Posted on 09/16/2009 11:13:52 AM PDT by jazusamo
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) continued his attack on Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus’ (D-Mont.) health care bill, sharply questioning the chairman’s decision to conduct months of bipartisan talks that failed to win a single Republican backer, while shutting out Democrats on the committee.
Hours after Baucus released his sweeping health care plan, Rockefeller said he could not vote for the bill as it stands – and questioned why Baucus allowed the so-called “Gang of Six” talks between three Republicans and three Democrats to progress for months.
“I’m not very happy about that obviously,” Rockefeller said of the process. “I think it was predictable that the bipartisan thing was not going to work. And we spent virtually an entire year with most of the Finance Committee being excluded, and a lot of us have a long history in health care and have very strong ideas and good ideas. … His [bill] was changed last night and I haven’t yet seen it this morning.
“You don’t run a committee that way,” Rockefeller continued. “That’s just process talk, the American people don’t care [about process], but they should because it means they are not getting as good a bill unless we could amend it properly.”
Baucus released his $856 billion plan Wednesday morning, but it has so far failed to attract Republican support. The committee will begin its deliberations over the proposal next week, and Rockefeller signaled he would have dozens of amendments to offer during the panel’s markup.
“I mean I got so many amendments that it’s really quite impressive,” Rockefeller said.
Rockefeller started his criticism Tuesday – even before the bill was introduced – complaining that the bill would put too heavy of a tax burden on health benefits enjoyed by coal miners in his state. And he lamented changes to the Medicaid law, as well as a decision by the chairman to drop the so-called public insurance option in favor of consumer-owned non-profit cooperatives that would compete with private insurers.
Rockefeller, who plans to meet with President Barack Obama one-on-one Wednesday afternoon, said his early criticism of the plan gave Democrats on the Finance Committee “leverage” to push for broader changes.
“Members of the Finance Committee have thanked me for doing that because it’s something they might want to do,” Rockefeller said. “And I’m just old enough that I don’t care” about criticizing a bill before it comes out.
Baucus seem unfazed by Rockefeller’s comments.
“Jay is a wonderful man, Jay is a very good friend of mine,” Baucus said. “Jay has done so much for health care and there will be a lot of opportunities for all of us to work together to find a compromise.”
Baucus can’t be trusted either. During the recess he didn’t hold a single public, face-to-face town hall. And he didn’t mention taxing folks who choose not to have insurance till he got back to DC.
Gutless wonder.
WV is a culturally conservative state but they love their welfare. Weaned on the mother’s milk of FDR, Robert Byrd, unions, the WPA, etc etc.
Is he up for election in 2010?
“the American people don’t care [about process], but they should because it means they are not getting as good a bill unless we could amend it properly.”
I care about process for that very reason. Because in some cases, it stops bad bills from happening.
No one likes the Baucus bill- only the left likes the House bill. Sooooo...there isn’t a bill at present that can pass.
I can hardly believe that a Rockefellor would dis the Baucas bill ... there has to be financial gain in it for him.
I agree, let’s hope nothing changes and Obamacare is killed.
Jay Rockefeller can do the honorable thing and commit suicide like Admiral Borda.
Nope. He swept in this year with no opposition. 2014.
My bet is he’ll tank in the polls, not run, accept an ambassadorship, if offered.
So getting o retired is a high priority. No ambassadorship is possible from a GOP prez.
LOL! This could get entertaining.
Bump!
And welcome to Free Republic.
Poor old Max is falling on his sword so his hero Obama will not have to take the fall of the healthcare bill.
I guess Max would be branded a racist by Jimmy Carter if he did not do that.
Please don’t tell me that liberals really thought that healthcare would be free and or paid for by mythical fabled “rich”? Newsflash there are not enough rich people in America to pay for what this will cost even if you conficasted every dime they have! So guess what, governement run helathcare will probabnly cost more than getting your own insurace would because you will also have all of those government workers to pay!
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