House Democrats Short on Health Care Votes, Clyburn Says

Fox News ^ | 3/15/2010

[Lazamataz]

House Democratic leaders still do not have enough votes to pass health care reform, the chamber's top vote counter said, even though the administration is aiming to have the bill passed this week.

The reality check came from Rep. James Clyburn, the House Democratic whip.

"No, we don't have them as of this morning, but we've been working this thing all weekend," Clyburn, D-S.C., said.

But despite the challenge of corralling wavering Democrats, Clyburn joined with other Democratic officials in saying he was confident the measure would pass, echoing comments from Speaker Nancy Pelosi Saturday.

Democratic leaders want the House to pass the Senate-approved version of the bill, before moving on to a package of changes. That package, which is already under consideration, would be taken up in the Senate as a "reconciliation" bill, meaning the Senate would be able to approve it with just 51 votes -- Democrats turned to the legislative tactic after Republican Scott Brown won the Massachusetts Senate election in January, breaking the party's 60-vote filibuster-proof majority.

[pburgh01]

2) Let the individual states declare that any law passed by Congress without a vote in both Houses is Constitutionally deficient and thus null and void. Then indict and prosecute any Federal agents who attempt to enforce such a non-law.

I think some of the states have hinted at that, Texas for one that this health care plan is null and void. Then what Congress says well Rick Perry you don't want to collect the revenue we need for ObamaCare we will take it out of your Medicaid funds. Quite a mess isn't it? Being at the tipping point where a majority of the idiots vote in other idiots and create these dung heaps. I guess it would take enough mothers dying of breast cancer at 49 and transplants being denied for the people to see what we said was true. I for one am staying fit, eating well and hoping i never have to use the medical system. Let the drones, chain smoke, eat crap and get addicted to drugs and then see how their government will take care of them.

[pburgh01]

It may pass by one but it won’t fail by 1, it will fail epicly. I still hold to my guess is that it does get the Coup De Grace this week and then the real dangerous part comes, the second coming of ObamaCare, a softer more seductive version, one that will pass unless the Pubbies stay together.

[Logic n' Reason]

I just called Scott Murphy’s number, they answered on the second ring!!! Where is everyone?! CALL CALL CALL

That makes two of us so far!!!

Here's the number again
Rep Scott Murphy (D-NY)(202) 225-5614

[Logic n' Reason]

There is something seriously wrong when I can get right through to my congressman’s office. We need to FLOOD the phone lines. I just called to complain and express my disapproval of his plan to vote FOR the health care bill. The guy who answered was polite, and appeared speechless that I did NOT want it.
Start calling NOW.

I have just finished calling both my local and WDC office of Rep Ron Kind for WI telling him that I want him to vote a loud and resounding "NO" on the health care mess currently in congress.

He won'd to that, of course.

So...next Nov., Mr. Kind gets to join the ranks of the unemployed.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"My concern is that a Federal Judge, ruling on the Constitutionality of the “bill,” would write the exact same thing in his opinion upholding it."

We can't depend on any judges ruling on the constitionality of this. Look how long it's taken to gut the McCain/Feingold assault on free speech and there's still some crap left from it.

If this piece of dung passes, the Republicans need to immediately have a pledge circulated in the Republican party that if elected they pledge to repeal this garbage by whatever means available and make that pledge every election cycle for as long as it exists.

While Obama is in office introduce amendments to the budget to strangle this thing's money source. Do things he can't veto to kill it and in the 2012 elections every Republican nominee for President should take this pledge to overturn it or they get no support from the Republican party.

[rosettasister]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/03/white-house-seems-to-have-new-policy-on-special-deals-in-health-care-reform-bill.html

In the case of Nebraska, what everyone was outraged about was that it seemed to be a special deal just for one state.

That is not going to be in this bill.”

Under the previously passed Senate bill, one provision would give $100 million to the state of Connecticut to build a hospital.

Victims of asbestos-related illnesses in the home state of Finance Committee Chair Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, Libby, Mont., secured aid.

Massachusetts and Vermont secured extra Medicaid funding.

*** Seniors in Florida and New York would be able to keep Medicare Advantage benefits being cut for seniors everywhere else. ***

Axelrod defended the deal secured for Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., saying

“what has been portrayed as a provision relating to Louisiana says that if a state, if every county in a state is declared a disaster area, they get some extra Medicaid funds.”

(Sounds like Gator-aid deal will NOT be fixed in reconciliation. If that isn’t enough for an undecided House Dem to vote no on the underlying bill, then I don’t know what is.)

[Alas Babylon!]

I see my Blue Dog dem is NOT on your list; Booby Bright of the 2nd Cong Dist of Alabama.

I know he has vowed to vote no, and has already voted against it, but this is NOT ENOUGH.

I wrote and told him that if it passes, it passes because enough democrats voted for it. Him, being a democrat, would therefore have to go!

His whole party has to go, especially if this passes.

Tell your Blue Dog, if you have one, that not only do they have to vote no, but if their party passes it, and they remain in that party, they too must go!!!!

We need to put the pressure on them, higher and harder!

[Alas Babylon!]

Oops, thats Bobby Bright, not Booby, although I kind of like the Freudian slip I made!

[mwl8787]

If Pelosi doesn’t have the votes, she will not bring the bill to the floor. Unnecessary risk to her members.

[Boucheau]

I’m thinking it’s all a diversion at this point.

What would most of the country be focused on if not for the threat of socialized medicine? No jobs, no money, no savings, food stamp epidemic, etc.

30 million people are standing in food lines—virtual food lines. We have food stamp “cards” to shop with now.

How convenient for our corrupt “leaders.”

[Presto]

Republicans can easily destroy the “health care reform” bill right now; if they will but repeatedly and emphatically declare:

IT WILL KILL OUR STRUGGLING ECONOMY.

If every prominent Republican who attends a presser or gives an interview emphasizes that one crystallized point; the political pressure and citizenry push-back against wavering Democrats in the House will be enormous and irresistible.

ECONOMY KILLER equals JOBS KILLER. And the case can easily and succinctly be made that this new, massively unfunded entitlement will require massive new taxes while hobbling the medical industry. That’s obviously an economy killer. As unpopular as this piece of crap bill is, it can immediately be made much more so with simple clarion emphasis regarding its destructiveness to the American economy.

The American people already hate what the bill stands for (the substance of the bill) as well as they hate the corrupt process that has produced it. Now it needs to be branded into the national psyche that the bill will obviously cause long-term, personal financial pain for everyone. - If Republicans would simply apply massive pressure to this one point (using the new CBO numbers on the “reconciliation / fix it” bill as a new cause for alarm) that would be the ball game. There is no way Pelosi could secure wavering votes if the Republicans generated the additional media consciousness that this bill is toxic to our ailing economy.

[PA-RIVER]

I think it will be overturned by States rejecting it for three reasons:

1. After this gets passed an Aspirin will cost 500 dollars, and you wont be able to find one. (Think 100 dollar Hammers in 1978. When Goobermint runs anything, price goes through the roof and you get a shortage. Heart Surgery will cost 5 million.)

2. Doctors will resign by the thousands. This will cause massive marches on DC when no one can get a bone set or a cavity filled. Good doctors are accustomed to calling the shots. Tell them to shut up and do as told and they will walk or slow down. Quality care will evaporate.

3. Insurance companies may fold in the US and open in South America, offering remote care and services for the wealthiest. Heart surgery at half price, 2.5 million, by Americas best. Hips and knees, one million a pop. Get in line with Canadians in Costa Rica. What Obama fails to see is that communism fails, and I predict that this takeover will fail out of the box in a most spectacular and embarrassing way. It will take years to recover from the damage.

[SeattleBruce]

“A vote for the Slaughter rule is a vote for healthcare as far as I’m concerned. We should let them know that in no uncertain terms. Besides, it will mean that when the pubbies take over, any dirty underhanded trick that the pubbies can get away with to repeal this piece of crap will be fair game and we should support that. Our Republic is at stake here.”

I agree with this. I’m enraged at what these marxists are doing.

[Daryl L.Hunter]

[potlatch]

O’Reilly, on his show tonight, mentioned 212 for and 218 against. Missed just where he got his figures.

[potlatch]

Oh, Wow, could Obama look any worse? Posted on Drudge now;

[bigoil]

Your strategy is EXCELLENT.

Here are the ten Representatives that your strategy would be most effective with:

Brian Baird (Wash.)

Rick Boucher (Va.)

Allen Boyd (Fla.)

Bart Gordon (Tenn.)

Suzanne Kosmas (Fla.)

Scott Murphy (N.Y.)

Glenn Nye (Va.)

John Tanner (Tenn.)

Steve Dreihaus (Ohio)

Baron Hill (Indiana)

Tell them that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has already left the building and that Nancy Pelosi’s Speakership is going down in flames along with Obamacare, so they had better be on the winning side of history if they know what’s good for them.

[PhilDragoo]

[potlatch]

I figured you would like that one. Looks good and I really like your text. Don’t know how you did it but it’s neat.

It must be the “fail font”, lol.

[editor-surveyor]

Knee-capping and brass knuckles coming up!