Read the bill, congressmen

Washington Times ^ | July 29, 2009 | Opinion

[richardb72]

President Obama is pushing Congress to pass health care legislation that could nationalize as much as 10 percent of the economy. Most members of Congress will vote on this bill with no idea what's in it.

Rep. John Conyers Jr., Michigan Democrat, disparaged lawmakers for even pretending to read the laws they pass. "I love these members, they get up and say, 'Read the bill,' " he said last week at the National Press Club. "What good is reading the bill if it's a thousand pages and you don't have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you've read the bill?"

Mr. Conyers might think it's an antiquated notion that congressmen actually read legislation, but it is the most fundamental responsibility of elected representatives to know and understand laws and how they will affect the lives of their constituents. . . .

[rolling_stone]

TO NOT READ THE BILL IS DERELICTION OF DUTY AND MALFEASANCE OF OFFICE. jmho. We pay these clowns good money to do their job, if they don’t read the bills and understand them we should dock their pay until they can be replaced.

[Jeff Head]

We must read it, dissect it, educate oursleves, and then EDUCATE OUR REPS on it ourselves, mercilessly hounding them over this and letting them know that their very poilitcal life depends on defeating this monstrosity.

Here is a link to the full House Democrat Health Care Plan in PDF. In Section 1233 E & F, pages 426-433, you find the part about mandatory end-of-life counseling for anyone over 65 years of age. Section 152 Page 50, All healthcare services will be provided without regard to "personal characteristcs" which is not defined within the document but is understood to include immigration status.

Section 224 b Page 125, The Secretary shall design and implement the payment mechanisms and policies under this section in a manner that — (1) seeks to (B) reduce health disparities (including racial, ethnic and other disparities).

A lot more provisions now being documented at that site. Email these links to everyone you know asking them to educate themselves and then, in turn, email them on.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT HEALTH CARE PLAN - http://www.jeffhead.com/DemHealthCare.htm

Also, here's a large image of the Democratic (Obama) Health Plan chart-another Obama empty promise. This is the one the House democrats are censuring. Email these links or the image to everyone you know.

Decmocrat (Obama) Health Plan
http://www.jeffhead.com/DemHealthCare.htm

Obama and all those pushing his radical agenda are abject marxist ideologues. Their "fundamental; change" is nothing more than a destruction of the American free market and fundamental republican principle.

A PETITION FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RESTORATION

THE AUDACITY OF TRUTH ABOUT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

A 4TH OF JULY TEA PARTY SPEECH

UNITED SOCIALIST STATES OF AMERICA - A SONG
By Ron and Kay Rivoli

...and on the lighter side, take your mind off the Obamanation for a few minutes and enjoy some beautiful Western US scenery slideshows.

JEFF HEAD'S WESTERN US SCENERY SLIDE SHOWS

[TexasCajun]

Perfect, Ready-made ad for whoever that guy is that runs the RNC!

Someone let him know pls.

[swain_forkbeard]

Besides the general outrage of legislators not knowing what they’re voting for, I found the following especially telling.

“...you don’t have two days and two lawyers...”

Certainly a Congressman has no shortage of lawyers and other advisors. And the two days...well...do you have something better to do? What exactly is it that takes precedence over understanding the bill that you will cast a vote on?

Really. Tell me exactly how you are going to spend those two days. What’s so important? Glad-handing? Raising money? Taking bribes? Expensive lunches? Exotic trips? Women? Whiskey?

Exactly what the hell are you doing that’s so damn important that you can’t find two days to read legislation that could impact the lives of every one of you constituents?

It all makes me a little mad.

[BGHater]

Indeed. Congress should have to sign off or indicate that they have read a bill before they vote on it; all bills for whatever purpose. It seems as a obvious job requirement and to be expected.

[television is just wrong]

it is their job.

[Marysecretary]

Is that YOU Jeff Head? Lovely.

[Jeff Head]

Yes...it is me, by my own name here on FR as Jeff Head. On FB as Jeff Head, on twitter as Jeff_Head, and on the web at JEFFHEAD.COM

[hitkicker]

My reply to Conyers is: Listen pencilneck, you expect the people of this country to obey--down to the last comma--every law you pass. If we don't you send men with guns after us. We don't have lawyers and staffers to do all the work for us; we have to it ourselves.

If you can't read and understand the bill then you have no business foisting it on us.

[blam]

Our government has become a joke. What an embarrassment.

[jnsun]

You know, there is no authority given whatsoever in the US Constitution for the federal government to administer healthcare. Indeed the Constitution says quite the opposite, those powers are reserved for the States (Xth Amend). Same for education incidentally. The government doesn't administer anyone's auto insurance here does it?

Now the recognized problem with healthcare in the US is cost, not quality; is that not true? So resolution, overseen by individual States as noted above, would involve:

1) Limit malpractice lawsuits, (like in John Edwards)

2) Give outright tax credits for health insurance.

3) Insure that health insurance is portable, and uncouple it from any employer mandate. Actually it isn't legally so now (coupled), but only through default.

4) Like auto insurance insist that everyone has it. And really no more difficult to enforce than say auto insurance or your income tax. In fact this would be a great filter for illegal immigrants - treat them humanely then send them back.

5) Encourage (but not mandate) living wills.

6) Somehow, and this is the tough one although it is done in housing, insure that higher risk clients have access to reasonable insurance plans. This isn't quite so refractory as first thought, because far and away most individuals are indeed vested in their own health, so that in an actuarial sense the deadbeats in a program could still be accommodated.

The Left has so overstretched itself here, in both its truly absurd bill, and its confiscation of the health responsibility for all America (and beyond), it will collapse under its own weight. The arrogance of it all, typical I suppose of the Obama/Pelosi crowd.

Johnny Suntrade

The Suntrade Institute

[Jubal Madison]

“We must read it, dissect it, educate ourselves...”

Jeff Head - First, let me say I mean no disrespect to you in asking you my questions - I agree with your sentiments. Let me speak plainly. How am I supposed to read and dissect this monster and work and take care of my family? Given enough time, I could, but not at the rate they are being passed. And while I am speaking plainly - I am an old country boy. While I don’t consider myself ignorant, when I try reading a lot of these bills, I frankly am more confused after I read them. I try to educate myself as best I can, using different news sources, including FR. I call and write my legislators, I do my best to stay informed and try to make informed decisions. What more can I do? I am asking these questions because I am trying to be realistic. Jeff, we are rapidly losing this country. I am not going to stand by and watch it happen, but I am at a loss as to how I can be more knowledgeable and effective. Again, this is not in anyway disrespect or sarcasm directed at you. These are just the questions of a country man, who wants to help turn things around. If you have any suggestions, I’ll gladly give them a listen. Thanks for hearing me out.-—JM

[calex59]

Indeed. Congress should have to sign off or indicate that they have read a bill before they vote on it; all bills for whatever purpose. It seems as a obvious job requirement and to be expected.

I would go a little further than that: One idea is that they have to write a detailed report on what the bill says and does before they can vote on it. Another idea is that the senate and house be required to hold classes on the bills, the bills to be read aloud, Lawyers(plural) present to explained each and every detail of the bill, and then each member has to write a detailed account of what the bill says and does.

Any legislator failing to do this and/or the bill does something other than what they wrote, will be immediately terminated from the position(I can dream can't I?). This would do several things, legislators would not write as many bills knowing they have to read them, understand them and set through classes for them and write detailed(no using interns, must be personally hand written) we would have far fewer crap sandwich laws passed.

[Marysecretary]

You are a brave soul as well as being a great photographer.

[Jeff Head]

I'm rerading it. I work full time too. I have five kids and now six grandkids and we also watch and take care of my elderly mother. it can be donbe.

At that site I am listing the things I find in the bill as I go through it in the evenings. I then contact and raise cain with my reps. all of us can and, IMHO, should do this.

I urge everyone to make the time to do so...otherwise, if we let this type of corruption of the constitution continue...we will face the prospect of much more harsh and much more demanding remedies in the future where there is much greater danger to all of us and our loved ones.