Democrats Hold Homeland Security Bill Hostage over Partisan Politics

FOX News ^ | 11/18/2002 | Staff

[ex-Texan]

WASHINGTON

[ex-Texan]

Pelosi is throwing a fit and using the DemonRAT's to block a bill that 'the people' want passed. Voters will be very upset. Suicide watch called for the DNC.

[mwl1]

Time for another presidential speech. These RATS are scheming liars.

If the RATS persist, this is gonna end Miss Mary Landrieu's political career on December 7.

[My2Cents]

In all honesty, perhaps the Republican Senators should support a clean bill. I've always thought the way Congress can "Christmas-tree" a bill with non-germane provisions, completely unrelated to the main subject matter of a bill, was absurd.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

This Bill has grown from 85 pages to almost 500. There has been much pork added to it. Not all of it good and most of it by Republicans. The Dems may have a point here. I surely wish the President had line-item-veto power.

[mwl1]

It's how things are done. Period. The GOP House added these provisions, all of which are likely good for the economy and for homeland security. Dance with those who brung ya.

Make the RATS eat dirt. And besides, it is the RATS who are claiming the bill is loaded up, and I believe them about as far as I can throw PIAPS.

[TomGuy]

[Pelosi's First attack against Bush is doomed to carry the DemonRAT Party into oblivion -- My comment, ex-Texan]

Uh, Pelosi is in the House. The tie-up is in the Senate.

[soycd]

As Mr. Burns would say...Excellent.

Delay this bill at your own peril.

[Wphile]

I must admit, I'm ambivalent about this move by the GOP. Omnibus bills are always bad and Homeland Security shouldn't be one of them. But then, this is how the game is played, unfortunately.

I think I prefer the 35 pager. Oh well.

[Wphile]

What is Pelosi saying?

[ex-Texan]

Say what you will ..... I smell Pelosi.

[End The Hypocrisy]

I tend to agree with you on this one, as much as I typically distrust Demorats. Some special interest-pandering Republicans reportedly even managed to insert a $250,000 cap on damages into the bill, for when a faulty smallpox vaccine ruins a child's life by giving it autism (for example). A person's brain is only worth a quarter of a million despite inflation? That's 5 year's salary in 2002 wages.

A related thread goes into how doctors want to blame the shortage of doctors on tort liability stemming from their own incompetence, instead of on how their protectionist guild simply doesn't let enough people join the medical profession to be able to service currently underserviced areas:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/791224/posts?page=27

[George from New England]

I have a BIG problem with the current 484 pages.

There is NO provision for a religious exemption on mass vaccinations.

Science completely supports the effectiveness of a better than 70% vaccination rate but this bill mandate 100% of the public for vaccination. No provision for humane quarantine. No exemptions for folks with medical conditions that would die from mandatory vaccines.

This bill is overly invasive, and must be changed.

[My2Cents]

If the GOP wants to reform tort liability, more power to them. I think it's a winning issue. But they shouldn't try to piecemeal the issue with special caps like are in this bill. Stick to homeland security, and attack the ancillary issues in other legislation.

[For the Unborn]

It looks as if we should still be able to get Ben Nelson, Zell Miller, John Breaux and possibly Dean Barkley and Mary Landrieu to go with Republicans on this bill even if McCain and Chafee go with the dems. In the end, people won't remember why the dems obstructed just that they did. Goodbye Mary!

[For the Unborn]

Do you also want pharmaceutical companies to get run out of business from high legal costs?

[Wphile]

Do you also want pharmaceutical companies to get run out of business from high legal costs?

Of course not. I agree with that part of the legislation but I don't think it belongs in the Homeland Security bill,especially if added at the last minute. Put it in with a major tort reform bill.

I'm not condemning the actual legislation, just the tactics. We would all be better served if legislation were kept to the actual subject at hand and not encumbered with a bunch of add ons.

[Wphile]

If the GOP wants to reform tort liability, more power to them. I think it's a winning issue. But they shouldn't try to piecemeal the issue with special caps like are in this bill. Stick to homeland security, and attack the ancillary issues in other legislation.

I agree. Tack in with a loser pays tort reform package.

[Russell Scott]

Litigate to Obliterate. You can thank blood sucking lawyers for the balloning of all legislation. Savage calls them RDDB's (red diaper doper babies).

[Boxsford]

Totally agree.