Posted on 07/11/2009 5:52:13 AM PDT by devane617
The leadership of the U.S. House was poised to introduce a final version of sweeping health care reform on Friday, but that plan was held up after a pack of 40 Blue Dog Democrats, including Albany's Rep. Sanford Bishop, told leaders some changes - some very sound changes - would have to be made first.
In a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the group known as the Democratic Blue Dog Coalition said its members would not support the House bill as it was written.
With Republicans not on board with the legislation, the 40-vote swing could scuttle the bill. Congress has 435 voting representatives, with 257 Democrats and 178 Republicans. If the Blue Dogs, a self-described group of fiscally conservative Democrats that also includes Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon, whose 8th District borders part of Bishop's 2nd, bucked Democratic leadership, the bill likely would not pass.
Legislation always comes down to numbers, and leadership can easily see the numbers don't look good right now. The Blue Dogs have sent a message that was heard as plans for a vote were postponed until next week when the issues could be worked out.
Bishop said Friday that he and his fellow Blue Dogs want to impart on congressional leadership that health care reform is an issue that needs to be paid for now - not passed on to future generations.
"Every American will be responsible for the national debt," he said. "But the health and well-being of our citizens should be paramount. We now must walk a delicate line between providing a reformed health care system that gives affordable care to every American, while not increasing the national debt."
The coalition said in the letter that "significant progress" had to be made on its concerns for its members to support a final bill.
The Blue Dogs outlined several points of contention with the House proposal.
"We have to take steps to control the cost of health care if we ever hope to put our country back on fiscally sustainable growth," the letter says. "As the Senate has done, this may require us to pare back some of the cost-drivers in order to produce a bill that we can afford."
The Blue Dogs say the current system must be examined for savings and maximizing the value of health care dollars spent before the government asks the public to pay more.
The group said it wanted to reiterate its position that a public option be voluntary and that providers be fairly reimbursed at negotiated rates. "A 'Medicare-like' public option would negatively impact hospitals, doctors and patients," they wrote. "Using Medicare's below-market rate would seriously weaken the financial stability of our local hospitals and doctors."
The Blue Dogs say that any legislation that comes to the floor has to be available "for a sufficient amount of time" before a vote is taken, including any amendments and changes.
"We need time to review it and discuss it with our constituents," the letter states. "Too short of a review period is unacceptable and only undermines Congress' ability to pass responsible health care reform that works for all Americans."
Other points in the letter include:
- Delivery system reform: Rather than adding new consumers to a broken system, the Blue Dogs want innovative reforms that would "properly align incentives to promote high-quality, efficient care."
- Small business protection: The Blue Dogs say they will not support a bill that worsens the challenges small businesses face, such as providing health care to employees.
- Rural health equity: The group says a "strong rural package is critical to our support."
- Bipartisanship: The Blue Dogs say health care reform has to include ideas of Republicans as well. "The American public is looking for us to work together, regardless of party affiliation, to pass comprehensive health care reform," they wrote.
These are some commonsense approaches that should have been incorporated by leadership to start with. An August deadline for the legislation is being pushed by the Obama administration, but even the president says that's not really "do or die."
Bishop, Marshall and the Blue Dogs are doing the right thing. It's much better that Congress take its time and make a true effort to hear from all sides on this reform bill. This legislation is far too critical to be rushed through half-read and poorly understood.
They’ve had enough because they are feeling the heat from constituents who have had enough socialism.
http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/
Interesting reading.
It will kill those hospitals that are currently operating on a thin margin and spur doctors that are close to retirement age to just give it up rather than operate at a loss.
If Pelosi and Hoyer incorporate these Blue Dog ideas into the bill, they will lose the support of more liberal members. If this bill is doomed in the house, it's dead as a doornail in the Senate.
Stupid and probably covert racist too..
At least it’s a glimmer of hope but we can be assured these independent Dems are going to have their arms twisted out of their sockets and/or have $$$$ funneled to themselves or to their districts to buy them off.
These so called Blue Dogs still voted for Pelosi for Speaker.
It is time to replace these Blue Dogs with Conservative/Republicans!
Dont count on Sanford Bishop to rock the boat. He is nothing more than a puppet for King Hussien.
Pelosi will “take what she can get” in the House. She has to, she’s “all-in” on this issue. The Dems will try to fix the bill in conference.
There’s going to be some kind of bill passed, unfortunately.
The minorities and illegals will turn out in force for the Messiah but not necessarily for congress critters.
That’s why we have to work hard on the 2010 elections.
Pray for gridlock.
Totally agree. I don’t trust a blue dog Dem any more than I trust ANY Dem. Should either the cap and trade and/or the healthcare bill pass, I would hope most of these Dem Reps will be replaced in the South by Conservative Repubs. It’s our one hope.
Reelection is their only motivation. Usually, they don’t have to even act conservative until about a month before the election. They have lived on a friendly press that only reported positively on the pork projects they get in their names. The Internet has changed that a bit. People can actually see how they vote and are sharing the information without the filter of the MSM. Their office phones and e-mail boxes are proving that. This should be an object lesson in how conservatives win the next election. Every porky, payoff, brass plaque with their name on it should hang like an anchor around their necks.
Of the 52 Blue Dogs listed on their website, 22 of them voted for Tax and Trade.
Fiscal conservatives, my a@@.
And alot of those would have voted in favor of Cap n Trade but because Peloise did not need the votes they were given a pass.
Yeah, Her Majesty had some help from some so-called “Republicans”.
They realize it’s challanging their ability to survive in the South. Many know that voting for this will force them to relocate permanently to the North. Re-elections will be the last of their problems with their constituancy, tar and feathers will be the first.
I'm glad you pointed this out. I've got rat “blue dog” for a rep who is about worthless (Patrick Murphy D-8 Pennsylvania). Princess Pelosi has these guys by the proverbial balls. She controls a large portion of campaign money that they need to get reelected. Most are not in “safe” districts. When push comes to shove they will do as they are told by their master.
You seem steeped in liberal “Dixiecrat” lore. You do realize that you’re validating the leftist claim of “covert racism” in the Republican Party itself because so many southern Democrats switched over to the Republican side in the 60’s and 70’s, don’t you?
I’ll take a roadblock to ObamaCare from whence it comes. These southern “Blue Dog” Democrats are doing us a favor, so I say don’t smear them, so long as that remains the case.
Every one of these blue-dogs needs to be advised that he/she is targeted and every effort will be made to get rid of them should they vote for this folly of the far left who have no regard for the looming economic disaster.
Its business as usual for the Dems:
Tax and spend
Week on Crime
Absent on Nation Defense
Pro-Amnesty
All street politics
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