Bob Schieffer: Republicans Are Wasting Money Voting To Repeal ObamaCare

NewsBusters.org ^ | July 15, 2012 | Noel Sheppard

[Kaslin]

The folks at CBS News sure are worried about government spending all of a sudden.

After Evening News anchor Scott Pelley grieved Wednesday for how much it's cost to have all these House votes concerning ObamaCare, Face the Nation's Bob Schieffer pointed a similarly dismayed finger at House Republicans Sunday (video follows with transcript and commentary):

Bob Schieffer: Republicans Are Wasting Money Voting To Repeal ObamaCare

BOB SCHIEFFER: There was once this guy who loved to talk about guns. And when he couldn't figure out any other way to work guns into the conversation, he would just say, "I think I heard a gunshot." Speaking of guns and off he'd go talking about his favorite subject, which brings me to Congress where House Republicans did their favorite thing last week, virtually their only thing, of late. For the thirty-third time they voted to repeal all or part of the health care law, knowing that the action was totingly-- totally meaningless because the Senate would never go along.

Now, mind you, this is no endorsement of the new health care law. We need health care reform but I am a long way from believing the President's plan is the best way to go about it. My beef is that Congress cannot seem to figure out how to do anything, but vote on this one issue over and over time after time day after day.

Hey, guys, we hear you, we take your point. But the way I heard it, government is there to improve the lives of citizens. You seem to believe all this repetitious blather will help you raise campaign money, maybe so, but it is hard for me to see how it helps anyone else.

The best estimates are that Congress has wasted a total of two full work weeks--eighty hours--voting on this one thing. According to the Congressional Research Service, it costs us millions of dollars a week to operate the House of Representatives, the staff salaries, the mail services, cafeterias, all of that, and we're not even including paying the capitol cops. So you do the numbers. Do you think we're getting our money's worth when Congress spends two weeks voting on the same thing over and over again? I think they can do better.

As a fiscal conservative, I certainly am pleased to see Schieffer suddenly concerned with federal expenditures.

However, given the new price tag the Congressional Budget Office puts on ObamaCare - $1.8 trillion in the next ten years - his concerns seem to miss the forest for the trees.

Or maybe Schieffer doesn't think it's good budgeting to spend millions today to save trillions tomorrow.

I doubt he'd feel that way if it was exclusively his money on the line.

Funny how that works.

[depressed in 06]

It can’t be a waste to kill somethings that is going waste $2.5 trillion.

[Kaslin]

Oh they sure did. Maybe you didn’t see it

[Northern Yankee]

CBS is wasting money keeping on bob schiefer. What an idiot!

[Kaslin]

It's way past time

BTW, you could tell he was mightily pi$$ed at Romney’s ad featuring him, during his show this morning. Good for Romney, this was well played! :-D

Oh there is an article about this in NewsBusters

[EQAndyBuzz]

I think Romney hit on something with that ad. Romney is gong after the media In a very subtle way. He will take their words and shove it down their throats on their own network. And they have to show it because he is buying commercial time.

[nascarnation]

Millionaires like Schieffer will go offshore to boutique medical operations in the Caribbean. That will become a booming business. I’d advise young physicians to begin to investigate setting these up.

I’m sure multiple countries would offer tons of incentives knowing it will bring a flood of rich Americans.

[etcb]

The best estimates are that Congress has wasted a total of two full work weeks--eighty hours--voting on this one thing.

Surly Mr. Schieffer is aware that Congress, along with all their staff and employees, including police, are paid whether they are voting or not. They are not day workers picked up at the local Home Depot, although we might be better off if they were.

[RedMDer]

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[WOSG]

“The best estimates are that Congress has wasted a total of two full work weeks—eighty hours”

Wow, that’s a lot, that’s like a dozen or so Obama golf rounds.

On the plus side, the more of these votes they do the less damage they do with their OTHER votes.

[Tau Food]

They should keep repealing it. That’s no waste of money. I would suggest that the House impeach Obama, but it’s probably too late for this congress.

Come next January, the House should do two things: First, repeal Obamacare again and second, impeach Obama. Don’t worry about what the Senate might do.

[hosepipe]

You always know what you’re going to get with Bob “Forrest Gump” Schieffer..

Can anyone be this stupid?...

[higgmeister]

But the way I heard it, government is there to improve the lives of citizens.

Idiot! My parents and friends improve my life! And Government is not my friend!

[RJL]

Hey, guys, we hear you, we take your point. But the way I heard it, government is there to improve the lives of citizens.

Wrong again Bob.

[topspinr]

Idiot???, can’t you see sarcasm when it’s right in front of your eyes?

[Mr. K]

How did I miss that? I am a 15 year freeper and I am here on a daily basis- how come I never saw that there were 33 votes on repealing Obamacare?

Was it on FR?

It would not be the first time I have been clueless- I missed the whole “host over the sun” episode with CG-EG and when SnowBunny was exposed...

And what ever happened to Qiddom? (the name so nice, he always signed it twice) I miss his quatrains.

[higgmeister]

Idiot???, can’t you see sarcasm when it’s right in front of your eyes?

Bob Schieffer was saying;

"Hey, guys, we hear you, we take your point." "But the way I heard it, government is there to improve the lives of citizens."

How could you assume he was being sarcastic!? He really believes that government exists to improve the lives of citizens! That makes him an idiot and a fool. When government attempts to "improve" the life of citizens, it actually destroys a myriad of lives through the law of unintended consequences. I even feel that the destruction in many circumstances is intentional, yet purposely hidden from public scrutiny.