House Republicans ‘growing frustrated’ with lack of GOP alternative health care bill.
House Republicans ‘growing frustrated’ with lack of GOP alternative health care bill.
In June, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) promised that an alternative health care reform bill would be introduced that Republicans could rally behind. “We’re putting the final touches on our bill,” Boehner said in July. Then, the chairman of the House GOP Health Care Solutions Group, Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), admitted that the House GOP leadership was unlikely to introduce a bill. Now, The Hill reports that “some House Republicans are growing frustrated that their leaders have not yet introduced a healthcare reform alternative”:
Rep. Tom Price (Ga.), chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC), revealed the schism within his party late last week.
“There’s a difference of opinion over what ought to be the strategy from a political standpoint on this issue. I happen to believe we ought to have a bill. There are others who believe, as strongly, that the principles that would be outlined and would be adhered to in the Republican bill are what need to be discussed because everybody can embrace those principles,” Price said last week. [...]
One House Republican who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “The fact is, [GOP leaders] are very concerned with doing anything that the base would interpret as ‘Democrat-lite’ or ‘socialized-lite’ … which is forcing a little of paralysis.”
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The GOP alternative:
Tax Cuts for all (but more for the wealthy)!
October 27th, 2009 at 10:02 amVouchers!
Privatize Medicare!
Eliminate Medicaid!
No Regulation of the Insurance Industry!
Tort Reform Solves Everything!
The base.
Now we see the true motive. Don’t anger “the base”, because we all want to get re-elected.
Don’t worry about doing what’s right for your district and your country – just keep “the base” (i.e., the Lunatic Fringe) placated.
What a bunch of sorry, spineless weasels.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:02 amTHe GOP alternative healthcare bill:
Die quickly. Die now.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:04 amThese guys have no shame. Their plan? To do absolutely NOTHING. These Repugs will sit on their asses and not lift a finger to help anyone. Their mantra is ‘All Government is Evil!’ In fact, if the had their way, They would dismantle ‘Social Sercurity’ and ‘Medicare’.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:05 amUmmmm…isn’t this a little too late?
They had 8 years as the leaders in Congress to address this and all we heard was crickets.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:06 amMuch like the “alternative” to the simulus bill, the GOP has nothing. They are a party that excels at winning elections..until they get into power and the public realizes they have absolutely NO idea how to govern. No solutions, just fear and empty platitudes to keep them in power. They have no solutions now, because they refused to tackle the issues (economy, healthcare) when they had the ability. It takes a complete and utter SNAFU to wake the public up, and they get bounced from power, only to pitch the same nonsense from such a diminished position it comes off as mere annoyance.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:07 amSo the Republicans are caught between a rock and a hard place. If they introduce a bill that actually helps uninsured Americans in any way, shape, or form, their “base” will skewer them. If they introduce a bill that their base wants (tort reform, massive tax cuts, deport all undocumented immigrants, privatize Medicare, eliminate Medicaid and SCHIP, do away with all regulation of the health care industry, etc.), it will make them a laughing stock.
So they’re frozen in place — like a soldier trapped in the middle of a minefield.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:08 amHere’s the Republican Health Care Solution.
1. Wait until you’re in a permanent vegetative state.
2. Have your family make 6 hours of video tapes recording your every move.
3. Have your family edit those 6 hours down to 6 minutes, where your random movements appear most like you are conscious.
4. Senator Frist will then diagnose your condition from the floor of the Senate, based on those 6 minutes of video.
5. Congress will then rush back into session and pass legislation ordering your treatment.
and, best of all,
6. Your ex will have to pay for it.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:11 amIn Short… They got Nothing…Sucks to be pub.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:11 amHere’s more proof why these whiny, wingnut Republican/Conservatives are evil terrorists. They cannot do what is right for the American people, they are stuck being loyal to a failed, idiotic, and morally wrong Conservative agenda.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:11 am8 years of Bush’s destructive and damaging Conservative agenda is why Republican Conservatism should be flushed down the toilet.
P.D. says:
These guys have no shame. Their plan? To do absolutely NOTHING. These Repugs will sit on their asses and not lift a finger to help anyone. Their mantra is ‘All Government is Evil!’ In fact, if the had their way, They would dismantle ‘Social Sercurity’ and ‘Medicare’.
Yeah, they say “all government is evil” while they collect a paycheck from that evil government and if you ask them to give up that “socialist” health care they receive as members of Congress, hell will freeze over before you get a reply.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:13 amThe Republican leadership hasn’t introduced a bill, because their goal is to maintain the status quo. In other words, they believe the system we have now is the best (at least for their masters, it is).
October 27th, 2009 at 10:14 amC’mon, we KNOW what the Republiklan health care proposal is:
Don’t get sick. If you do get sick, die quickly.
Especially if you’re poor, black or brown, or homeless.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:16 amTo the GOP: Frustrated at the lack of a bill? Seems to me you had control of Congress for many years, during which you could have passed a lot of healthcare-related bills. But you didn’t. So stop your whining now.
You made your choices, and now you have to live the consequences.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:17 amEnnui Divine @#6
October 27th, 2009 at 10:18 amExactly. The Republiklan mantra of deown the government in the bathtub precludes them from wanting to do anything but hand over our democracy to the corporations.
geez deown=drown.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:18 am“‘We’re putting the final touches on our bill,’ Boehner said in July.”
Ah, yes, the famous pamphlet that contained not a single numerical value unless you counted page numbers.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:21 amThere was never an even remote chance that the GnOPe’s would bring forth their own health care reform bill. That would have distracted from and curtailed their ability to be pot-shot artists.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:21 amHouse Republicans ‘growing frustrated’ with lack of GOP alternative health care bill.
– - Look, there’s only so many hours in a day. After the GOP and the wingnut coalition spend hours thinking up new names to call Obama, attend tea parties, create a disastrous new website, continually praise and revere Bachmann, Palin, and all the Cheneys, offer up human sacrifices to Beck and Limbaugh, there’s no time left for actual ideas.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:21 amThe Republican mantra is “Government doesn’t work, government IS the problem”. So when they are in power, guess what? They don’t know how to govern. This is painfully obvious now. They have the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of the American people and they are PARALYZED. They have NOTHING to offer. That is really the big lesson we need to take away form this: Republicans do not know how to govern.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:22 amflavor@11, Excellant point. They HATE the Government, but they want absolute power. As for health care, like Grayson said, ‘If your healthy, don’t get sick. If you get sick, die quickly.’ That’s exactly the Repugs plan.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:22 amThe GOP alternative:
SHOUTING, PUSHING, SHOVING, CRYING.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:23 amHeckuva job, dipshits.
Republic Health Plan:
Wait until others die due to lack of health care. Then, have creditor go after the family and next of kin. Any assets will be gobbled up by banks & insurers, who will, in turn, donate to the Republic campaigns of those who denied us health care reform in the first place.
Who said they don’t have a plan?
October 27th, 2009 at 10:23 amCould it be that in putting health care reform “in the hands of the government” means that it would be put in THEIR hands, and therefore be filled with negative, incompetence? Naw, they just want their payoff from their masters! Has graft and corruption ever been this transparent?
October 27th, 2009 at 10:24 amThe Republican Plan (for everything):
Just Say No.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:25 amThey live in the past. They have no ideas. They are perfectly happy with the health care insurance companies continuing to deny care and make their profits. If they had a solution to our health care problems, surely to God, they would have mentioned it by now! They just want to say no and complain. They remind me of toddlers.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:26 amHeh. If those benighted morons think government is so damn bad, why don’t they just do themselves (and the rest of us) a big favor and RESIGN from the government??
That way, they’re not part of the problem anymore.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:27 amRepublican (and blue dog Democrats) health plan proposals = Health insurance company plan proposals = nothing!!!
Everything is just fine as it is, nothing to fix. It is people who don’t have insurance who have the problems, no big deal, go to emergency rooms, spread fear to the elderly about medicare, if that fails then get sicker and die.
What a great “plan”!!!
October 27th, 2009 at 10:31 am“In June, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) promised that an alternative health care reform bill would be introduced that Republicans could rally behind.”
YOU LIE!!
October 27th, 2009 at 10:32 am“…way back on June 17, Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), the point man on the alternative GOP plan, publicly proclaimed, ‘I guarantee you we will provide you with a bill.’”
YOU LIE!!!
October 27th, 2009 at 10:32 amThe only thing Republicans ever stand for is their principles. The problem with that is that no two Republicans have the same principles. They can never seem to define what those principles are either as they are situational. They seem to be faith based so like faith there are a lot of contridictions. And that pretty much defines why the Republicans cannot come up with a bill of their own. There principles get keep getting in the way.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:35 amThey must think all Americans are as gullible as their base. Boehner promise a conservative hcr bill, but has produced nothing substantive. IIRC, at a later time many republicans/conservatives stated that they didn’t need to have a bill as they would spend that time attacking the democrats bill. Now they look like fools and dummies, and it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving group of politicians. I don’t believe their poll numbers would have been so low had they not engaged in such blatant obstructionism. Millions of people are waiting on an extension of their unemployment benefits to keep food on the table and to pay some of their bills. The republicans know the extension will not increase the deficit, but those in the Senate are refusing to vote on it for reasons that have nothing to do with extending unemployment benefits. They are trying to force the dems to meet their demands before allowing a vote on the extension. Yeah, they care about the unemployed, a lot.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:37 amWell, it is tough when this is all you can come up with:
The 2009 Health Care Reform Act (as offered by the Republican Leadership)
Article I: No.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:37 amArticle II: Never in a million years.
Article III: Fat chance.
Article IV: Hell no!
Article V: Nope.
Article VI: No again.
Article VII: Still no.
Article VIII: What’s so wrong with the system we already have?
Has anyone else noticed the media blitz about insurance companies not being all that profitable?
It’s unbelievably easy for a corporation to skewer its profit margins. All they have to do is pay outrageous salaries and hand out obscene bonuses to lower their actual profit margins. There are several other ways to fudge profit numbers but these are the most common. Companies do this all the time to lessen their taxes.
But unfortunately, many sheeple will buy their bull.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:41 amTired of being lied to, you forgot:
Article IX: Tort reform!
October 27th, 2009 at 10:41 amArticle X: Tax cuts
My favorite conservative “solution” is to allow people to purchase insurance over state lines. If you’ve ever struggled with a company trying to get it to pay for services, I’m sure you’d much rather have that struggle when the company isn’t even in your own state and subject to its laws and regulations. What a nightmare.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:42 am...Blunt (R-MO), admitted that the House GOP leadership was unlikely to introduce a bill.
Perhaps because “they got nothin’ “???
October 27th, 2009 at 10:45 amI’ve always thought that their reluctance to introduce anything that smacks of reform was their fear that the Obama White House would adopt some, or all, of their ideas, then claim a bi-partisan victory in bringing health care reform to the American people.
October 27th, 2009 at 10:58 amRather than be part of the process of helping the American people, the Republicans are more concerned about who gets the credit.
Shame on them.
One strange thing to me is that republicans never seem to notice that their representatives promised to deliver something way back in July and still haven’t delivered. They just don’t seem that bright.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:02 am“Just say no.”
Nancy Reagan started it, although in a much different context.
This is the repiggie policy for everything.
Those clowns are a total waste of time and space.
Just who are the imbeciles that keep returning the Boner to congress?
October 27th, 2009 at 11:02 amInteresting how the Bubble wasn’t motivated to go to vietnam?
October 27th, 2009 at 11:02 amIt’s the Katrina school of government.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:07 am1) Socialism is bad because it take from the Heroes and gives to the lazy, shiftless, and brown.
2) Regulation is bad because our friends run those businesses.
3) We control the media so we can just deny the disaster we caused ever happened.
I thought the rethug health care plan was the three blank pages that the thugs waved during President Obama’s address to the country last month.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:20 amTransparent GOPper strategy: 1) say that you have a plan and are on the side of the public and the grand kids; 2) offer nothing over such a long time, that the public forgets; 3) go negative on anything the Dems propose, even if you have wasted months contributing amendments you don’t support; 4) don’t open yourselves to any criticism by putting anything on paper; 5) cash your checks.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:23 amNinerFan says:
“…republicans never seem to notice that their representatives promised to deliver something way back in July and still haven’t delivered. They just don’t seem that bright.”
They’re still waiting for Raygun’s “trickle down” and Newt’s “Contract With America” to pan out.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:25 am46 – why are you such a disagreeable little pisher, eh?
October 27th, 2009 at 11:37 amForget about a plan GOPers, just keep working on your tans and your Men’s room moves and of course pray to jeebus.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:40 amThe cool thing about health care opt out is it is political trap for Republican legislatures and Governors. If they even attempt to opt out it will motivate voters to turnout. It will be a powerful issue to beat Republicans.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:45 amIs Boehner skipping his tanning booth appointments lately? He seems to be getting whiter.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:47 amThey are in a bit of a pickle. If they don’t put forth an alternative, they frame themselves (justly) as the Party Of Just ‘Say No!’ But if they put forth an alternative, they’re tacitly admitting that health care reform is needed. What to do, what to do?…
Cheers,
October 27th, 2009 at 11:49 amIf Boehner got any browner, he might be forced to change his name to Boner.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:50 am@36:
October 27th, 2009 at 12:04 pmThey did that with the banks. So, they all moved to states with non-existant or weak usury laws like SD & DE, and did not have to abide by the state usury laws and regulations where their customers resided anymore.
“what a nightmare” is right!
drone on about the successes of the democrats but the party of personal responsibility seems anxious to blame others for their failures…
drone was intentional.
October 27th, 2009 at 12:15 pmMy prediction on Benen’s site was that the GOP will announce that they were THISCLOSE to producing a nice, fine conservative healthcare reform package that would’ve insured millions, preserved Medicare (because we all know how concerned Republicans are with preserving Medicare, always have been right), and saved kajillions of dollars. But those dumb Democrats were so hellbent on delivering socilaized medicine to a public that clearly doesn’t want it (if you can’t read a poll), that they didn’t bother setting themselves up to fail, presenting this awesome package Democrats would only gleefully ignore in favor of their woefully inadequate bill.
And no matter what happens from here on – even if we get a public option and it saves us hundreds of billions of dollars and makes healthcare more affordable to all and screws insurance companies out of their pathetically undeserved profits, etc. etc. – Republicans will continue to maintain that they saw Bigfoot – they had this incredible bill that would’ve done everything the public option did, but faster better and cheaper – and the Democrats “didn’t let them” give it to the people. and at the same time, whenever anything goes wrong anywhere for any reason, they’ll blame the public option and try to remove it or put it back in the hands of the insurance companies “who will run it better and get government out of the insurance business where it doesn’t belong (unless they’re insuring banks too big to fail don’t fail).”
October 27th, 2009 at 12:20 pmRep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), the point man on the alternative GOP plan, publicly proclaimed, ‘I guarantee you we will provide you with a bill … of goods’”
October 27th, 2009 at 12:24 pmDave N says:
The base.
Now we see the true motive. Don’t anger “the base”, because we all want to get re-elected.
Don’t worry about doing what’s right for your district and your country – just keep “the base” (i.e., the Lunatic Fringe) placated.
What a bunch of sorry, spineless weasels.
I’m not sure they are as spineless as they are “afraid” of their base. Not just in votes, but in actual violence. How many of their “base” would (and have) resorted to outright assassination to prove their point?
Just like dealing with wild animals, if they don’t keep feeding their “base” with a steady diet of “red meat”, the animals will turn on them.
October 27th, 2009 at 12:53 pmPlausibly from the desk of House Republican Leader, John Boehner:
Hey you guys,
I really don’t know what all of the hubbub is about here. I’ve been meeting with members of my foursome, I mean caucus, to determine the best thing to do as we tally up the checks, I mean votes.
I told you guys last June that we were putting the finishing touches on it, to the point where it was just a tap in, almost a gimme by the end of August, but in a terrifically complex subject like this, there are always going to be life and death complications, and we respond to those as we customarily do, by letting the thing die.
We were just hoisting another in a long line of toasts to our great success when the Democrats decided to blind side us with actual legislation that included the public option! All of a sudden they undid what all of our TEA Parties and town hall invasions and the wonderful commentary offered by our friends at the Fox “News” Channel and the polls were suddenly screaming for nazi/fascist/communist/unAmerican/ socialism! It’s just not fair to our friends on K Street and AHIP and the insurance company boardrooms.
Who’s going to look after their interests? (blub) They should be at the top of our list! (sniff, boo hoo) Who’s gonna help them? (sob)
October 27th, 2009 at 1:34 pmWho the fcuk cares what they propose? They LOST the election. They had years to do something about healthcare but didn’t. Isn’t it a bit late now for their proposals to count for anything?
October 27th, 2009 at 1:42 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
No it hasn’t…
October 27th, 2009 at 1:53 pmUnfortunately all I see is obstructionist politics from the GOP.
When I was working and was presented with a problem, I thought about a solution BEFORE going to my manager to discuss the issue. While my manager and I didn’t always agree, he did appreciate the fact that I was making an attempt to help find a solution and not just continue to be part of the problem…
One can only dream…
October 27th, 2009 at 1:55 pmShorter Boner: We don’t know how to do jack-sh!t, so we’re gonna just say “NO”
October 27th, 2009 at 2:40 pmRep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), the point man on the alternative GOP plan, publicly proclaimed, ‘I guarantee you we will provide you with a bill.’”
Uh, will this bill have like numbers and words or will it be another collection of blank pages ????????
And why did the repubs, after torpedoing healthcare reform under Clinton, not use their majority powers to introduce a healthcare reform system ?
October 27th, 2009 at 4:32 pmHow can you possibly have time to actually draft a bill when your so busy trumping up phony scandals and trying to find some serpentine path that leads them back to our first black, socialist, fascist, Muslim, alien president? And of course, their fundamental philosophy won’t support anything but healthcare for profit. Let the poor and the foreigners die or you’re all socialists. What a bunch of brainiacs those Republlicans are! Lieberman belongs with them.
October 28th, 2009 at 7:45 amworkerbee says:
Please, lay NO responsibility on the democrats, ok?
The Dems are responsible for many things, but the lack of a Republican healthcare reform bill is not one of them.
October 28th, 2009 at 7:49 am