Obamacare repeal set for a January 12th vote- Rep. Issa leads charge on abuse
The GOP rebuke of Obamacare is titled ‘‘Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act’’ and it is exactly two-pages. The repeal legislation is the first order of business for the incoming 112th Congress.
Looking to make good on a campaign promise House GOP members will call a vote on Obamacare one week after they take office, January 12.
While the vote will be symbolic, Republicans want to let voters know things will be different. The two-page repeal bill was posted online late-last night and will get a vote exactly one week later keeping another campaign promise of posting legislation online first for taxpayers to read before their lawmakers mark their ballot.
The GOP expects to pick up some Democratic votes in the House; however their chances diminish exponentially in the Senate. Also Obamacare is the president’s hallmark legislative success and key staffers say the president has his veto pen readily available if the bill ever reaches his desk.
It’s important to point out the current health care mandate faces many challenges from taxpayers, lawmakers and the court system. In December a Virginia judge dealt Obamacare a huge blow and indicated it was unconstitutional. Another case brought by 20 states is awaiting a Florida judge’s decision on the constitutionality of Obamacare.
Democrats contend the vote next week will take up precious time that could be spent working on the economy and creating jobs. However Republicans say the discussion is worth having so lawmakers can be on the record for the 2012 election cycle.
Brad Dayspring, a spokesman for incoming House Republican leader Eric Cantor says, “It will pass the House.”
The 112th Congress is controlled by Republicans, 242-193, and their historic midterm victory, they feel, gives them a mandate to reverse Obamacare.
“Obamacare is a job killer for businesses small and large, and the top priority for House Republicans is going to be to cut spending and grow the economy and jobs,” Dayspring explains.
Leading the charge for waste, fraud and abuse is GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of California. “The sooner the administration figures out that the enemy is the bureaucracy and the wasteful spending, not the other party, the better off we’ll be,” he said.
But the president, who returns to the nation’s bitterly cold White House after a warm vacation in Hawaii, expects a brief fight before Congress settles in and begins the work of the people.
“They are going to play to their base for a certain period of time. But I’m pretty confident that they’re going to recognize that our job is to govern,” Obama said on Air Force One today. “My expectation, my hope, is that John Boehner and Mitch McConnell will realize that there will be plenty of time to campaign for 2012 — in 2012.”
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© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Democrat leadership adds a health care ‘war room’ to White House
As August heats up, the Democratic leadership has set up a health care ‘war room’ to assist members of congress with those pesky town hall uprisings and keep the legislators on message.
‘War room’ headquarters will scour the media outlets on health care and write up-to-date talking points to counter health care critics.
Rather than have meaningful discussion to truly reform the health care industry, the Obama Administration continues to push for rapid lawmaking before the American public can read the breath of the 1,000+ page bill.
Another confusing component to this legislation is the fact there are currently up to five different bills floating around Washington D.C. This makes it tough for concerned citizens to navigate through the shark-infested health care waters and decipher how this will affect their health coverage.
The majority of the “angry mob protestors” are senior citizens. They, understandably, have the most to lose from health-care rationing, especially since the Obama Administration has stated on a number of occasions one-half of the cost of the $1 trillion plan will come from cost savings stemming in Medicare.
Insiders with the ‘war room’ say there will be constant phone calls and emails throughout the August recess to keep Democrats on task. Leadership aides also claim the ‘war room’ group; “We’ll do whatever we can to facilitate the successful passage of the health care legislation in September.”
While the Democrats continue on the offensive, the GOP has a few tricks up their sleeve. According to a memo from House Minority Whip leader Eric Cantor, Republicans are to focus on fiscally responsible Democrat Blue Dogs.
The statement included a number of key health care information points for each of the 52 Blue Dog districts.
Cantor also provides some guidance for Republicans holding town hall meetings. “If you encounter energetic crowds, make sure to listen to what they’re saying, and listen for as long as they wish to speak.”
This is clearly a different philosophy than the “push back twice as hard,” policy the White House has put forth.
To read a copy of health care bill HR3200;energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090714/aahca.pdf
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
Shh, I won’t tell anyone
In an attempt to regain some leverage in the health care argument, the White House is asking the American people to tattle on their neighbors.
The Obama Administration will now look to back-stabbing neighbors to turn in any “fishy” information they come across in emails, rumors and casual conversation. The White House has set up a special email address,flag@whitehouse.gov, in order to collect data via the internet.
This new Nazi-style tactic has enraged Americans on the left and right.
Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas spoke publicly and loudly on the White House compiling an “enemy list.”
In a letter to the President he wrote, “I am not aware of any precedent for a president asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed ‘fishy’ or otherwise inimical to the White House’s political interests.”
At this point the Obama Administration’s plan to save the single-payer plan within the health care bill have now all been obliterated and the drastic step of spying is their last resort.
Many though, feel this tactic will back-fire and cause more citizens to look deeper into the many bills floating around Washington.
At a rally for Virginia Gubernatorial Democrat Creigh Deeds, the President spoke about the health care hype. “I don’t want the folks who created the mess doing a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess.”
The White House has also employed its ally, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to start attending the town hall meetings to level the playing field.
This however didn’t go so well as a local conservative activist, Kenneth Gladney, who is black, claims he was attacked by Obama supporters at the SEIU event.
He made a statement to the St. Louis Dispatch from the hospital; “It just seems there’s no freedom of speech without being attacked.”
Also it is good to remember the past and learn from history. For example during the Nixon era, the President employed a “brown shirt” army of CIA operatives dressed in civilian clothes to target anti-war protestors. It was the protestor’s rights that were upheld by the Supreme Court.
Perhaps our President forgot that we have a pesky little document, the Constitution, in place and its First Amendment rights are a guarantee “we the citizens” have.
In fact, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) “has fought the White House policy of shielding the president from dissent. The First Amendment protects the right to free speech, but that right is undermined if protestors can’t be heard.” This is the first paragraph on the ACLU’s website. http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/protest/protest_president.html
This right is guaranteed to all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, color of skin or religious preference.
As the August recess begins for Senators, the White House held a Democrat-only meeting providing tips for the Senators when it comes to disastrous town hall meetings.
“If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard,” said Jim Messina deputy chief of staff for the President at the meeting.
It appears that the White House is planning to use Chicago-style strong-arm tactics across the country this August and I’m sure this isn’t change I can believe in.
P.S. This was written by my next door neighbor.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
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