House Rules Committee meeting gets spirited
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/03/20/art.hastings.gi.jpg caption="Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Florida, said during a particularly spirited portion of the meeting that opponents of health care don't know what Americans think."]Washington (CNN) - The House Rules Committee began meeting Saturday to determine the official rules for the debate and vote on the health care overhaul, a day ahead of an expected House vote.
The committee is expected to determine whether the House will vote Sunday on a rule that would simply "deem" the Senate bill - a sweeping $875 billion reform plan that cleared the Senate in December - passed. The House then would proceed to a separate vote on another $65 billion in compromise changes to the measure.
"You all in the minority continue to say what the American people think," Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Florida, said during a particularly spirited portion of the meeting.
"You don't know what all of the American people think. And you certainly don't know what those in my constituency think."
If the Senate bill passes the House, Obama will sign it into law. If the package of changes is passed, it will be taken up by the Senate.
Freshmen House Republicans railed Saturday against the bill and the possible legislative mechanism Democrats may use to pass it.
"We're trying to vote on a bill without voting on a bill," Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri said.
"While this might not be the first time 'deem and pass' has ever been is used in the House, I believe it is the first time that it's being used as an attempt to deceive the American people," said Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas.
The Republicans are the ones trying to deceive the American People, tring to scare americans.
Pass the bill!. Working Americans need this bill.
Republicans will pay a deep price for saying NO, 100% of the time to this bill . They are the one that are super-partisans. It is imposible that there is not a single republican in the House or the Senate, that do not like this bill.
Vote out Boehner for the House in next elections for Anti Middle Class
They will know what America thinks in November. Martha Coakly already knows what the people of Massachusetts thinks.
Well, when the GOP used same Deem and pass several times before it was not assumed to be a faulty law. Now that Democrats are now trying to use the same measure, it suddenly become a deceiving law. I don't get it. The GOP only what it their way.
Well we have it their way for 6 years under former house and certainly for 8 years under Bush, let try it differently now. They cannot be right all the times
when he is packing his bags and taking down the drapes......
The House will return to the Republicans and Pelosi will be OUT as speaker.....and Reid will also be history.....
Can't wait.........
"it's been done before" is not a valid justification for passing on a bill without voting on it. But then, these are politicians we're talking about. Throw every last one of them to sharks!
With all due respect Rep, Jenkins, perhaps you don't have a clue? I have read up on the proposed changes, which are hardly as drastic as you fear-mongers make them out to be. More to the point, having read them, I find no evidence of "an attempt to deceive." Perhaps you don't really understand English. Or maybe you're just a corporate toady doing whatever you can to subvert the will of Main Street America.
hello; i am asking please dont pass the health care bill; the elderly and people on disabilty cant afford this to take everything away from them would be curel; they dont work; and cant ;have nothing but a diabilty check fixed income; what are they suspose to do i think this is all wrong taking everything away from the american people our freedom ; our lives; so please i beg of you to vote no on the healthcare bill; im being nice about this but president obama needs to be impeached; i will not vote for anyone come elections if they vote for the bill; god help us all; i see nothing to look for; thank you;
The republicans constantly condem democrats for doing what they did in the past. this is not escaping the attention of the american people.
It appears the leftist DemocRATS are hell bent on committing politcial suicide, along with their one term leftist president. Even the ones that KNOW the American people will throw them out in November are being brow beaten to close their eyes and jump off the political cliff.
Who would have thought that Obama, Pelosi and Reid would lead the Democrats from a super majority in both chambers of Congress along with the Presidency to NEAR EXTINCTION COME NOVEMBER. 2012 will complete the house cleaning when Obama is thrown out on his arse.
I'm going to throw one BIG PARTY come November 2, 2010.
News flash Alcee, everybody thinks you are an idiot.
Republicans rail against anything supporting the common man and contrary to the interests of big business. It's humerous to see the indignation against the process, something they themselves have used extensively, and the only available tool to a stop their politically-motivated filibustering.
"You don't know what all of the American people think."
But we do know that a majority of Americans don't want this fiscal insanity to pass–every poll out there agrees on that point–and for the Dems, by bribes, trickery, and slimy tactics, to pass it anyway is simply tyranny.
Americans don't like tyrants–and I expect that will be proven again in November.
All these progressives can think of is all the power that they will weild.
They somehow think that they are enlightened and know better than anyone else.Why do they insist on stealling our money and freedom ?
It's time for a real Change.
I was looking at some world records the other day and I laughed when I came to the section on the greatest liars in history. There was one word on one page.......................REPUBLICANS.
Deeming, reconciliation, up or down vote.... These are only valid rules and procedures when the republicans are in the majority. Elections have consequences and there is a reason the current iteration of the republican party finds itself in the minority.
As an independent, I find the comments, behavior and tactics of the republican party as repugnant as they are un-American.
But then again, when the republicans were in the majority I found their comments no less repugnant or un-American.
They have decided that rather than engage the majority party with substantive ideas and help forge a better policy, jamming the gears of government and stopping the process by any means necessary is their best chance of returning to power.
I admire the Republicans for all having the same talking points. After a while people begin to believe them. I have been puzzled by the Democrats inability to do the same. I keep hearing the Republicans say that this bill is hated by Americans, then I see polls that show a small majority are in favor of it. Further, when polled on individual provisions of the bill Americans are in favor, which means that the Democrats have done an incredibly horrible job explaining this bill.
Maybe Hastings doesn't know what the American people think, either. I'll also bet he hasn't a clue what is in those 3,000 pages, either. And later, when it blows up on him and people are angry in November, he'll say "We weren't informed of what was in it".
These guys LOVE to spend other people's money, and money they don't have. We might all end up as slaves to China, but hey, at least some of us will be healthy slaves, huh?
Just another lunatic rant from a sad and woefully out of touch representative. Mr Hastings, the American people have stated very clearly that they DO NOT want this bill. How many times do we have to say it before you will listen? Do you think we're stupid? You and your Democrat collegues need to get a clue.
Your constituency voted for you, a disgraced and impeached judge. Since they elected someone they knew was corrupt, why would we care what they think Mr. Hastings.
Marxism has come to America via the democrats!
Call a spade a spade – the fascists want the minority to rule this country. I say NO to the fascists who preach family values while they're sneaking around with their women and leaving their wives at home.
NO TO REPUBLIKKKANS
If excessive force is required to enact unpopular legislation impacting all citizens of a nation, one need know nothing else to seek its defeat.
Twice Impeached for accepting bribes of course, this MORON is for it. I wonder how much the most corrupt Government in history paid this scum bag
It really goes to show you how OUT OF TOUCH the Dems are. All you need to do Mr. Hastings is flip to your favorite blog or poll and I mean any one of them and you will see the MASS MAJORITY of AMERICANS DO NOT want any part of THIS healthcrap bill. Truth of the matter is Mr. Hastings YOU can't handle the truth because you are living a lie!