Posted on 03/20/2010 9:15:56 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, saying he feared "dire consequences" if nothing is done to reform the nation's health care system, said today he will vote for President Obama's sweeping plan when it comes to a vote Sunday.
"This has been a difficult decision, one that I have taken very seriously," Owens said in a conference call with reporters this morning.
"One of the questions that weighed very heavily on mind is what happens if we do nothing," Owens said. He said he was convinced there would be "dire consequences" with skyrocketing health insurance premium costs.
Owens, D-Plattsburgh, said he believes his decision is "in the best interests of the district and the communities in the district" which includes Oswego and Madison counties.
He becomes the second Democratic congressman representing Central New York to stay with his party in a vote that is expected to be decided by a razor-thin margin. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was still seeking votes today.
U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei, D-DeWit, announced his support for the legislation earlier this week, but U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, said he would vote "no" because the bill is bad for his constituents.
All three local congressmen voted for the House version of the bill in November, which passed, 220-215. The three came under intense pressure from both sides of the debate because they are in swing districts and face tough re-election campaigns.
Arcuri, who is among only two Democrats nationwide to change their vote from "yes" to "no" on the bill, has already lost the endorsement from labor unions and a progressive political party, the Working Families Party, over his decision.
Owens said he spent the past week questioning White House officials about the legislation, reading independent reports and meeting with opponents and supporters of health care reform.
(Excerpt) Read more at syracuse.com ...
Amazing, isnt New York broke too? I thought Bloomberg and the Governator was all over this saying its too expensive we cant afford it. Have they been muzzled?
Good to add Scozzafava’s name to the keywords so we know who is responsible for this.
“Arcuri, who is among only two Democrats nationwide to change their vote from “yes” to “no” on the bill, has already lost the endorsement from labor unions and a progressive political party, the Working Families Party, over his decision. “
So loony loon Massa was being truthful about this little bit, huh? Unions threatened the same thing to him.
Owens was a yes before, and has always been a “lean yes” in The Hill’s count, no surprise at all.
Infact, this bill is exactly the do nothing solution, because ultimately it is too expensive and will not be able to be implemented as it is presented.
Someone needs to be screaming this at the top of their lungs. This bill does nothing, and stops anyone from doing anything that will really fix the problem.
Why????
How about Kosmos, Hill, and the other one mentioned two headlines above?
Dire consequences? Like being run over by an SEIU truck.
Owens was a probable yes.
Dire consequences heh? My suggestion is that he look into acquiring private security guards, fast! Just saying! I mean who can say what a dire consequence is??? Naturally, I wish him godspeed in his party’s quest to destroy America! After all, it’s the non-partisan thing to do!
If this crapper of a bill does supposedly “pass”, the mission of the GOP will be to get the facts out about the bill and show the country how much of a scumbag people like Bill Owens are.
And here is exactly where American is being sold to by the Commissars of the DemonRAT party.
Voting them out isn't enough. Trying them for treason and RICO violations is a start.
Thanks, Newt; thanks RNC.
U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, saying he feared “dire consequences” if nothing is done to reform the nation’s health care system
He doesn’t know the meaning of “dire consequences”! Wait until he sees what the American people have in store for him.
What about them?
These politicians are either too stupid or compromised to distinguish between “the right thing” and “something”. Payback’s gonna be a bitch.
““UPDATE: If you look hard at the numbers, you can see why Pelosi is talking with Stupak and pro-choice women. With 214 No or lean No votes (including the Stupak bloc), Pelosi would have to prevent Dahlkemper and Kaptur from joining them. Then she would need all the other uncommitted votes, save one. That means she would have to get everyone who voted yes last time, plus Jim Matheson or Harry Teague (and all the lean Yes votes who went No last time, like Brian Baird and John Tanner). It’s just not that plausible.””
Latest update from firedoglake.com, thought you might like to read it.
I am sick of all this status quo must be changed now BS and that this is the only choice we have to do it. Idiots stuck on forever stupid. There is always a choice and this is not the right way to go about fixing the ‘status quo’....double frakin’ idiots.
These punks just love to milk their moment in the sun. Enjoy while it lasts, scumbags
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