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The Hill reports:
The 112th Congress doesn’t begin until Wednesday, but Senate Democrats are already vowing to block any attempts by the new GOP-led House to repeal the healthcare reform law.
The Senate’s top Democrats, led by Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), wrote incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Monday warning the new GOP House against advancing legislation that would undo the sweeping healthcare overhaul.
“The incoming House Republican majority that you lead has made the repeal of the federal health care law one of its chief goals. We urge you to consider the unintended consequences that the law’s repeal would have on a number of popular consumer protections that help middle class Americans,” the Democrats said.
Democrats said repeal would threaten the consumer protections included in the healthcare package, including the provision that eliminates the ”donut hole” in seniors’ Medicare drug coverage.
“If House Republicans move forward with a repeal of the healthcare law that threatens consumer benefits like the ‘donut hole’ fix, we will block it in the Senate. This proposal deserves a chance to work. It is too important to be treated as collateral damage in a partisan mission to repeal health care,” wrote Reid, Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), Democratic Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.), Conference Secretary Patty Murray (Wash.) and Policy Committee Vice Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (Mich.).
Republicans are expected to act quickly on legislation to repeal President Obama’s healthcare plan, perhaps as soon as this week, in order to follow through on a campaign promise.
Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), the incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, promised over the weekend that House Republicans would hold a vote on repealing the law before the president’s State of the Union address at the end of the month.
Well, sure. Let the House vote take place; let it be the first item on the agenda, and let that be evidence of the emptiness of the “economy and jobs first” sloganeering. ::slapping hands to knock off dust:: … done.
Agree or disagree with the Democratic agenda, it is quite obvious that Reid isn’t going to let what is one of it’s main items be swept aside without a fight.
It’s precisely because some very vocal idiots in the GOP keep this talking point they can”t deliver alive that I have no hope they will do anything constructive in this cycle.
We do spend much more than any other advanced country on health-care with no outcome performance to justify it. We are also the only advanced country to tolerate that people go bankrupt because they, or one of their relatives, happen to be gravely ill.
The socialized system we had, ERs are obliged by law to treat any patient who shows up at their door footing the bill to the tax payer, has proven a disaster. A comprehensive rethinking just makes sense.
For all it’s flaws, the current legislation had those perfectly defensible objectives in mind. If the GOP can come up with better solutions fine, but just reverting to the previous situation is not an option.
Just because Fox News and loons such as WorldNet Daily make headlines with bogus claims about this legislation, doesn’t mean they should be confused with reality.
Reid, it is time to kick some Republican ass! You were once a boxer, now is the time to take the gloves off and give it to the Republicans bare knuckle style. Kick them in the nuts if you have to!
What exactly is Boehner’s case for repealing the Affordable Care Act? Anyone know? Is it just the mandate? Or is the absurdity of the “death panels” still driving rightwingers around the bend. To me, the Tea Party is mostly made up of people who don’t have the brains to actually think about and do the tiniest bit of googling to weigh the pro’s and con’s of the Affordable Care Act. Fox News has a powerful effect on further dumbing down of the not-so-bright amongst us. Further examples of the “If Glenn said it, I believe it, end of story” mind set.
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More Kabuki theater from Boehner and the Republicans in congress.
“Republicans are the party that says government doesn’t work and then they get elected and prove it.” – P.J. O’Rourke