Unhinged!
Three or four times a month I will preside over House proceedings. While this can occasionally be repetitious, I find it to be a fascinating window into House operations. There is no better seat to watch the interactions of Members - who is talking to whom; who pays attention when someone else speaks. When there are large numbers of people on the floor you can watch patterns develop. It is a great way to understand House-dynamics.
Occasionally, you get more than you bargained for. Today, my two hour stint in the Chair was made up entirely of one-minute speeches. This is a House procedure where Members from both parties come to the floor, and the two sides take alternating one-minute shots talking about everything from critical issues to commemorating a championship high school softball team, to an announcement of legislation that a Member is introducing.
Sometimes, however, it isn't pretty. Today, I literally watched Republicans become unhinged as they attempted to outdo one another on the "evils" of programs being considered by President Obama and the Democrats in Congress. As the Republicans took advantage of the unlimited opportunities for one-minute speeches, dozens of them headed to the floor with competing tales of horror that are allegedly in the Democratic approach to health reform.
I listened as people, theoretically speaking from the same talking points, variously claimed that 4, 5, 6 and even 7 million jobs would be lost as a result of the health care plan. A colleague from Oregon claimed that 114 million Americans would lose their health insurance; that Democrats want to socialize 20% of the economy. In as much as healthcare currently is only 16% of the economy, this is quite a trick. Another Republican talked about how extending health insurance to more than 40 million Americans who currently don't have coverage was somehow going to put government bureaucrats in charge?!
It increasingly became more and more surreal. The Democratic plan would leave Americans no choice but to go to emergency rooms (?). Don't they remember George Bush suggesting that's why we had universal coverage now?
Rep. Todd Akin suggested that there would be a 50% chance that he would be dead if he lived in Great Britain because of their failure to meaningfully treat cancer patients. McClintock from California questioned how the same government that operates FEMA could possibly be efficient. I'm shocked that any Republican would bring up FEMA and the disaster of the Bush Administration for an agency that, until the Republicans got a hold of it, was doing a great job in the Clinton years.
Rep. Broun from Georgia demanded to see the bill, "Show us the bill", "don't hide the bill," at exactly the same time that his colleagues were waving the bill and misreading what was in it. Rep. Buck McKeon admonished people to read the bill and then specifically cited Section 1233. Actually, I know a little bit about this section because it's a bill that I wrote which was incorporated into the overall legislation. His statement was a complete fabrication (check out my myth vs. fact sheet). At least he didn't get to the point that Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina did when she claimed that the Republican approach would be more pro-life because it, "would not put seniors in the position of being put to death by their government!" (emphasis added).
I think it was Vice President Dan Quayle who once said that a mind was a terrible thing to lose. This was certainly two hours that gave me a sense of just how confused and disjointed the Republicans are. I hope that Americans will not have to see what a Party looks like when it comes unhinged and damages this opportunity for improving health care for the nation.
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More obstructionism.
Republicans don't care about the American people, just the politics.
It is interesting that we are all saying that those of us on this site understand that these folks are doing what they do best — obstruct and disrupt the agenda of the Obama administration. Their only plan is to prevent the Demos from reforming Health Care and Cap and Trade; slow down the President's entire agenda.
We who believe in the Healthcare reform and Demo agenda need to speak up and get involved to block the rethug obstructionist. I'm working with Town Hall and other initiative
I get a error saying the FACTS vs MYTH pdf file is damaged, and cannot be opened.
Anyone else?
If so, can we have a replacement popped in, thanks.
It opens fine for me. Could it be your PDF reader is out of date?
Dear Representative Blumenauer:
The reason the GOP is and will continue to win the PR War on healthcare is that you and your Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate are not taking an affirmative enough stance on reform.
You need to position the healthcare reform effort in terms of how it will IMPROVE the following: care, access, and cost. There is too much negative inforation polluting the debate. Where is the Mercury/Apollo program mindset that we don't care what the cost will be to get every American covered. That we as Americans will not have long waiting lines and rationed care. That we are committed to providing the best and only the best healthcare in the world, and that reform is designed to make sure Americans can receive this care no matter where they go throughout our great nation.
Let's hear that type of rhetoric!!! Champion this cause and SELL IT!!!
Thank you, Mr Blumenhauer for your tireless efforts. As a resident of Historic Kenton in Portland, I value you as my representative. I've been rather lucky in the past few years, first having Jim McDermott in Seattle, then you to represent us. Also, thanks for your efforts in bringing and extending street car service to Portland. You do so much work behind the scenes and receive so little credit.
Now, if only that mental lightweight, Chris Matthews, can learn both your name and the solid reasons for you wanting advice for Living Wills to be available to the public. Doubt if she would listen and understand, but a quiet chat with Virginia Foxx might help, as well.
Ugh no, you did not watch Republican's "literally" become unhinged, you watched them metaphorically become unhinged. Sorry...pe
Unhinge: tr.v., -hinged, -hing·ing, -hing·es.
1. To remove from hinges.
2. To remove the hinges from.
3. To confuse; disrupt.
4. Informal. To derange; unbalance: He was unhinged by his wife's death
Using definition 3, "literally" might well be correct. I hesitate only because I wan't in the House watching the Republican behavior.
Sorry....p
Representative Blumenhauer: Thank you for your post and your willingness to name names. We laugh at the ignorance and the lies that these people spout - but the bankrupt republican party is using lies and misinformation in effort to defeat progressive reform in health care and other legislation. Those lies and misinformation filter into the mainstream. Lets call these people out and make them accountable. They care not about the well being of our nation - only about their hapless party and bankrupt ideology. We must mobilize to call them out on the lies and misinformation.
Thanks for a view from inside....
You go Earl! I'm in Portland and we're rooting for you!
I wish we had someone in Indiana like this. I wish we had someone with enough spine to speak the truth and tell it like it is. Thank you Rep. Blumenhauer for sharing what really goes on even as shocking as it is. Really how does someone get up and rant when they know full well what they are saying is not true and that others in the room KNOW they are bold face lying. I have such a hard time understanding that. People can have different points of view and disagree on what the correct way to do something is but to out right lie when you know others right in front of you know you are a lier is beyond something I can wrap my mind around. Do they have no self respect? They must not. It also is so upsetting to me that they disrespect the American people so much that they think we are stupid that we don't see past the fear they try so hard to put into us. I believe the American people learned a hard and costly lesson over the Bush and Cheney 8 years. We have come out of the fog of fear they spewed for most of those years.
Again thank you Rep. Blumenhauer and thank you Oregon for electing this man and sharing him with the country.
I think the wrong kind of personalities are running for political office these days. There is a wrong batch in Congress, especially the Republicans and Blue Dogs. I see the current group of Republicans as incompetent, totally disingenuous, and incendiary. I would not trust them as for as I could spit.
"I'm shocked that any Republican would bring up FEMA"
It's no coincidence that Republicans believe government doesn't work -- because when they're running it, it's true! In fact, it's by design. See books like "The Wrecking Crew" by Thomas Frank.
Thank you, Rep. Blumenaur, for this information, duty to service and fine intellect.
I personally appreciate you taking the opportunity to keep us enlighted.
Look forward to your future articles in the future.
The basis for any public option should be:
Coverage for EVERYONE who applies
Structured premium payments of not more than 100 per individual, 300 per family
Deductibles capped at $2000 and based on income (means testing every year like the va)
No mandates forcing people to purchase insurance (a windfall for private carriers)
No triggers (also a windfall to private carriers)
No subsidies to private insurance carriers
No taxes on employer provided benefits
If someone has private insurance and wants the public option, they can drop private with no problem and be covered immediately under public.
No mandates on employers to buy into the public option to cover employees. Has to be free choice.
Everyone with coverage gets treated for new or pre-existing conditions.
Fairly negotiated reimbursement to private pracitce, specialty doctors and hospitals
Fairly negotiated prices for medications, even on name brand stuff which has no generic equivalent.
AND IT HAS TO BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. Within 1 month of the above bill passing, Americans must be able to start buying in and using it.
It must be administered by an autonomous federal agency. Monies paid in must not be co-mingled with any other money, does not go into the general fund so it can be looted.
The ONLY payouts from this fund will be for: payments to practicioners, pharmacies and admin. In 5 years if we see significan overages, those overages will be used to suplement medicare and fund medical research.
See my next post on funding
You need to run for Congress!!
47 million un insured
20 million under insured
Subtract 10 million poor/indig
18.5 million can pay $50/mo = 925,000,000
18.5 mill can pay $100 = $1,850,000,000
20 mill under insured will switch and can pay $100 = 2,000,000,000
That is a grand total of $4,775,000,000
That is FOUR BILLION, SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN PREMIUM PAYMENTS PER MONTH. FIFTY SEVEN BILLION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY MILLION PER YEAR IN PREMIUMS FOR ONE SET OF PEOPLE.
That does'nt count the millions who'll switch from private companies if they can pay $100 or 200 per month and have their entire family covered even with pre-existing conditions. Repeal bush tax cuts asap another 700 billion.
After thinking about it more, institute a 1 penny federal sales tax on EVERY item. I can hear the opponents shouting about making the poor poorer, but my statement is 1 cent on each item NOT on every dollar or hundred dollars. From candy bars to big screen tv's to your house. 1 cent on everything. If your grocery bill was $100. for 53 items, your bill would be $100.53. That's not putting people in the poorhouse especially when we've been dealing with price increases. Also, if you're saving 300-500 per month on insurance, you have that money to spend and put back in the economy, save, or invest
That is a sound idea!
And far to socialist for politicians that take money from the insurance industry to demonize any thing of the sort!
And far to simple for Congress! There are no "Whereas," to debate the meanings of.......
Great numbers... I lay a slightly different number on my crazed conservative friends. You know, the one's who are on Medicare with AARP supplemental policies and are still violently opposed to a national health care system.
Assume , because it's an easy number, 300,000,000 (300 Million) legal residents living in the United States. Each pays $50.00 Dollars per month:
300,000,000 x $50.00/ mo. = $15,000,000,000 x 12 mo. = $180,000,000,000 (One Hundred Eighty Billion) per year.
300,000,000 x $100.00/ mo. = $30,000,000,000 x 12 mo. = $360,000,000,000 (Three Hundred Sixty Billion) per year.
Before my insurance was denied renewal, I was paying $285.00 per month for catastrophic with no co-pays, no doctor or prescription and a $5,000.00 deductible. I'm told by friends I had a good deal. For Unicare, it was a great deal, as I never made a claim.
So, using the same math, if everyone paid what I used to pay, $285.00/ mo., the numbers get positively dizzy.
Unless my math is faulty, That's One Trillion, Twenty-Six billion Dollars a year. Don't need no guvment money. So I say...
Let's do it grass roots... to hell with Washington and the insurance companies!
It would seem that the people who argue against healthcare reform would prefer: uninsured people remain that way, insurance companies deny people coverage to increase profits and hard working middle class Americans go bankrupt when faced with medical bills. To the people who would say they want change just not the kind that's being discussed -where were you the last 8 years?
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