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Teague backs GOP’s failed bid to force direct vote on health-care bill
U.S. Rep. Harry Teague (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
U.S. Rep. Harry Teague sided with Republicans today in a failed bid to force a direct vote on the pending health-care reform bill the House is expected to consider Sunday.
There’s been a lot of talk about House Democrats possibly using the so-called “deem-and-pass” parliamentary procedure to OK the Senate’s reform bill by voting to approve the rules for the vote on the legislation and deeming the bill approved at the same time.
Many view that as quite different than a direct vote on the bill itself.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, Teague, D-N.M., and 27 other Democrats joined Republicans in voting today for a GOP resolution that would have required a direct vote on the bill. The resolution failed 222-203.
Democratic leaders haven’t said they’ll use the “deem-and-pass” method to move the bill to the president’s desk. But they’re also not taking it off the table.
Teague hasn’t announced whether he will support the reform bill. His spokeswoman, Sara Schreiber, said Wednesday that Teague “will make a decision on health care when there is a final proposal on the table. Since there is no final language and no CBO score yet, his position hasn’t changed.”
The final bill and analysis from the Congressional Budget Office were released today.
Teague, who voted against the House health-care bill last year, still has “serious concerns” about the legislation, Schreiber has said.
“Congressman Teague voted no on the House health-care bill and has expressed serious concerns about both the Senate bill and about using reconciliation instead of regular order to move this bill through the Congress,” she has said.
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I don’t support this bill because there are numerous bipartisan and popular alternatives to it the progressives refuse to recognize. The progressive talking points have continued to try and fool the citizens that it is this bill or the status quo. That is a lie, there are numerous parts of ObamaCare that would make a great start at a new step by step attack on our health care problems, and numerous bipartisan additions (and more importantly deletions) that are ignored. But we will never be able to do things that are bipartisan and which the majority of the citizens want since the progressives have rammed this thorough without any diversity of thought and approach, ignoring everyone who disagrees with their narrow, partisan views.
I support this bill, becasue there is no alternative. Those who are lobbying against it must know that they do not own the government. Failure to pass anything will give these corporations the knowledge that they own America and can steal all they want from the people, as long as they pay a share to the politicians.
The real problem with health care is that there are no price tags. You never know what a proceedure will cost until you receive the bill. No other industry can make its clients sign a release for an unspecified ammount. Our system is one based upon fraud. Transparency, regulation, oversight, and prosecution are the only measures that will bring costs down. Hopefully we can work in a direction towards this, and stop the free for all that rewards the current criminals who profit from the common man’s misery.
DJ wrote ” I can easily understand why some people might want to remove all health insurance and just have the government taxpayers pay for everyone’s care.”
Well I sure don’t want to remove ALL health insurance. I want a single payer system like the Canadians have, where the government pays for BASIC health care and private insurers pay for vision, dental, hearing, and also fancy extras for the rich.
I certainly respect your views and experience in the medical system Doris V. I can easily understand why some people might want to remove all health insurance and just have the government taxpayers pay for everyone’s care. I have lived in a socialized medicine country (for 5 years as an expat), and I saw some good and some very bad parts of that. I do not see our system as much worse than that., but that is my opinion from my perspective. The people of the United States have chosen to not have universal socialized, single payer health care, and instead have private insurance for many and government for some (Medicare and Medicaid). They have chosen since no one has ever seriously introduced such a law. Having chosen the path we are now taking (and I think both sides of this highly divisive and polarizing subject are well informed, entrenched in their views, and not stupid), what you propose is a fundamental change in America and our culture and would fail if introduced. That is not on the table today and not to be debated, although many think ObamaCare is a first step to where you want to go. The citizens will vote in November on this first step, most likely, as I think ObamaCare will pass in some contrived form. We will see what the majority says, that is how our democracy works. Obama is willing to take the political risks of the November vote, although disengenuously as he is not up for election. The entire House and about 1/3 of the Senate (as well as many state elected offices if they choose to take sides) are taking that risk, We will see who wins. And the current DC leadership is running America into hock at a rate Reagan and W could not even touch nor imagine in their wildest dreams.
Dr.J, As another person said the republicans, Reagan and the Bushes) put this country in hock to China and got us into this mess. We need to help all people get access to health care not health insurance. We rank 37th when it comes to getting care. People, even with health insurance, go bankrupt over health care bills. People with health insurance die because they are denied coverage for various treatments. No system is perfect but most anything might beat what we have. As a retired ED nurse, I feel I can address this issue better than some others. I believe that health care is a basic human right not a commodity to be bought and sold. As for Harry, he should join the GOP. He is giving the Democratic party a bad name.
yohan, you don’t know me, yes I was upset with Reagan and W about heavy deficit spending and unfunded mandates, and I am a registered Democrat. There is nothing good in all these so-called “health care bills” (really only a new entitlement and insurance regulations) for anyone with an existing private insurance plan. And Richard C., perhaps you should read a bit more widely about the “deem-and-pass” rule. Try here:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601010&sid=aTQARvST4dv8
There are numerous legal challenges pending if they try to use it. And I would love to see the current Supreme Court rule on the 1998 court precedent that: ” the two houses of Congress must approve “precisely the same text” before a bill can become a law. But you also are mistaken about the process Pelosi will follow to use it. They would NOT vote on the Senate bill, they would only have one vote on the numerous fixes (loaded with pork and back-room deals to buy the votes they need for a bare majority) they published yesterday for reconciliation. Thus no Congressmen would have to say they voted for the Senate bill and thus try to escape responsibility and accountability for this manuver. As Pelosi herself said: ““There are a lot of people who don’t want to vote for it (the Senate Bill),” Pelosi said this week. “We will do what is necessary to pass a health-care bill.”
Too bad all the wonderful things people are projecting onto this bill won’t happen. The emotional appeal of being one illness away from poverty or grandma having to use her dead sister’s dentures is a good way to portray opponents as heartless or stupid but it doesn’t reflect an understanding of the scope of the bill, that much simpler legislation could accomplish some of those individual concerns without it having to be a cornucopia of buyoffs and unrelated issues nor the absolutely poor record of anything the government does not being much less effective and much more expensive than originally advertised.
Feel free to characterize the “self-executing rule” as business as usual. That will be popular in November.
It’s about time Teague got something right. A little late, but a good stand this time.
One thing that really annoys me is people who keep saying, ‘We have 10% unemployment and should be focusing on that…’
Those 10% unemployed, plus the underemployed, are some of those most in need of help in keeping, or obtaining, health insurance. President Obama declared that 14,000 people are losing their health insurance coverage every day, the PolitiFact.com site estimates closer to 15,000.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jul/24/barack-obama/obama-claims-14000-lose-health-insurance-every-day/
Teague is in big trobble down south anyway. A yes vote and he may as well kiss it goodbye. Deficits run up by Rs are noise level compared to what we’re looking at here. Anyone who believes we can add 30M to the insured and save money in the process with the govt in charge can be made to believe in La Llorona……sheesh!
Dr. J:
The “self-executing” rule is constitutional and has been used a number of times, including by Republicans during their time in the majority.
The House WILL have an up-and-down vote on the ENTIRE HEALTH CARE REFORM PACKAGE. What they are not doing is voting on the Senate version itself; they are voting on the Senate version and the reconciliation “fix” at the same time. In an up and down vote.
So saying they are passing it without voting is false. The House will vote on everything that the Senate votes for and that is what Obama will sign. I don’t know where you are getting your information, but I’d seriously reconsider it because it is just about universally wrong.
Wow Dr J!!! I doubt you worried about deficits when W, Regan, and W’s Daddy ran them up (as I recall, Clinton ballanced the budget). Unfortunately, without regulation, we are all 1 injury or illness away from bankrupcy. Do not think you are immune from this. You are at the mercy of your health insurer just as we all are. If you have a private plan, not through your employer, it is an enormous risk, and comes at a great cost. Do not be so arrogant.
Well at least Harry’s instincts and government morals are in the right place on the unconstitutional Slaughter House Rule. I still think this whole cloak and dagger, last minute, secret and secretive process the Dems are using for health care must be an amazing embrarrassment to them if the truth be known. Here they are saying it is the best thing since sliced bread, will drastically reduce the deficit (at $130 billion, why not just do 10 of these things and we would have a balanced budget, right??) and yet the majority of Americans hate it and want it defeated. How embarrassing to have to use every trick and evasion in the parliamentary playbook to avoid a vote on the whole thing. The process and tactics employed speaks volumes about the content and effect this monstrosity will have on America, and that fact is not going away even after the squeek it through on tricks. They will be very sorry, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of their lives.
Good