Posted on 03/18/2010 9:24:05 PM PDT by Born Conservative
Two undecided northeastern Pennsylvania Democrats may decide the fate of health care overhaul legislation slated for a House vote this weekend.
That hardly makes Congressmen Paul Kanjorski and Chris Carney happy. Their political futures hang in the balance.
"It's an issue that creates enormous public grief for them," says Pennsylvania political analyst Professor Terry Madonna of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster. "It's not popular. Pieces of it are. But on the whole, people are against it."
Kanjorski, whose 11th District includes Monroe County, and Carney, whose 10th District encompasses Pike County, haven't tipped their hands about how they'll vote. Both said Tuesday they want to examine the bill's final provisions before determining their vote.
About 35 undecided House Democrats are being wooed by President Barack Obama to support the proposal, which would extend health insurance to millions of uninsured and enact other market reforms.
"The status of health care reform legislation is still changing, so the congressman doesn't know yet what he will be voting on," said Kanjorski spokeswoman Abigail McDonough.
She wouldn't comment on what provisions will make or break Kanjorski's health vote. Kanjorski voted in favor of health legislation approved by the House late last year.
A pivotal issue for Kanjorski could prove to be abortion. He has earned both high and low marks from the National Right to Life Committee, depending on the years surveyed. The Senate health bill's language — interpreted by some as allowing government insurance subsidies for abortions — may force Kanjorski to take sides on a socially divisive issue when he can least afford to alienate anyone.
Kanjorski faces a rare Democratic primary May 18 against Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O'Brien. If he survives that challenge, Kanjorski will run against Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta or Skytop hedge fund manager Chris Paige this fall.
Barletta, running for Congress for the third time, is considered the favorite in a Kanjorski matchup.
"This is the biggest vote congressmen in swing districts will have to make in their careers," Madonna said.
Carney said he also wants to read the final bill before committing to it. Like Kanjorski, Carney voted in favor of the previous House bill.
Carney cited a personal battle for shaping his views on health reform.
"As a cancer survivor, I was fortunate not to have been kicked off my health insurance plan because of my so-called pre-existing condition," he said. "But countless others throughout our region don't have that assurance."
Carney faces re-election this fall against the winner of a three-way Republican primary, in a Republican-leaning district.
ping
Had a difficult time getting through to Kanjorski’s Wilkes-Barre office tonight; he’s evidently getting hammered with phone calls and that was at 8pm.
Well, it looks like all the Dems are caving and giving in to Obama and Pelosi. These two will probably be no different.
If this thing passes, don’t you think it will end up in the Supreme Court? (The same Court that Obama dissed and pissed at the State of the Union speech.)
They’re treating it as nonchalantly as if they were voting to fund some damn dam. Are they so off balance they can’t see that Bummer is trying to use them to make America another Zimbabwe?
Carney is a dirtbag....But an excellent Marxist!
CARNEY STATEMENT ON HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM
March 20, 2010
Washington, D.C.—Congressman Chris Carney (PA-10) today made the following statement with regard to the health insurance reform bill Congress will take up on Sunday:
“We’ve been through a long, difficult debate over health care. I’ve listened to my constituents through 14 town halls and thousands of phone calls, personal visits and letters. I’ve talked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. And I’ve heard from health care experts, economists, and the Congressional Budget Office, which estimates the cost of the program.
Throughout this debate I have focused on several overarching priorities and I believe, after careful review, that this bill addresses them. This measure denies insurers the ability to reject coverage to people with so-called ‘pre-existing conditions,’ a common sense provision that, as a cancer survivor, I feel particularly strongly about. Covering maternity care will no longer be optional for insurers; pregnant women and their unborn children will be guaranteed coverage when they need it most. And the arbitrary and exorbitant insurance premium increases that have hamstrung small businesses and working families will no longer be possible.
This bill takes critical steps toward providing quality, affordable health care while reducing the cost burden on our hardworking families and small businesses. It does so in a fiscally responsible manner, reducing the deficit by an estimated $138 billion over the first 10 years and an additional $1.2 trillion in the following decade.
This bill also continues the longstanding ban on public funding for abortion, a factor that weighed heavily on my mind in recent days.
I am voting for this legislation because all Americans should have the same insurance choices enjoyed by members of Congress and their families. If it’s good enough for members of Congress, it is good enough for the people they represent.”
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