Republicans Block Congressional Health Care Disclosure

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives approved a rules package on Wednesday, the first day of business for the 112th Congress, that will dictate the way the legislature operates this year and reflects a shift to Republican control of the lower chamber. The bill passed on a party-line vote, with 240 Republicans in favor and 191 Democrats against.

One measure that didn't make it into the rules package was a proposal by Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) that would have required all members to disclose whether they are taking advantage of their federal health insurance plan within 15 days of taking the oath of office. Crowley's measure also split on a party-line vote, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.

On MSNBC's "Hardball" Wednesday, Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), the new chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Dems' House fundraising arm, accused Republicans of a double standard in blocking the disclosure:

ISRAEL: Every Republican voted to hide their own government health care, while many of them are pledging to repeal health care for everyone else. So, you go from hypocrisy to hypocrisy; from broken promise to broken promise. And this is just the first day of the new Congress.

MATTHEWS: You mean, they didn't want to admit that they're taking health care?

ISRAEL: This is a very straightforward amendment that we offered, that, if you're going to take government-sponsored health care and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, simply disclose. Let your constituents know that you are taking that government health care. Every single Republican voted to hide their health care while many of them are pledging to repeal it for their constituents.

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also sounded off on the proposal's defeat, writing via Twitter, "0: # of House R's voting to disclose if they've signed up for federal health benefits (as they try to repeal your coverage)."

Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), said the Democrats' attacks were disingenuous. "This misguided line of attack is 'junk food' political rhetoric: superficially appealing, but utterly empty," Steel said. "Members of Congress, including Rep. Israel and Minority Leader Pelosi, get the same type of employer-sponsored health care coverage from private-sector companies as tens of millions of Americans. That has nothing to do with the Democrats' health care law, which is already destroying jobs, and will ultimately bankrupt our country."

Crowley has been pursuing Republicans over health insurance for months. In November, he wrote a letter to Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), saying that Republicans who want to repeal health care reform should "walk the walk" and forgo their government-sponsored health plans.

A handful of Republicans have already said they won't be taking the federal health plan, including Reps. Sandy Adams (Fla.), Bill Johnson (Ohio), Mike Kelly (Penn.), Bobby Schilling (Ill.), Joe Walsh (Ill.) and Daniel Webster (Fla.). Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) recently said he doesn't need to use the federal plan because he's already on Medicare -- another government-run program.

Comments

[Veneita]

12:04 PM on 01/07/2011

"Special Health Care for Congress: Lawmakers' Health Care Perks
Little Known Office on Capitol Hill Provides Quality Medical Care for Low Price"
http://abc­news.go.co­m/print?id­=8706655

Formally called the Office of the Attending Physician, the clinic -- and at least six satellite offices it supports -- bills its mission as one of emergency preparedne­ss and public health. Each day, it stands ready to handle medical emergencie­s, biological attacks and the occasional fainting tourist visiting Capitol Hill.

Officially­, the office acknowledg­es these types of services, including providing physicals to Capitol police officers and offering flu shots to congressio­nal staffers. But what is rarely discussed outside the halls of Congress is the office's other role -- providing a wealth of primary care medical services to senators, representa­tives and Supreme Court justices.

Through interviews with former employees and members of Congress, as well as extensive document searches, ABC News has learned new details about the services offered by the Office of Attending Physician to members of Congress over the past few years, from regular visits by a consulting chiropract­or to on-site physical therapy.

"A member walked in and was generally walked right back into a physician'­s office. They get good care. They are not rushed. They are examined thoroughly­," said Eduardo Balbona, an internist in Jacksonvil­le, Fla., who worked as a staff physician in the OAP from 1993 to 1995.

One aspect of the office's operations which remains unclear is just how the annual $503 fee is determined­.

[fairplaystacy]

11:27 AM on 01/07/2011

It can't be that they're embarrassed that they have good health care while they are trying to take it away from Americans who just got some health care.

[drumz]

05:39 PM on 01/08/2011

Naw, it couldn't be that because they're fair and balanced just like faux.

[Sidney A T Home]

11:01 AM on 01/07/2011

As a European, having watched the opening of the “toddlers sandbox” I call the US House of Representatives, seeing all those GOP TP politicians now wanting to repeal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and yet still not letting go of their federal health insurance plan, I think I’ll add “greedy hypocritical” to “toddlers sandbox”.

[caroline25]

10:36 AM on 01/07/2011

What do you think of Trump running? More big business. This is a catastrophe.

[CPAwADD]

09:51 AM on 01/07/2011

You want transparency, you can't handle transparency,

Col. Jessup

[CPAwADD]

09:52 AM on 01/07/2011

I mean they!

[lodger16x]

10:12 AM on 01/07/2011

The DEMS need to ridicule the REPUBs mercilessly, just like the REPUBs do to them. But at least DEMs don't have to lie.
 I do not want nice guys like Obama representing me. I want a President who will stand up and face lies and slander loud and in public.
No matter how the right wing persecutes him, Obama just takes it and does the "Wall ST cave-in".
Is he scared, or has he been a Wall St flunky all along?
 Obama apologists, Your job gets harder every day , doesn't it?
Even Howard Dean, who I used to look up to, goes on TV and laments the influence of corporatism and Wall St in the Obama administration, then he launches into a full-blown defense of Obama's new corporatist Wall St Chief of Staff! I mean, really!

[CPAwADD]

10:24 AM on 01/07/2011

Yes, lies must always be aggressively, courageously and persuasively confronted. One of the biggest problems we face is the false equivalence of the MSM who hold that saying the sky is taupe is as valid as saying it is blue.

[Soulsurfer]

09:50 AM on 01/07/2011

Transparency just ain't their thang. Why is that?

[gwinegarden]

09:29 AM on 01/07/2011

"We've got ours, but we're not telling you what it is. Oh, and you can't have it".

[PeruvianFlakley]

09:43 AM on 01/07/2011

oh, and you're paying for it, too.

[William Baker]

01:39 PM on 01/07/2011

And you aren't entitled to it under Obamacare either. Political hype but no substance.

[dakine7]

09:21 AM on 01/07/2011

The only ones to be snookered and bamboozeled buy this "New Republic" of weasels, are the Sarah Palin, O'Donnell, Bachmann crowd.
These people will never just go away.
It makes for good entertainment except when these "people" mess with others' lives.

[hmimberg]

09:17 AM on 01/07/2011

Congressional members are government employees.
Congressional members have fantastic health care coverage, free.
Congressional members have wonderful retirement plans.
Most congressional members are millionaires.
The US taxpayer pays for all of the above.
CUT congressional pay.
CUT congressional health care coverage.
CUT congressional retirement plans.

[AZCool]

10:05 AM on 01/07/2011

I'm not absolutely positive of the benefits of congressional members; but please don't lump all "government" employees together without getting the correct information. As a government employee my health care coverage is NOT free, while my retirement plan is decent it's not as wonderful and free as some people think and two major components of it is my 401K to which I am the one contributing and Social Security with a relatively modest pension from the government. And oh by the way I am also US taxpayer and paying for my own benefits.

[caroline25]

10:29 AM on 01/07/2011

I believe the concentration is on the elected officials who have been bleeding us dry all the while cleverly taking everything we own away from us and not delivering the goods. You have a job, good for you. Millions of us are without jobs and health care and swept under the rug like we don't exist. We also had 401K retirement plans, etc. and we worked and paid taxes. Congressional members should sacrifice a little since they continue to ask us to sacrifice and say to tighten our belts and are ask austerity from us. Of course, they get good benefits, the taxpayer foots the bill. If you are a Government employee as you say, you should make yourself aware. By the way, many of the State employees working for Agencies dealing directly with the people are from the Party of No. They help very little.

[Dr Olsitsirhc]

08:57 AM on 01/07/2011

1. "The passage of these reforms marks a first step towards restoring the House as an institution focused on listening to the people..."
2. "By respecting the Constitution,
3. making it easier to cut spending
4. and empowering the people to see for themselves what Congress is doing...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/house-passes-new-rules-package.html

[noob1]

08:50 AM on 01/07/2011

If everyone in congress had to pay for their healthcare, all americans would have free health care.

[pj-smith]

08:46 AM on 01/07/2011

I have to agree with Steele on one point (I guess will I lose MORE fans! hahaha!)

What Congress gets, is what the progressives wanted. The health care law that passed is in no way similar to what Congress gives themselves...that's the problem with "Obamacare."

[drumz]

05:42 PM on 01/08/2011

That is the only problem. To repeal it is azzinine. Never was a fan especially since you put credence in anything that Oreo says.

[getoffmyside]

08:45 AM on 01/07/2011

Tangent regarding transparency. Scott Bauer of th AP did a story about Reince Priebus(RNC Chairman candidate), the hiring of his law firm and redistricting in Wisconsin. The R's hired two law firms, they aren't going to say what they are paying them and the only ones who will get to see the results of their work are the two Republican heads of the Senate and Assembly. As another poster stated, Transparency my arse.

[Todd Wilkenson]

08:40 AM on 01/07/2011

I see that most of you still don't understand the difference between employer provided healthcare benefits and healthcare benefits for the general public.

[drumz]

05:42 PM on 01/08/2011

And everyone of your fans agree!

[Ironquill]

08:33 AM on 01/07/2011

There is always WikiLeaks.