Following up on an earlier item, the House went ahead and voted once again to repeal the entirety of the Affordable Care Act. The vanity exercise, done to make Republicans feel better about themselves, passed 244 to 185.
Five red-state Democrats sided with the right, while a grand total of zero Republicans broke rank. (Update: the five Dems, two of whom are retiring, are Oklahoma's Dan Boren, North Carolina's Larry Kissell, Utah's Jim Matheson, North Carolina's Mike McIntyre, and Arkansas' Mike Ross.)
Of course, the House bill is inconsequential -- it can't pass the Senate and wouldn't get President Obama's signature -- making this a rather pointless waste of time, which could have been devoted to job creation, immigration policy, energy policy, or anything else of any substance at all.
But it's the sheer repetition that really rankles. While House Republicans haven't even voted on any major jobs bills this entire Congress, today marked the 33rd time the House GOP felt compelled to try to gut "Obamacare," apparently because votes 1 through 32 were too subtle. Jamison Foser pointed to this great scene from "A Few Good Men," which helped summarize the problem.
As for the policy, let's also not forget that every House Republican today voted to take away health coverage for young adults staying on their family plans, raise prescription drug prices for seniors, end protections for those with pre-existing conditions, reinstate lifetime insurance caps, scrap tax breaks for small businesses, raise the deficit, and take benefits away from 30 million Americans, all as part of a repeal crusade they can't pass.
There has to be better uses for Congress' time.
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I'll bet the Rethuglicans and those five Rethuglicrats needed a cigarette after the vote.
I've got an idea!
Let's have Congress spend almost two years to pass a huge program that 60% of the American population still want repealed years later. Oh yea, they already did that.
Yep, That's a better use of Congress's time....
The American citizen....Who?
You trust the 60% who want it repealed? They are the ones controlled by the message and the message is different wherever you look. Should Medicare be repealed? It was even more unpopular than so-called Obama-care. If I was a little more vicious, I would wish on you an illness higher than the cap and/or a child with a preexisting condition. But I'm an American citizen and I don't wish other citizens ill.
It is now known 5 Dems sided with the Repubs to repeal this act. Four of them are facing tight races for reelection at home, which just proves a politician will do anything to keep their job, not necessarily for the good of the people. The most interesting Dem defection is a politician who is not facing reelection. Does that mean that if the politicians had term limits they would vote their conscience, the best for their constituents and not the wishes of their party's has-been leaders? (and I'm talking about both parties)
It is a documented fact that when all Repubs and Dems that support repealing this Act are asked they promise and plan to immediately reinstate preexisting conditions, keep kids on their parent's insurance policies, and all the other "good" parts of the Health Care Act allowing the parts that the majority of the American Citizens oppose be rejected. But you and MSNBC already knew that, right?....spinnnnnnnnnnnn
It amazes me how some people villianize others and knowingly make absolutely false accusations for what? What could possibly be your intentions?
Except that the ban on discrimination for pre-existing conditions doesn't work unless there's a mandate to buy insurance. In the end, no Republican is going to vote for insurance companies to lose money by insuring a disproportionately sick pool of customers because people don't have to sign up for insurance until they're sick. They can promise to keep the "popular parts" of the bill intact all they want, but it's not going to happen. Furthermore, they know it's not going to happen. It makes one wonder about their intentions.
So are you telling me politicians lie? SHOCK! Kind of like Harry Reid, Prez Obama, and Nancy Pelosi when they proclaimed the Affordable Health Care Act as budget neutral to coerce votes from their own party's Congressional members. One year after passed the number was changed to 500 billion and now three years after passed, before it's even been implemented, will cost us 2.6 trillion. What will it really cost us?
You are backing a lie.
No, gridlock is good.
No, gridlock is bad. It's only good for people like you, who seem to have a deep-seated hatred for an American recovery.
Will someone please give shooter a 'thumbs up' on the little arrow?
-He's pining for a Green Star, but we know he'll never get one of those.
I know what I'm pining to give Shooter, and it's not a green star.
shooter's just trying to pick up chicks the only way he knows how.
You know Day, I think you might have created a monster by enticing people to give our little Walter Mitty up-arrows. If he actually gets to a green star, can you imagine the amount of celebratory masturbation that will be going on?
Dude... I did NOT need that image... *gags*
Hahahahahaha....
A thing that pisses off a liberal is by its very nature a Thing Worth Doing.
I'm a Republican idiot. And I VOTE.
Republicans are proud and unapologetic about their cherished idiocy. Nothing more scary than a division of really, really ignorant dumbphucks running down the hill doing a Rebel yell at you who aren't scared of dying.
And you're so proud to boast about your ignorance. Please turn off FAUX NOISE now? I said please....
Hey, slappy is snarking, folks. (know your fellow travelers before you flame!)
I didn't realize it was snark because he said "I'm a Republican idiot.."
I think they really are all idiots so obviously, I thought ol' Slappy went Slap-Happy!
Yeah, I understood slappy was being sarcastic. slappy was pretending to be in character as a wingnut. My comment wasn't aimed at him.
A republican idiot is still a rung up on the latter from the smartest lib.
Need to up your game there, chem. Unclever snark just simply doesn't get the job done. Maybe give us an economics lesson on the brilliance of supply-side economics or prove that global warming is hoax.
Those on the right are incapable of actual humor.
That's entirely true. They're the most anal-retentive, literal, humorless mammals to ever knuckle-drag the Earth.
Love your sentence--"I'm a republican indiot." Surprised you admitted it!
oxy-MORON?
"While House Republicans haven't even voted on any major jobs bills this entire Congress,"
Change "major" to "serious."
repealing Obamination Care is at the top of the list for most small businesses to starting growth in their companies.
No, it's not. And saying it is with a fact-free assertion convinces noone.
Disgusted...,
Translated from Baggerbabble, what he/she/it said was "Destroying America in order to defeat that (N-bomb) in our White House is at the top of the list for Real Americans (i.e., us)."
ACA decreases costs for small businesses:
- http://www.healthcare.gov/law/full/
- http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/06/cost_containment.html
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-arensmeyer/small-business-health-care-tax-credit_b_1421811.html
- http://www.healthreform.gov/newsroom/keeping_the_health_plan_you_have.html
-
How much money did we pay these clowns for this exercise? Anybody have any idea?
I should have gone to The Internets first. According to congresssalary.com, congresscritters make $133/hour. 133 X 435 = $57,855 per hour. So however long it took to pass that bill, that's how much of our money they wasted. Jobs, jobs, jobs!
$174,000.00 - no really - a bit more if they've been there longer! Must be nice to get 6 figures and DO ABSOLUTELY NUTHIN, honey......
I've read they've spent 89 hours on the 33 repeals. Assuming that their benefits (conservatively) are at 50%, their salaries equate to $174,000 time 150% or $261,000. That equates to $125.50 per hour. So, $125.50 per hour times 89 hours times 435 members equals $4,900,000!
Oh, sweet mother of pearl! *headdesks*
They obviously have too much time on their hands AND they make too much money. Want to see changes in Congress? I seriously believe -
1. Make Congress' health care - MEDICARE.
2. Make their salary - MINIMUM WAGE.
3. Make it when their term ends - THEIR BENEFITS END.
4. Place a cap limiting - THEIR TRAVEL/EXPENSE ACCOUNTS.
5. When the national Debt reaches a certain point - NO INCUMBENT CAN RUN FOR OFFICE
I PROMISE YOU, THERE WILL BE CHANGES IN CONGRESS!
WOW that is a drop in the bucket compared to how much money was given to Fisker to build Hybrid cars across seas. Way to create jobs in America with that lovely stimulus package.
That being said, that new fisker car is beautiful I looked at one last week when I was at the Land Rover dealer. Very sweet car. It is the one Hybrid I would buy.
Are we not including the cost of electricity to keep the lights on and the cost of paper and ink used as well? Please tell me we did not pay for their lunches too...no free lunch!
@chemdmd
Yes - the loan to Fisker Automotive did not turn out as expected.
I would like to point out that the funds were not given to Fisker. It was a LOAN.
They have been selling the hybrid car. We will have to see if they will be able to pay the loan back.
In other words, you description of the situation used to defend your position on ... something or other ... is grossly inaccurate.
How much money have I given to deploy nuclear arms that will never be used? Exactly what did we get for the 747's full of cash going to iraq? The loan would be chump change by comparison, and advance usable technologies at least
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." quote from Albert Einstein
You beat me to it, Orson.
"There has to be better uses for Congress' time."
Yes, but they've vowed to make this President a 1 termer - so why actually bother doing anything for WE the PEOPLE....
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Quote from Albert Einstein
Well, you know what it takes to be a Republican. Insanity is one way.
I love you guys, but Einstein didn't say that one...
It first appeared in print in 1983 in writings by Rita Mae Brown. She appears to have borrowed the idea from the Narcotics Anonymous "Big Book."
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_first_said_the_definition_of_insanity_is_to_do_the_same_thing_over_and_over_and_expect_different_results
I know, I know; it would be easier if Einstein had said it; now the right wingnuts are going to holler it was first uttered by a drug addict..
Okay, yes I did watch The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance...
To answer The Other Jim, I read elsewhere that they've spent 89 hours for the 33 repeal votes. They make $174,000 per year. Accounting (probably conservatively) for benefits at 150%, that's $261,000 per year or $125.50 per hour. $125.50 per hour times 435 members times 89 hours is about $4,900,000! Of course that doesn't account for staff time, etc.
How much money????
Has anyone kept track of the vote margins on these pointless repeal votes. Are they gaining, losing, holding steady? A chart would be interesting.
Just repellant these republicans are!
You know that this vote should be played every day till election day in a commercial snippet showing GOP legislators exercising vanity instead of doing one bit of goddamn good for this country we all live in. Another commercial in a similar vein could be GOP voting for new and ridiculous abortion legislation, GOP voting against fair pay, GOP voting down unemployment benefits extension, GOP voting against immigration reform, and the list goes on and on. You won't find better sound-bites or ammo against the teatardic rebellion.
Already sent the idea into a few Pro DNC / Pro Obama / Anti waste groups. Also to Mitt Romney to see how it's spun.
Trollop you are so right. People need to see reality instead of hear the spin. Also could include the House's lack of success in coming up with a jobs bill. (I'm not on board with the name-calling, though - teatardic? Come on, truth does better than personal attacks.)
If Congress has no better use for their time, can we repeal Congress?
Thank you Rachel...you calmed me down out of my rage.
If these asinine congresspersons were in the private sector, doing the same thing over and over again, knowing that they would not be able to following through, they would have been fired after the second or third try. I think it is time we gave all of these wastrels their pink slips and deny them pensions in lieu of the fact that they did not do their jobs that they were paid for, which is to provide services to the American people and not waste their tax dollars on frivolous actions.
The bully thrives on fear. The GOP and its surrogate, Fox News, excel at fanning these fears, pulling the monsters from the closet or hauling them out from under the bed to terrorise the gullible.
Bullies, themselves, are scared little boys and girls. They make big noises to “appear” powerful yet live in constant fear of losing that power. In this present case, GOP v. Obama, Obama may be the intended target; the country is the victim held hostage.
It is a case of “Mr. President, give us what we want or we shoot the country”. Remember the Debt Ceiling crisis?
If anyone is stupid enough to reelect any of these idiots, they deserve exactly what they get!
Oh, make no mistake: America gets the government it deserves. So far. Individuals who don't fall for the stupidity don't however. And the Republicans are trying to make it so my first sentence isn't true by disenfranchising 5,000,000 voters. But America, collectively, deserves that complete pile of shhit in the House.
the five Dems TRAITORS, two of whom are retiring, are Oklahoma's Dan Boren, North Carolina's Larry Kissell, Utah's Jim Matheson, North Carolina's Mike McIntyre, and Arkansas' Mike Ross
They're not Democrats. Particularly that worthless Okie, Boren.
Planet Utah's own Jim Matheson also voted for the Holder contempt citation...
The next time his mother has dinner at my mother's, she ain't gonna like what she hears. Mom is pissed...
How much does it cost us every time they take a vote? Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day"? Maybe they can vote again tomorrow!
I think it might be time to take a page from Bain Capital's book and outsource Congress.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
Political masturbation: doing the same thing over and over again just because it feels good.
Dan Boren isn't even running for another term so he has absolutely no excuse to break ranks.
Abortion and repeal Obamacare, what else is new?
War with Iran?