THE LONE REPUBLICAN WHO VOTED YES TO THE
HOUSE HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL!
"House Minority Whip Eric Cantor promised
Capitol Hill protesters on Friday that not one Republican would approve the Democrats' health care bill. But Cantor's vow of unanimity slipped Saturday night when the final vote tally -- 220 to 215 in support of the bill -- revealed Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, a Republican from Louisiana, cast a yes vote.
His reason for being the lone GOP nod?
"I have always said that I would put aside partisan wrangling to do the business of the people. My vote tonight was based on my priority of doing what is best for my constituents," he said in a statement quickly released by his office.Earlier in the evening, he also supported a controversial amendment (which also passed) from Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak prohibiting any federal money from funding abortion. Cao (pronounced gow) represents an area in the southern part of Louisiana, which includes areas around New Orleans, that's affected by one of the highest rates of poverty in the nation. It's also a district that usually goes to Democrats, but due to some ethical questions surrounding his Democratic opponent last fall, Cao won one of the biggest political upsets of the year. Following the vote Saturday evening, several Democratic lawmakers said that Cao did show signs that he was open to persuasion, having refused to make firm statements about how he would vote. Cao's timing also suggests that even before the late-night vote, he was confident in his decision. He pressed the 'yes' button several minutes before the voting window closed, meaning he wasn't planning to only vote yes in the final moments if absolutely necessary." ~Quoted from the Gaggle .
On the flip side spinless citations should go to these supposed democrats for voting no for health care reform. Even one republican did better than they could, in representing what the people want. 39 democrats voted NO.
John Adler, Jason Altmire, Brian Baird, John Barrow, John Boccieri, Dan Boren, Rick Boucher, Allen Boyd, Bobby Bright, Ben Chandler, Travis Childers, Lincoln Davis, Artur Davis, Chet Edwards, Bart Gordon, Parker Griffith, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Tim Holden, Larry Kissell, Suzanne Kosmas, Frank Kratovil, Dennis Kucinich, Betsy Markey, Jim Marshall, Eric Massa, Jim Matheson, Mike McIntyre, Michael McMahon, Charles Melancon, Walt Minnick, Scott Murphy, Glenn Nye, Collin Peterson, Mike Ross, Heath Shuler, Ike Skelton, John Tanner, Gene Taylor, Harry Teague.
John Adler, Jason Altmire, Brian Baird, John Barrow, John Boccieri, Dan Boren, Rick Boucher, Allen Boyd, Bobby Bright, Ben Chandler, Travis Childers, Lincoln Davis, Artur Davis, Chet Edwards, Bart Gordon, Parker Griffith, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Tim Holden, Larry Kissell, Suzanne Kosmas, Frank Kratovil, Dennis Kucinich, Betsy Markey, Jim Marshall, Eric Massa, Jim Matheson, Mike McIntyre, Michael McMahon, Charles Melancon, Walt Minnick, Scott Murphy, Glenn Nye, Collin Peterson, Mike Ross, Heath Shuler, Ike Skelton, John Tanner, Gene Taylor, Harry Teague.
***CLICK HERE TO READ WHY DENNIS KUCINICH VOTED NO
It ain't over till the Senate votes, and frankly that's not going to be pretty.
We do know the talking point buzzwords.....
Government takeover & Freedom. It got so bad, after listening to the debates, I had to mute every other speaker.
It was as if the two sides of the floor were on different planets.
8 comments:
I read Kucinich's statement (why he voted no)- his main complaint is private insurance companies still remain a monopoly, and this is not the optimal single payer plan that would be the best of reform.
But look at the divisive fight that is going on re healthcare. I'd be the first to say it is clearly driven by the Wealthcare lobby buying votes.
These politicians votes are bought & paid for by the for profit system, that does indeed profit by denying claims & making clients pay more & more out of their own pockets.
I don't think we can do an all or nothing proposition here. This issue has been tabled for too many years. We have to start somewhere & the wheels of change turn slowly. It has been said even if they do pass health care reform bill, it will be another 3 years before it is implemented.
People will die & suffer financial ruin in the meantime, for lack of access.
That being said, we still need to push for the single payer, public option.
The whole idea behind health care reform is CONSUMER TAKEOVER.... that is we stop allowing the insurance companies to make all the rules, and run healthcare for their profit.
I just watched a Michael Moore film from segments he did called "The Awful Truth".
The segment was about a man who needed a pancreas transplant or he would die & Humana insurance was denying his claim.
The amount of profit the CEO alone made, would have covered 479 pancreas transplant surgeries.
With some high pressure street theater (mock funeral complete with a bagpiper playing Amazing Grace, a real casket & hearse..... right in front of Humana office headquarters~ the company not only reviewed & approved his surgery, but changed the corporate policy to allow pancreas transplants.
The list of dems who voted no includes my own barking blue dog rep who is a clueless idiot actually proud of his actions and happy to report back to his teabagging constituents what he's done to thwart any kind of progress. Newsflash for blue dogs: you just lost many of your sane constituents' votes; hope you're happy as future dogcatcher in teabagland.
Maybe some of the others who voted no at least had to wrestle with their consciences.
Re: Kucinich ... as soon as the vote was published & I saw his name among the noes, I figured this would be his reasoning. That's a very high horse he's climbed up on! Reminds me of Nader who wouldn't compromise & gave us GWB. Me, I'm for getting a foot in the door and working to bust it wide open, even if it only begins by imposing some regulation on ins co's. Precluding pre-existing denials is no small thing in & of itself. If the Senate doesn't totally gut it, the doors to the sacred halls of the ins co's are now cracked open. This yr's bill is not the end by any means. It is the beginning!
The ink had not even dried on the house health care reform bill before Lieberman was already using the "F" word-- Filibuster.
I am so disgusted.
Because frankly I think it's not even about health care for the Senate.
It's about making Obama fail & look bad, and as far as I am concerned it is like prostitution... the money that is flowing- to buy the votes & keep the status quo.
There is no other business that would openly allow the blatant money/bribery flow that is happening.... and I do have a major serious ethical problem with what is going on.
It IS the people's money those in opposition are suddenly concerned about saving & protecting. The same ones who turned a blind eye to the last 8 years $12 trillion dollar debt.
The same ones who don;t even blink to approve another $682 billion + for the 2010 military budget. I did not hear any impassioned debate about that major spending. I would not be surprised if they come back later before that budget cycle ends, to ask for a few billion more for wars.
Bridges to nowhere & Wall Street & Auto manufacturer bailouts are just fine, but the people (who's money this IS), get the scraps & crumbs- but even then- with a fight.
This is not just about money.
It is about People's LIVES and quality of life, 47000 die each year with lack of care, with over 51 Million UnInsured today, and it rising by 17,000 a DAY, and 500,000 a month Losing care, (6 Million more) the Number of Dying is going to rise drastically and signifigantly.
But on tv and everywhere- the argument has been reduced to cost-sadly even here in comment section- you yourself did it Fran- talking about cost of financial ruin and how then about Consumers need to control this argument-look what you wrote in the two comments above....
no one mentions the health care issue part...
It is NOT just about Cost and Consumers-
it IS about Real People :PATIENTS with NO care, No access, or millions of others UnderInsured- example Millions of people with Chronic Illness waiting to turn 65 to get some kind of care , and others 500,000 fighting Cancer with no care- giving up their homes so they can get care. Medical Debt is 73% of ALL Bankruptcies.
And even below-you told about people in lines for hours and NO ONE is asking- did all of those people show up to stand in the Cold Rain because they had Care ? Did anyone ask if they have Insurance? I would be very curious of the real numbers of Swine flu -how many without Care or Insurance have No Insurance and No care.
See that is What everyone is forgetting in this "Argument", People without "Insurance" are geting NO care from Anyone,much less Healthcare....not even their Elected Reps.....
Instead Us Uninsured have been made to feel that we are merely a Burden, a Blight on the Economic Picture....that we are not "worth" it to Anyone...
Healthcare is not even mentioned anymore...lives are now being measured in nickels and dimes. It is why those of us who are Uninsured get 5 Life Insurance inqueries a day- by email- but NO Health Insurance ads.
I fought for the House Bill made calls etc- even though the bill stank- because at least my son would be covered under their bill- covered until 27 and that was Something.
Everyone is forgetting What this is really about-
friends and neighbors with no care- who will eventually die without any care....that's the truth.
As a country- we have lost our moral compass.
Fran-just to be clear-
I am grateful to you and everyone for blogging and writing etc making calls for publicoption ( and this bill does make a start at the publicplan-not great-but it is a start, and would offer some folks care- who out of the millions is very unclear)....
I do appreciate that you brought it up...and yes, to be clear there are Dems on my shit list right now- esp Kucinich.;
Enigma~ Of course you are right. The heart of the matter is getting health care access to the millions who are shut out.
It IS a fatal situation, and that is the bottom line, moral obligation.
I am in total agreement- and I whine about how screwed I am with coverage, I also count my blessings, because I realize I'd probably be bankrupt without.
So thank you for bringing the focus back to what is really at stake.
I am trying to have the discussion on the same level the arguments are being made.
After listening to the debates.... the GOP side prattled on about how "financially irresponsible" this is- and indeed they are talking about cutting $ to Medicare to make it happen... but no one made the correlation that the $$$- billions we pay for wars IS money that could & should be used for healthcare.
So it may seem like I am stuck in the heartless conversation of cost--- I am fighting back with a reality check-- because the reality is a public healthcare plan will cost money, and our nation has the biggest allocation to military funding than any other & or many others combined. It's the damned elephant in the room nobody is discussing & it IS a huge part of the problem.
Every penny of the $930 billion spent on Iraq & Afghanistan wars could have bought a very nice health care program.
They never relate the two issues, but they sure do whine heavily about the money.
Think of how much good low income health clinics could have done with just the Wall Street bailout money alone.
We can't debate about one without addressing the other.
My point it IS the people's money we are begging them to use FOR THE PEOPLE.
THEY are squandering it on other things that are not as urgent & necessary as basic healthcare.
So while they use cost an an excuse to deny & vote no ( that & freedom & fear of socalism & government takeover).... I am calling them on their own bullshit.
We have the money, and they can't use that excuse. More importantly, we need to address the moral obligation, the humanity- so yes thanks for saying it.
I had not forgotten- I was just addressing a big part of what is being used as an obstacle.
Kudos to Kucinich!
"A top pharmaceutical market analysis firm is predicting the drug industry is set to reap a massive windfall from its secretive deal with the White House and Senate Democrats on healthcare reform. Earlier this year, the Obama administration agreed to oppose using government leverage to lower drug prices in return for drug industry pledges to reduce costs by up to $80 billion. A new study by drug industry trade group IMS Health predicts the deal will result in a sales increase of over $137 billion over the next four years. The IMS study predicts that healthcare reform “could lead to higher priced branded products.” (Democracy Now, 11/12/09)
Yes, it's about people w/o insurance, people suffering or dying needlessly from lack of care. But so long as we continue to coddle the industry that writes drug reform bills instead of heeding the need of citizens, more will die than be saved with this reform. This only greases our already slippery downward slide into oblivion.
p.s. - I have dear, dear friends (and family) that still cling to the myth that Nader lost the 2000 election for panderer Gore (to Florida Cubans re Elian Gonzales) and his running mate (ah, who was it? -- some guy with a name remarkably close to 'Lieberman' whom we all hate today). I would be glad to debate anyone clinging to that fantasy. (To those who still believe Nader the cause of all their woes I can only say, "Get over it -- Gore WON!" His democratic supporters caved to a pack of conservative extremists who terminated the recount.)
~Dada (proud Nader supporter in 2000 and 2008 and still worshiper of heroes like Dennis Kucinich and Bernie Sanders!) who believes so long as we are content to vote for the right or left sided house of warring whores, will always be willing to accept the least of what we expect most from these 'ladies of the night' owned by their corporate pimps.
(And, yes, I know I'm being *real bold* saying this here, knowing this thread has run its course and no one will likely read it. After all, I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings now, would I?)
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