Doggett among Texas' holdouts on health care bill [Republicans all against]

American Statesman ^ | 3-20-2010 | Tim Eaton

[deport]

Texas Republicans in House all oppose the measure.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett has not committed his vote on the Senate's version of the health care bill, which the House of Representatives is expected to take up Sunday.

Doggett, D-Austin, has been a holdout in the days leading up to the vote. He said Friday that he hopes to get his concerns addressed so he can vote for the measure.

"I think it's been clear from the outset that I want to vote for a health care bill," Doggett said........

Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, and Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, were also undecided. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, said he preferred not to be listed as undecided but needed time to read the bill thoroughly before voting on it.......

Texas' Republicans in the House, all 20 of them, have fallen in line with their leadership and are opposing the bill.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, called the legislation "a betrayal of public trust."

Smith, whose district extends into Austin, said in a news release that the Congressional Budget Office has determined that the measure would raise insurance premiums 10 to 13 percent, increase taxes and reduce benefits for seniors.

end snips Only one of the 12 House Democrats from Texas, Chet Edwards of Waco, said he would oppose the measure.

[wk4bush2004]

Doggett represents the People’s Republic of Austin. I think that’s going to highly influence his vote.

[moose2004]

Doesn’t Doggett always run his mouth like a centrist yet always vote the liberal party line?

[freedom_forge]

How can he “get his concerns addressed” when his vote will be to approve the Senate bill and any amendments to it will not take effect until the Senate votes them in, which they will never do. We will be saddled with the Senate bill as law by Monday.

[TWfromTEXAS]

"I think it's been clear from the outset that I want to vote for a health care bill," Doggett said

Wants to and will. Doggett always talks big and then votes party line.

[TWfromTEXAS]

BTW Doggett has a 7% lifetime ACU rating.

[bgill]

Doggett represents the People’s Republic of Austin.

The big ugly blue blight within a field of red in the 2008 election. Austin, home of tree huggers, Hippie Hollow (public nudist park popular with gays - your tax dollars at play), and "keep Austin weird" city motto.

[deport]

Doggett and group will vote the party line almost all the time, no doubt. However we need to be vigilant about the upcoming redistricting where the GOP in the Texas House currently has only a four member majority.

National Democrats planning to pour money into taking Texas House

The Democratic Party is launching a $20 million "redistricting fund" to target legislative bodies in 14 states deemed pivotal in drawing the next congressional map.

Among the fund's targets: the Texas House, where Republicans hold a four-seat majority.

Texas is one of five potential Republican swing chambers identified by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee in a memo from Executive Director Michael Sargeant, first reported by the Huffington Post. The others are the Michigan State Senate, the Missouri House, the Oklahoma State Senate and the Tennessee House.

Read the Democratic Memo

[TWfromTEXAS]

I agree that the Texas House members and defeating Chet Edwards in Congressional 17 are the main priorities of Texas conservatives.

[Le Chien Rouge]

The ONLY issues the lefties voters in Doggetts district care about are:

1) Reproductive Rights
2) Social Justice
3) Anti-War

This bill falls under social justice, Lefty Lloyd WILL vote for it, but he is posturing for some ‘goodies’.

Thank God I live in Lamar Smiths district by 100 yards.

[stevie_d_64]

Don’t know why he’s having problems with this bill...

Looks to me like he is going to be a last second “yea vote” and probably be one of the last votes cast Sunday, like that dipstick Louisiana republican congressman did last year...

[dusttoyou]

Doggett always run his mouth like a centrist yet always vote the liberal party line?

Very astute observation for a moose. Dogg-poop needs to bungy jump (like El Duce) from one of those loony "moon-beam" street lamps in Austin.

[patriot08]

Governor Rick Perry conducted a telephone town hall meeting a few days ago.

Our residence was one of the ones chosen to participate with questions re; Obamacare.

My father took the call, and he said that Perry indicated that no way in h*ll was Texas going to be screwed over with Obamacare.

He said that Perry said that the first order of business was to go to the governor's site, get a list of representative and call. http://www.rickperry.org/

Please help out!

Show Your Support, Join the Campaign Today! Help Stop Obamacare

Thu, 03/18/2010 - 2:04pm

The time has come to express your rights and remind the federal government that it was created to serve the states and the people, not the other way around. We must stop the government takeover of our healthcare system. One-size-fits-all mandates from Washington will not fix our healthcare industry, which needs tort reform as a start to bringing down costs.

Today, we are asking you to call these Texas representatives and ask tell them to vote "NO" on Obamacare. Together, let's make Washington listen to what the people actually want.

District 25: Rep. Lloyd Doggett Texas office: (512) 916-5921 Washington Office: (202) 225-4865

District 16: Rep. Silvestre Reyes Texas office: (915) 534-4400 Washington Office: (202) 225-4831

District 23: Rep. Ciro Rodriguez Del Rio office: (830) 774-5500 Eagle Pass office: (830) 757-8398 Fort Stockton office: (432) 336-3975 N. San Antonio office: (210) 561-9421 S. San Antonio office: (210) 922-1874 Washington Office: (202) 225-4511

District 27: Rep. Solomon Ortiz Coastal Bend office: (361) 883-5868 Rio Grande Valley office: (956) 541-1242 Washington Office: (202) 225-7742

District 28: Rep. Henry Cuellar Laredo office: (956) 725-0639 Mission office: (956) 424-3942 Rio Grande City office: (956) 487-5603 San Antonio office: (210) 271-2851 Seguin office: (830) 401-0457 Washington Office: (202) 225-1640

___________________________________________________

Texas Metros Continue to Show Strong Economic Indicators Wed, 03/17/2010 -

Governor Perry continues to keep focus on the Texas economy as the most important issue facing our state. With record job creation, low taxes, sweeping tort reform, and the most business-friendly environment in the nation, it's clear that fiscal discipline under Gov. Perry is keeping Texas as an economic driver leading the nation out of recession.

The Brookings Institution today released its quarterly report on the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas. The overall performance rankings are based on indicators like unemployment rates, housing markets, and gross metropolitan product.

_____________________________________________________

[q_an_a]

Every time people say that Tx is a republican state all they need to see is that 12 out of 32 are democRATS and that one flipped D to R about 6 years ago. When we get four new congressmen in the next round - at least 2 will be in Houston and maybe one in Austin, so that may not help us too much in the future.

[GailA]

AIN’T JUST GRANNY & GRAMPS GETTING WHACK, MILITARY IS TOO.

KEEP THE CALLS UP! DC OFFICE LOCAL OFFICE

Hold your own street protest in front of your reps local offices. Or busy street corners. Try and get the local media to cover it. Hammer the Medicare/SS issue, nothing like mad grannies and gramps.

This is from a 2007 contact list of congressional aides. Some might not be there any longer, but worth a try. The ones on the one post are senate aides, a few have bounced back, it’s worth the effort to clog up their email system along with the phones, and 1/3rd of these senators are up for re-election.

Mail must be inspected for anthrax takes 2 weeks, so if you snail mail send a post card

Contact congressional aides.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1857768/posts
U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
White House comments: (202) 456-1111
Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep
Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Toll free to the US Senate:
1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)
Courtesy of a pro-amnesty group, no less!!

Defeat Obamacare call list: List now contains the new MAYBES culled from FR posts. Be sure to call KNOWN RINOS too.THEY ARE ANSWERING THEIR LOCAL NUMBERS

Here is one of the ones Rush gave out on the radio that I’m calling. So far it’s been busy but I’m going to burn it up till I get to tell my congress critter to vote NO!
Join me?..... 1-877-762-8762

CODE RED Contact list http://www.nrcc.org/CodeRed/targets/
Remember they are all being offered BRIBES for their votes. Ask them how much their bribe price is.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has published a target list on health care. In addition to continuing to contact the five Tennessee Democrat Congressmen, you can go http://www.votervoice.net/link/clickthrough/ext/94697.aspx to contact some of these targets. Much of the talk following Obama’s announcement has focused on how to defeat this second bill through reconciliation, but that is misleading because the first step to defeating Obamacare is not by concentrating on defeating the “fixer” bill but by defeating the Senate bill in the House when it goes to the floor for an up-or-down vote on Sunday March 21st.

Good idea from the bloggers at Hillbuzz:

http://hillbuzz.org/2010/03/17/action-items-march-17th-2010/
They offer specifics and links on how to put pressure on Dem DONORS, who have private numbers for legislators who may have taken their phones off the hook.

Congress may not want to hear from us, but they’ll listen to the money men.
Call them and fax them them instead of telling us you don’t trust them.

www.faxzero.com for two free faxes a day.
www.gotfreefax.com for another 2 free faxes per day.
Congressional Dems on Twitter
http://www.arrghpaine.com/congressional-dems-on-twitter

RUSH says to pressure these 2

Charles Wilson, Ohio Toll Free Number 888-706-1833 DC (202) 225-5705 fx: (202) 225-5907, Bridgeport, (740) 633-5705 fx: (740) 633-5727, Canfield, (330) 533-7250 fx: (330) 533-7136 Marietta, : (740) 376-0868 fx: (740) 376-0886 Ironton, (740) 533-9423 fx: (740) 533-9359 Wellsville, 330) 532-3740 Canfield, here is the zip code 44406.
Joe Cao DC (202) 225-6636 Fax: (202) 225-1988, NO (504) 483-2325 Fax: (504) 483-7944

NEW FLIPPERS

Rep. Bart Gordon TN (202) 225-4231 Fax: (202) 225-6887 Murfreesboro, TN 37130
(615) 896-1986 Cookeville (931) 528-5907 Gallatin, (615) 451-5174
Mark Schauer D.C. (202) 225-6276 Fax: (202) 225-6281 Jackson, MI (517) 780-9075
Fax: (517) 780-9081 Toll-Free: (877) 737-6407
Dennis Kucinish, Lakewood 216)228-8850, Fax (216)228-6465,
Parma. 440)845-2707, Fax (440)845-2743, DC (202)225-5871
Dennis Cardoza DC (202) 225-6131, Fax: 225-0819, 800-356-6424, Merced, (209) 383-4455 Fax: 726-1065 Modesto 209) 527-1914 Fax: 527-5748 Modesto, (209) 527-1914
Fax: 527-5748
Jim Costa Fresno 559-495-1620, Fax:559-495-1027, Bakersfeld, 661-869-1620 Fax: 661-869-1027 DC Phone:202-225-3341 Fax: 202-225-9308 Fax (202)225-5745

James Oberstar (202) 225-6211, Duluth (218) 727-7474, Chisholm (218) 254-5761, Brainerd (218) 828-4400, North Branch, (651) 277-1234
Gabrielle Giffords (202) 225-2542 (520) 881-3588 AZ 8th District
John Boccieri (D), Ohio Voted Yes on Stupak, NO on Health Care.Contact info - DC office (202) 225-3876 - Fax - (202) 225-3059 (330) 489-4414, Local Fax - (330) 489-4448
Betsy Markey DC 202.225.4676, fx. 202.225.5870, Ft. Collins, 970.221.7110fx 970.221.7240, Greeley, 970.351.6007 fx 970.351.6068, Lamar, 719.931.4003
fx 719.931.4005, Sterling, 970.522.0203 fx 970.522.1783
Alan Boyd FL DC 202) 225-5235, (202) 225-5615 Fax Tallahassee (850) 561-3979
(850) 681-2902 Fax Panama City (850) 785-0812 (850) 763-3764 Fax

S. Kosmos FL DC (202) 225-2706 Fax: (202) 226-6299, Port Orange, FL 32129
Phone: (386) 756-9798 Fax: (386) 756-9903 Orlando, FL 32826
Phone: (407)-208-1106 Fax: (407)-208-1108
Brad Ellsworth IN Evansville (812) 465-6484 fx: (812) 422-4761 Terre Haute (812) 232-0523 fx: (812) 232-0526 DC ph: (202) 225-4636 Toll Free: (866) 567-0227
fx: (202) 225-3284
John Tanner (202) 225-4714, Union City, (731) 885-7070, Jackson Phone: (731) 423-4848, Millington (901) 873-5690 TN (RETIREING, His going away present to the USA.
Thinks you are harassing him! Rep. John Garamendi’s (CA-10) (202) 225-1880
Fax: (202) 225-5914 Walnut Creek, (925) 932-8899 fax: (925) 932-8159 Antioch (925) 757-7187 Fax: (925) 757-7056 Fairfield, Phone: (707) 438-1822 Fax: (707) 438-0523
Bill Owens (202) 225-4611 (315) 782-3150 NY 23rd District

MOVED TO UNDECIDED
rec’d from NCTeaParty.com — Despite earlier assurances that he was a NO on health care reform and would not change his mind, Rep. Heath Shuler, NC 11, is now undecided.
Rep. Heath Shuler, North Carolina 11th http://shuler.house.gov/ DC Office Number: (202) 225-6401, DC Fax Number: (202) 226-6422 Local Office Number: (828) 252-1651, Local Fax Number: (828) 252-8734 Chief of Staff: Hayden Rogers email: hayden.rogers@mail.house.gov
Lincoln Davis 202.225.6831Fax: 202.226.5172 Columbia Office 931.490.8675
Jamestown 931.879.2361 Fax: 931.879.2389 McMinnville, 931.473.7251 Fax: 931.473.7259
.............................................

Steve Cohen TN, DC (202) 225-3265 Fax: (202) 225-5663, Memphis, TN, 901) 544-4131 Fax: (901) 544-4329
Harry Mitchell (202) 225-2190 (480) 946-2411 AZ 5th District
Ann Kirkpatrick (202) 225-2315 (928) 226-6914 AZ 1st District
Jerry McNerney (202) 225-1947 925-833-0643 CA 11th District
John Salazar 202-225-4761 970-245-7107 CO 3rd District
Jim Himes (202) 225-5541 (866) 453-0028 CT 4th District
Alan Grayson (202) 225-2176 (407) 841-1757 FL 8th District
Bill Foster (202) 225-2976 630-406-1114 IL 14th District
Baron Hill 202 225 5315 812 288 3999 IN 9th District
Gary Peters (202) 225-5802 (248) 273-4227 MI 9th District
Dina Titus (202) 225-3252 702-256-DINA (3462) NV 3rd District
Carol Shea-Porter (202) 225-5456 (603) 743-4813 NH 1st District
Tim Bishop (202) 225-3826 (631) 696-6500 NY 1st District
John Hall (202) 225-5441 (845) 225-3641 x49371 NY 19th District
James Matheson Toll-Free Number 1 (877) 677-9743 (202) 225-3011Mike Arcuri (202)225-3665 (315)793-8146 NY 24th District
Dan Maffei (202) 225-3701 (315) 423-5657 NY 25th District
Earl Pomeroy (202) 225-2611 (701) 224-0355 ND At-Large District
Steven Driehaus (202) 225-2216 (513) 684-2723 OH 1st District
Mary Jo Kilroy (202) 225-2015 (614) 294-2196 OH 15th District
Zach Space (202) 225-6265 (330) 364-4300 OH 18th District
Kathy Dahlkemper (202) 225-5406 (814) 456-2038 PA 3rd District
Patrick Murphy (202) 225-4276 (215) 826-1963 PA 8th District
Christopher Carney (202) 225-3731 (570) 585-9988 PA 10th District
Paul Kanjorski (202) 225-6511 (570) 825-2200 PA 11th District
John Spratt (202) 225-5501 (803)327-1114 SC 5th District
Tom Perriello (202) 225-4711 (276) 656-2291 VA 5th District
Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District
Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District
Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District
Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735 MI (MAYBE)
Brian Baird (202) 225-3536, Vancouver, (360) 695-6292. Olympia, (360) 352-9768, (MAYBE)
senator mark begich (202) 224-3004 toll free. (877) 501 - 6275 just became a MAYBE
Alan Mollohan (202) 225-4172 (304) 623-4422 WVA 1st District
Nick Rahall (202) 225-3452 (304) 252-5000 WVA 3rd District
Steve Kagen (202) 225-5665 (920) 437-1954 WI 8th District
Bart Stupak (202) 225 4735 MI (MAYBE)
Brian Baird (202) 225-3536, Vancouver, (360) 695-6292. Olympia, (360) 352-9768, (MAYBE)
senator mark begich (202) 224-3004 toll free. (877) 501 - 6275 just became a MAYBE

NEW NO’s

Jason Altmire 202-225-2565, Aliquippa, 724-378-0928, Natrona Heights, 724-226-1304 (NO)
Michael A. Arcuri (NY-24) NO
Harry Teague NM NO

And here are toll-free numbers we can use to call any Senators or Reps.

At the first number below you must wait through a tape recording urging you to tell your Rep or Senator to vote “yes” for the health care bill. Just hang on and when the recording is over, you will get the Capitol operator. Just ask for your Rep or Senator’s office. Then you will either talk to an aid or have the chance to leave a message for him/her to vote NO on the health care bill.

When you use the second number and the Capitol operator comes on, just ask for your Rep or Senator’s office. Every time I use this number I get the Rep or Senator’s answer machine, so it may be set up that way all the time...to go to their answer machine. Either way you can leave a message to vote NO on the health care bill!

We need to use these toll free numbers that have been set up for the health care/ BO supporters and illegals to use! After all they are FREE!

1-866-220-0044, 1-866-338-1015, 877-851-6437, 877-210-5351

[deport]

Every time people say that Tx is a republican state all they need to see is that 12 out of 32 are democRATS and that one flipped D to R about 6 years ago.

---

The major congressional district changes occurred with the redistricting when the dems ran to OK and NM during the special sessions. Tom Delay is supposedly to have had a major hand in that district reorganizing.

Also the Texas State House is 4 positive for the GOP 77-73 if I have the numbers correct. A flip of two and we have a tie in the state house. The House is a concern come redistricting after the census. The state senate is 19-11 GOP or something close to that. So it is okay for the time being.

Regarding new congressional districts either 3 or 4 depending upon the nationwide/state census counts you can be assured that some will be set asides. Remember Texas is still one of nine states that has to have congressional districts approved by the powers that be in DC because of the Voting Rigths Act which was changed in I believe 1975 to provide for the fed approval process.

[Clara Lou]

LLoyd Doggett has been an easily identifiable political puke since he first stuck his toes in the water of politics.

[Redbob]

"National Democrats planning to pour money into taking Texas House"

Let 'em bring it on!
It'll be that much less money they have to spend trying to salvage the careers of Dim House members this fall.

[Oceander]

Somebody needs to be reminded that he's supposed to be an American, acting on behalf of Americans, not a fellow-traveller acting on behalf of the communist international.

[Redbob]

"Looks to me like he is going to be a last second “yea vote” and probably be one of the last votes cast Sunday, like that dipstick Louisiana republican congressman did last year..."

The Dipstick's name is Cao, and I still get regular e-mails from him since I fabricated an address in his district (formerly Wm. Jefferson's) and wrote telling him what a slimewad he is for having voted for it, and how I will work dilligently for his opponent this fall, whoever that may be.
His clueless staff apparently put me down as "Supporter!"

He has changed his vote, BTW - mine might not have been the only critical email he received...