Posted on 04/01/2014 7:07:36 AM PDT by xzins
Here is exhibit A of why we don’t trust current Senate leadership to do the right thing if they were to win back the majority; they refuse to block new spending when in the minority.
Last week, House leadership decided to pass the “doc fix” bill (H.R. 4302) by voice vote. This bill reimburses healthcare providers for the scheduled 24 percent cut in payments for services rendered to Medicare patients. The bill extends the payments through next March. It also continues some new programs created under Obamacare.
They used a hodgepodge of tenuous offsets spread out mainly over the next 5-10 years to compensate for an immediate expense that will undoubtedly reoccur every year under the 10-year budget frame. Hence, once again, Republicans have agreed to increase spending without any structural reforms or concessions from Democrats on other policies (the original House bill paid for the extension by repealing the individual mandate).
Yesterday, Senator Harry Reid brought the bill to the Senate floor, but Senator Jeff Sessions raised a budget point of order. As Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, Sessions has been a stalwart at challenging new spending bills for violating Senate PAYGO rules. This is one of the few tools at the disposal of the minority party used to block bad legislation since the majority party needs 60 votes to overrule the point of order.
In this case, the $15.8 billion cost would be incurred immediately and the offsets include some budget gimmicks to ensure that CBO would score it as deficit neutral by the year 2024. One would expect the party leadership to rally behind their point man on budget issues in order to stop the majority from increasing spending. Yet, Senators McConnell and Cornyn led 14 other Republicans in opposing Sessions, thereby giving Reid the 60 votes needed to send the bill to the President’s desk.
Senator Tom Coburn was right to call this a “cowardly” vote, suggesting that this is the reason he is leaving the Senate:
“If you vote for this bill that’s on the floor today, you’re part of the problem. You’re not part of the solution,” Coburn said. “It’s a sham, it’s a lie. The pay-fors aren’t true. It’s nothing but gimmicks. It’s corruptible. There’s no integrity in what we’re getting ready to vote on.”
Coburn said the “doc fix” is just the latest in a series of decisions Congress has made to avoid short-term pain. He and other fiscal conservatives railed against a fix this year to rising flood insurance rates — a law that’s celebrated by senators from coastal states.
“Just like we did on the flood insurance bill. It got a little hot in the kitchen, instead of actually cooking the omelet, we threw the eggs in the trash can and ran out of the room. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen here,” he said.
Once again, we must ask the salient question: will our predicament improve if we allow the same cowards to lead the GOP majority?
Yet, Senators McConnell and Cornyn led 14 other Republicans in opposing Sessions, thereby giving Reid the 60 votes needed to send the bill to the President’s desk.
Round up the usual suspects...
None of the described individuals can be described as “Leaders”.
Doctors payments cannot be cut.
For politicians, getting an earful from irate constituents who can no longer see their doctor is too much political risk.
They had to pass the “doc fix.” No one ever actually expects it to be reduced.
Linda must be really worried in S.C.
It doesn’t matter.
If you want to spend money, you don’t have to borrow it, or offset it with spending cuts or raise taxes.
Just print it. This is the new reality, and it is non ideological, because money has no meaning anymore.
Doctors don’t make enough to see patients. They’re treading water as it is and if the doctor payments were actually reduced, they would stop seeing patients.
FREEpers don’t get it. Politicians are risk averse and none of them, liberal or conservative, is going to vote their own pink slips. That’s a fact of Washington political life.
It’ll be the same next year and the year after that and the year after that as the can is kicked down the road.
If you want to spend money, you don’t have to borrow it, or offset it with spending cuts or raise taxes.
Just print it. This is the new reality, and it is non ideological, because money has no meaning anymore.
You nailed it.
At some point, no one will honor the money.
And there isn't a "RESET" button big enough to fix that.
This is the country that invented the credit card, layaways and 24 month deferred interest payments.
You can always defer the pain of that first payment.
Washington is NOT our friend.
The answer to the question is “NO”. I won’t help them get into power. I would hope with the dems in charge of the house and the senate for obama’s last two years might put some fire the bellies of some patriots.
Coburn is speaking out strongly now that he’s leaving.
I’m furious with Bonehead for his chicanery in this affair. The sneak voice-vote was a rotten trick to pull.
Cornyn sided with Mark Kirk and has not endorsed Oberweis.
http://hotair.com/archives/2014/03/25/kirk-im-not-going-to-campaign-against-dick-durbin/
Both of our ‘boys’ were in on this. *sigh*
THAD enough and Wicker really isn’t much, if any, better.
He sometimes listens, but he’s backing THAD to the hilt.
I’m sick to my almost death of both of them.
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