health care? Why can’t we? If the bureaucrats work for us how can they dictate life or death or suffering and pain be forced upon us, while at the very same time they retain the super-duper health program.
If we cannot stop socialized medicine as a first recourse, then we can at least mandate that our civil servants receive the exact same health care they vote for others, also be foisted upon all Americans, and not exempt the pigs in Animal Farm. There will be no grandfather clauses, as Bush & Cheney did not vote for this program, so they will retain their wonderful health care. If you congressmen and senators vote for this program, you also get it. And each and every one who has proposed this progam also get it. Thereby honoring the words, “we are all created equal.”
We all want our country back. Don’t let history repeat itself, make history.
You are so right about flooding their offices — maybe they will listen this time. What bugs me is that you can no longer send a form email to a Congressman/woman if they are not yours.
I end up calling the local offices or sending emails to their Chief of Staff. Dan Boren, Oklahoma’s lone Democrat, is non-responsive for the most part. He has been living in a bubble and doesn’t even take office visits when he is home for the most part unless you are a big donor. He is not my Congressman but I will be glad to travel to the eastern part of the State to help defeat him.
There were only 10 Dems who stood against the ZERO stimulus package if I remember right and Boren of OK was not one of them.
The lawmakers, members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, said they were “increasingly troubled” by their exclusion from the bill-writing process...
I hope you are correct. I cannot believe that Dan Boren still considers himself a Blue Dog after voting lockstep with ZERO on spending our tax dollars when the calls to his office were overwhelmingly against the bills.
Oklahomans need to find a good candidate to run against Boren this time and get behind that candidate. He is voting against Oklahoma interests and with ZERO and the interests of Brad Henry and the OK DemocRATs who support ZERO.
Thanks for the ping!
His wife owns a pharmacy in Arkansas. He worked for a drug company before he was elected.
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