[nc28205]

Where were the tea parties? It's all well and good to mock the pork barrel spending attached to most bills, but where was the call for fiscal restraint here?

[MNJohnnie]

Busy trying to earn the income to pay for all this. Tea Partyers can only do so much, they cannot stop every bit of DC inspired stupidity done in the dead of night, for that you need leadership in Congress who do not put up such fraudulent mis appropriations.

Elections matter. Be careful who you vote from now on.

[TomGuy]

seniors who could very easily afford to pay slightly higher premiums

Why should seniors have to pay for Congress raiding the Trust?

A few dollars here, a few dollars there. It adds up. Especially for seniors on fixed incomes.

Congress wastes more money than this 'fix' costs.

How much was that pork from the bailout bill last fall? Around $184 BILLION, IIRC. Just that one porker bill would have paid for this 'fix' about 60 times.

[SunkenCiv]

Dina Titus, D-Nev., introduced H.R. 3631, which would freeze all Part B premiums for one year--including those for couples with incomes over $170,000. It would pay for the $2.8 billion cost by raiding the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund and the Medicare Improvement Fund. This legislation came up the following day and passed the House by a vote of 406 to 18. Of course, nothing is really paid for here. Federal borrowing will be $2.8 billion higher than it would otherwise be--and all to primarily benefit 2.1 million seniors who could very easily afford to pay slightly higher premiums for their very heavily subsidized Medicare Part B benefits.

[tiki]

Unfortunately, most tea baggers are just average citizens and also work they aren’t professional politicians with with full war chests. You have done your part by making freepers aware of this bill and many will act on it.

[lonestar]

Didn’t you see the white hair at the tea parties?