Congress Is Listening... Sort of
Congress now understands that the majority of the public has deep concerns about their government health care bill. So, they are responding by ... finding new and creative legislative approaches to a) avoid public scrutiny of what they are actually putting into the bill and b) reduce the number of votes they need for passage. Kevin Drum explains the game:
The latest trial balloon from the Democratic leadership is that they might split healthcare reform into two bills. The first would have all the controversial provisions and would go through the reconciliation process, where it needs only 50 votes. The second would go through the normal process and therefore need 60 votes, but since it includes the stuff that's widely popular it would pass anyway.
I told you weeks ago they were going to pass this pig no matter what it took. So now the only real floor vote will be on percieved benefits (more coverage, more spending, consumer mandates) while the costs, taxes, and individual restrictions will get done in the back room, where blue dogs can disavow any responsibility.
If this becomes unstoppable, I think the Republicans should make a high profile effort to move the implementation date up from 2013 to well before the next presidential election. You can always tell whether legislators know in their hearts if something they are passing is really going to suck for a lot of people. They push the implementation date back (despite the fierce moral urgency to hurry up on this, as we are told) to after the next election.
Roy Lofquist:
There was an interesting statement by Andy Stern, President of the SEIU, on maybe ABC to the effect that Democrats would lose control of Congress if a health care bill didn't pass.
August 20, 2009, 4:20 pmMethinks:
What will happen? the SEIU will suddenly vote Republican? Very funny.
The country is overwhelmingly against it and the swing voters who elected these Democraps have already turned against them. So have some Democrats. Just when you think Republicans are terrible, the Democrats show up to make you reconsider.
August 20, 2009, 7:58 pmMethinks:
BTW....just putting my activist hat on...
If you're against public options, co-ops and such, make SURE you take the time to call your senators and representatives and WRITE them. A physical letter goes a long way. Let them know you'll vote them out if they vote for any part of this.
http://www.votesmart.org/
You are only one person and one letter to each rep, but we can only bury them under an avalanche of letters one letter at a time and then vote them out one vote at a time.
August 20, 2009, 8:04 pm