Posted on 03/16/2015 6:45:52 PM PDT by kristinn
The House's hard-core conservatives have gotten used to losing at the end of a long legislative fight. But for the first time in the 114th Congress, Speaker John Boehner is cutting them loose from the get go.
Boehner and his top chairmen will pitch a permanent "doc-fix" deal to Republicans Tuesday morning that would have been unheard of in the GOP-led House of the last few years: an entitlement change that adds tens of billions of dollars to the 10-year deficit and that they know fiscal hawks will vote against. What's more, Boehner and his team negotiated the deal with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and her Democrats first.
That is a noted strategy shift for Boehner, who on several recent occasions—including last month's Homeland Security Department funding standoff—has only gone to Pelosi as a last resort and, instead, relied on 218 Republicans to pass right-leaning bills. Now he is not bothering to try to appease the most vocal hard-liners in his party, members who—Boehner's allies have argued—were never going to come around to his side anyway.
Perhaps even more interestingly, the proposal—which could reach the floor as soon as this week—is coming in part from Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan, who so insisted on offsetting all spending when he chaired the Budget Committee that he might have voted against this very deal a few years ago.
"This is a hard run to the middle," said a former GOP aide who has worked on fiscal issues. "It's nothing more than a 100-plus billion-dollar hole in the deficit, if you're at all worried about a primary from the fiscal conservative side, which is still dominating the Republican Party."
"The interesting thing is how Paul argues this. His first big move from the committee is to allow 100-plus billion dollars in entitlement spending to go unpaid for?" the source continued.
In fact, Boehner, Ryan, and other leaders will argue that, if you look beyond the standard 10-year budget window, the deal is a win for Republicans. Only about a third of the up to $200 billion price tag will be paid for within 10 years—half of that by reforms to Medicare long sought by Republicans and the other half through costs imposed on hospitals and other Medicare service providers. But those Medicare reforms, leaders will argue, will save money in the long term.
The deal also removes a perennial sword of Damocles hanging over doctors who treat Medicare patients, as it repeals a policy that would raise their costs by more than 20 percent if it is allowed to lapse at the end of the month.
"We are working to develop a bipartisan framework that finally resolves the never-ending doc-fix problem while putting in place responsible reforms that would strengthen the Medicare program for seniors," Boehner spokesman Kevin Smith said.
Meanwhile, House Democrats have agreed to the policy without insisting on tax increases in return. What they get instead is a two-year reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program at levels agreed to in the Affordable Care Act. And even that is a relief for GOP leaders; CHIP not only splits the Republican Party, but it expires in September, just as government spending is set to run out. Amid another potential shutdown jam, GOP leaders would also likely have to deal with Democrats to get it passed then or concoct their own policy and suffer attacks from Democrats accusing them of endangering or making draconian cuts to children's health care programs.
SNIP
Why is CHIP up for reauthorization? DeathCare takes care of children to age 21+, so they are covered. This seems like another of those programs that are never allowed to die. Like the temporary tax on telephones that was still being collected after 100 years and was supposed to pay for the war. The Spanish-American War.
Pelosi would never work with republicans against any in her party. Democrats are committed to moving radically leftward and republican leadership is committed to facilitating that shift.
Reminds me of the lovable loser Bob Micheal era.
WTF makes Republicans feel inferior???
Yes, they are and they are also as much to blame for the dictator Obama as Obama himself. The Constitution clearly gives them ways to unseat him and they refuse to do anything and have made Congress totally irrelevant while BO and Jarrett are laughing all the way to the bank. Makes me sick. All these “investigations” of clear criminal, felonious behavior and no arrests or conclusions, just endless BS.
Boner is better than Pelosi because ... ?
It worked before.
History does repeat itself.
You are absolutely correct.
In the present Kangaroo Kongress, Conservatives don't stand a chance. Even when we win, the Republican Liberals stab us in the back.
TWB
If there are not enough of us to take back the Republican party then how are there enough of us to take back the country as a third party?
somehow Republicans got a majority and still the Democrats run it all. Makes me want to vote 3rd party.
Frankly, I doubt a single person commenting so far has much of an idea what’s being done in this Doc Fix, but people just love to rag on Boehner.
I would add that I don’t know much about it either, which doesn’t change my conclusion one bit.
I would also add that I have a reasonable amount of trust that Paul Ryan isn’t selling out the GOP and that he’s come up with a decent plan here, although I haven’t read much about it yet. You’ve got to trust someone, and I think he’s on the side of the good in all this.
That is the sad reality.
Boner’s new strategy same as the old strategy, drop his pants and bend over and say “thank you sir, may I have another?”
Pelosi would never work with republicans against any in her party.That's because Pelosi is part of the Democrat base.
Whereas, Boehner (seemingly?) loathes the Republican base.
Boehner has let the mask slip and he is revealed to be the leader of the UNIPARTY and not the Republican Party in the House. One way or the other, this will be his last term as Speaker of the House.
How do we get rid of Boehner, because many so called “Conservatives” in Congress have no spine, and others while having convictions are few in numbers..
IF NOT Treason... it’s pretty close.. at least sedition..
And this crap is working?
Traitor! Hang the drunk bastard, naked, from a lamp post for people to spit on...
RALPH NADER, STOP YELLING!
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