Virginia Republicans will be Reading the Health Care Bill
By Krystle Weeks | Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 | PolicyRecently, the Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins released the following statement about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s comments on Fox News. Additionally, Mullins issued a call out to Virginia Republicans to “read the bill,” since Democrats in Congress do not want to do such a thing.
“On Fox News this past Sunday President Obama’s Press Secretary stated that by next week ‘we will be talking about healthcare not as a presidential proposal but I think as the law of the land.’ The health care proposal that President Obama and Speaker Pelosi have crafted would have a dramatic impact on the lives of every Virginian,” Mullins said. “Not only would it forever alter the world’s best healthcare system, it will negatively impact 16% of our economy. Make no mistake about it. This is a federal takeover of our entire healthcare system and a large portion of our economy.”
“Democrats have packed a great deal of mischief into these 2,400 pages. The Cornhusker Kickback? It’s still there, along with the Louisiana Purchase.” Mullins said.
“Democrats all over the place are talking about how this is just temporary and a ‘fix’ is coming just as soon as the original bill passes,” Mullins said. “That’s not true. Make no mistake: once the House approves it, and President Obama signs it, it’s the law of the land. Period.”
“The law will be higher income taxes for those who don’t want government-approved health insurance. The law will strip the Virginia General Assembly of its power to set standards for health insurance plans and give it to unelected bureaucrats at the Department of Health and Human Services,” he said.
“With more and more members learning just what’s in this bill, Nancy Pelosi is even prepared to bypass the democratic process to get her law passed,” he said. “Democrats are working up what has been called the ‘Slaughter Solution,’ by which they’ll just ‘deem’ the bill to have passed… without actually having an up or down vote. First they were too busy to read the bill. Then Speaker Pelosi said that we had to pass it to learn what is in it. Now they’re too scared to give it an up or down vote… and who can blame the Democrats? This is just an awful bill and they know they can’t get the votes to pass it without coming up with some slick procedural vote that undercuts the core principles of our Democracy. All across the country, and especially here in Virginia, President Obama and Speaker Pelosi know that anyone who votes ‘Yes’ on final passage of this bill will most certainly be defeated this fall by the voters.”
“Friends, there is just too much at stake this week to allow this monstrous bill to pass and I believe that if folks in Virginia heard what was really in it, they would speak even louder in opposition to it,” he added.
“That’s why on Wednesday at 8 a.m. folks from all across Virginia will start to read all 2,400 pages of this healthcare takeover bill. Volunteers will read each and every page and will read in 30 minute shifts. Any Virginian who really wants to know what’s in this healthcare bill and learn why it is a bad deal for our state is invited to listen in. We will be streaming the volunteer reading of the bill live on our website at: www.RPV.org/ReadTheBill. We would also encourage Congressmen Nye, Perriello, Connolly, and Boucher to listen themselves and learn why this bill is bad medicine for their constituents.
Mullins said he anticpates the reading will take upwards of 40 straight hours and will be conducted around the clock starting at 8am on Wednesday and sometime late Thursday evening. “That’s a pretty good illustration of just how massive this government health care takeover is,” he said.
“We encourage everyone to listen to what’s in the bill, then call the handful of Virginia Democrats who have said they are undecided on this bill, and let them know why this bill is bad medicine for Virginia,” Mullins concluded. “Once people find out what’s actually in here, we’re fairly certain they won’t like it and what it will mean for the longterm health of our country.”
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About the author
Growing up in Maryland typically does not yield a Republican. Fortunately, Krystle Weeks was one of the lucky few booted to the Commonwealth for her staunch conservative views. From an early age, she has been debating politics, and since 2006, she has been involved here in the Commonwealth helping Republican candidates to victory. Aside from politics, Krystle is a runner and a dynamite cook. You can email her here. Krystle also blogs at Crystal Clear Conservative and Charm Offensive Cooking.
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24 Responses to "Virginia Republicans will be Reading the Health Care Bill"
Well, the Party of No on this issue will in essence be voting for the status quo; that is, double digit increases in business provided health care insurance every year, insurance that cancels employees and individuals at the drop of a hat, denial of coverage, leaving 40 M citizens to receive their health care only when they are sick or injured in the most expensive place, that is, the emergency room, and lack of employee raises because employers must pay ever increasing premiums for their employees. And of course these representatives will keep receiving their outstanding government provided health care plan for them and their families.
Mike – would you get your head out of the koolaid bowl for just one minute. If you look up you might actually realize all is not as the koolaid pushers claim! This is a BAD bill, lots of people who have read the bill are turning agaisnt their own party. The key phrase there being READ THE BILL – which the legislators (I use that term loosely) you champion have not. No one is against some REFORMS we are against complete Socialist overhaul, that they have not read, and now are trying to pass without even voting on. It is obvious you are a Dem, so take a hint, if you want a party to belong to after November, you better tell them to vote no on this, start over and get something passed that is actually reform. Because if the Dems do this the way they are talking abotu right now, they will be joining the ranks of the unemployed come fall.
MB, if you would like to see a common sense approach to health care that won’t continue to make us a socialist country that is on the road to bankruptcy, read Congressman Frank Wolf’s ideas.
http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=89§iontree=7
By the way, I am a Service Connected Disabled Veteran and I receive government health care. I had major surgery last Wednesday at the Hampton VA hospital. While I am glad I was able to have the surgery, and my surgeon was great, I had an asthma attack the next day. It took three and a half hours to finally get an inhaler. I waited over two hours to get some water with my mouth and throat stuck together. I asked why it took so long and the answer was they were assigned to the floor below me and when they had time they came and checked on me. I was in the post surgery wing with the ICU patients. It should have been the other way around. I was told they are extremely short staffed. I begged to go home early. We knew August last year I needed the surgery and it took 7 months to get it approved and scheduled.
That’s government health care Mike.
Mike, even while the AMA would like to see reforms, they think one of the travesties of this bill involves the Medicare spending formula, which the Senate took no action on.
This bill is just bad – and it’s not a partisan thing.
Despite the protestations herein, while I would agree this bill is not perfect, and I would have much preferred a bi partisan effort, the party of No has simply decided that given the upcoming mid term elections, it was to their advantage to simply obstruct in any way possible the results of the last Presidential election. If instead, they had agreed to work on issues, a much better bill would have emerged. But as it is, the status quo in health care is intolerable for small businesses which simply cannot contain rapidly escalating costs and rapidly diminishing benefits. If you are for that, the policy on No has worked very well.
Mike Barrett: Party of No? You do realize that the Democrats control the House, right? Or are you calling the Democrats the “Party of No?”
They don’t need a single Republican vote at this point. So why hasn’t the bill passed and signed into law already? I’ll give you a hint… it’s not the Republicans’ fault.
Mike, to be fair, did you go to the website I asked you to and read it?
http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=89§iontree=7
It’s easy to blast, but from what I understand, I haven’t heard of one Democrat that’s actually read and understood the whole Health Care Reform Bill in it’s entirety.
If you go to Congressman Frank Wolf’s site and read his proposals, please let us know what you can agree on so you won’t be the party of no.
Yes Kathy, I have read the link you kindly provided. Of course, Wolf and his cohorts had a long period of unfettered majority dominance in the House and never bothered to implement the items on his list. Frankly, most are simply warmed over pabulum and worn out ideas that suffice as sound bites but don’t really solve the problem. This bill does not either, and it would have been much much better if they had played ball and did not empower individual representatives on the other side. But that does not square with required Party discipline.
Mike, I can respect you your position on the problems we face with health care and in principle I agree. But the process and the votes and for this bill were bought and paid for and are anything but principled and pragmatic.
The policy of “No” is a rejection of not just this bill and the process that is akin to how 3rd world countries govern. The process as precedent goes back to how the Congress has passed major social entitlement legislation in the past. This interpretation of “health care as a right” which I heard Congressman Kucinich refer to this morning is being interpreted as a “Constitutional right” for which there is no supporting legal theory. Even back to the Declaration of Independence (“… endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness) health care wasn’t mentioned. Since “choice” has been already interpreted into the Constitution, why don’t “we the people” have a “choice” when it comes to health care?
As far as the minority of citizens (always stated as 30 million which has never been broken down as to who is not getting what) who don’t have health care along with other access and delivery problems, work those issues individually with bills that are 50 pages or less in length. But don’t take my “choice” as a right I already have, and further take away or restrict my “unalienable rights” of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”.
Since you are a proud Democrat, have you read the Health Care Reform Bill in it’s entirety and why, in your opinion would this be what all of the American people want to live with now and the repercussions of it for our future generations?
There are other ways to approach this than to blast Republicans. Can you find another way?
Instead of pushing this bill through like an angry child having to get it’s way no matter who it hurts or inconveniences, it has to be good for all the American people.
MB,
I ask this legitimately as a question. What in this bill suggests to you that this is going to slow growing healthcare costs for small businesses?
In a similar light, Massachusetts essentially has this system now and they have the highest insurance costs in the country. The current Democrat State treasurer has come out against this plan because the MA version failed to keep costs down. So in what manner does this plan differ from the MA system in its relevance to costs?
Kathy, please, simply calling attention to the documented policy of obstructionism by the republicans is not slamming them, it is simply seeing things as they are and as they want it. My problem with that tactic is that it has left too many good ideas on the sidelines. I do value cost containment, the retention of military benefits, the near universal coverage that brings “free loaders” into the system, and the partnership with private insurers and others in the health care system. While I don’t think this will bring costs down, what I do know is that if we continue on with the status quo, costs will continue to sky rocket and the disparity between the haves and have nots will widen. Frankly, when I go to the supermarket, the drug store, a restaurant, the gym, I want to be confident that all there, employees, customers, suppliers, owners, have decent preventative health care. This bill is a step in the right direction.
Mike, where is there objective and parametric proof of this, not just an opinion from a biased news media source: “what I do know is that if we continue on with the status quo, costs will continue to sky rocket”?
Why are you repeating Van Jones with your statement “disparity between the haves and have nots will widen” and why are you parroting and stringing together the health care talking points from the Center for American Progress?
All of us currently have rights to our opinions, but you are aligning yourself with those who are seeking to suppress or restrict them.
Who wants to break it to Mike that even if this bill passes, premiums will still go up?
In all due respect, Tim J, my comment about future costs is based upon my own experience as the CEO of a company dealing with annual increases over the past decade. As there is little competition in this region, the rates go in one direction; that is, up, and far in excess of rate increases for other parts of our business. You may accuse me of parroting what someone else has said, but that would simply not be true. I have lived this issue as a businessman, and the status quo simply is unsustainable.
Well Dodo, I have never said rates won’t go up. They will, although I believe the increases will be less than the trajectory rates have been on. As well, there is a benefit to having 40 M uninsured in the health care system. No, I do not have unrealistic expectations, but I do know that if we don’t take this step, the problem will get worse, not better, and while obstructionism may work as a political tactic, it is no substitute for leadership.
So is that what the Democrats are lacking… leadership?
Yes, Mike. Government has an excellent record of making things less expensive.
Well Brian, your elitism shows as you clearly place no value in insuring 40 M Americans who have no health insurance. Frankly, I do place some value on that, both as to the public health benefit, and for those who are free loaders today but who must come into the system. Frankly, the incentive for a private insurance company is to deny coverage and benefits, instead of to compete on efficiency and quality service at a lower price.
So Mike, as a CEO, you are in favor of the current health care plan that is supported by the Democrats and as their employer, are willing to shift your current responsibility to your employees to the Federal Government. Maybe as CEO you are tired and are sick of the corporate world, and want to pay the Federal Government more money to take your burden of having to care for your employees off your shoulders because those pesky employees are right now costing you too much money.
I have spent the time to read the corporate and individual mandates under these bills and they are in one of your favorite words, “draconian”. As an example, today you have the option as a CEO in Virginia to negotiate with insurance companies to significantly reduce costs by paying up front for deductibles, which can significantly lower both the business and employee rates. Under the Federal Health Care Law, you are forced as an employer to pay increased coverage for your employees, employees are forced to pay more of their costs with an additional tax for any “Cadillac” coverage (drug abuse counseling, vision, dentistry, orthodontia, alternative medicine, psychiatric and many others) above the minimum Federal level. There is no negotiation with the Federal Government under any of these plans. Unless your employees are unionized under one of the preferred unions, both you and your employees are hammered. There are additional corporate taxes related to “wellness” programs and the list goes on and on.
The indirect costs for maintaining compliance with this new program are going to require you to hire and train new health care specialists in your company who are certified to report and communicate the HHS and the subsidiary regulatory agencies which this bill is going to create. It remains to be defined if these costs are deductable, and they probably will not be according to two of the bills I have read. You will also need to have several lawyers who specialize in the different aspects of health care law on retainer because there are severe penalties for not complying with all provisions of the law.
After the Feds implement this brave new world of health care, you can take comfort in the fact that you and your employees are being forced to pay much more than you currently do for those 40 million souls who will be equal with you as one of the “haves” in health care, because as of right now in your words, they are “have nots”.
If your business survives a health care audit and isn’t liquidated for fines or back health care taxes, which are going to be turned over to the IRS for enforcement, then you will have passed a hurdle that many businesses will not survive.
Well Tim J, your post reveals that you really don’t have a clue at all. Negotiation? Does not happen in this market; businesses basically have two choices, and if you play one off against the other every year or so, you may think you can win but the record shows you can’t. As far as having a staff person who handles this, we already do have such a person. We provide a good, decent plan, but frankly, I am not worried about any tax for providing a cadillac plan. Now, you can try to scare those who don’t have a clue, but your post reveals you really don’t have a clue either.
I look forward to the bill passing this weekend.
Well, Mike either you are an ignorant business man who doesn’t have a “clue” as to how to bargain, or you are putting on blinders because you don’t have the facts. Apparently you haven’t read any of the legislation and are being led by the ring in your haughty nose by politicians who you trust with whatever pea brain you are using.
I am in charge of business operations in the Mid Atlantic region for a large contractor and have to deal across state lines with benefit issues all the time. The example I gave about negotiating pre-paid deductibles is just one bargaining point I have used as an example in direct negotiations with our local crop of insurance providers. It works, and I have the reduction in health care costs and happy employees to prove it.
You may insult those of “us” who don’t have a clue from your position on top of whatever tower of ignorance you are looking down from, but you had better start looking over your shoulder if this thing gets passed because the ax is going to start swinging when the Feds get their teeth into this.
Before you start using your new favorite term “clueless” to call us names, go read the contents of these bills and if you don’t come back with a scared look and some more informed comments, then we will know who’s really clueless.
Of course, we all can negotiate reductions from the response to the bid, or of course, we can reduce benefits to get a rate lower than proposed. But in the end, the price for the same benefit plan keeps rising much faster than other costs. If you have reduced your costs and kept the same benefits, and your premiums have actually gone done during the last decade, you really are a genius and should start your own business as a health care consultant.
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