As the HCR action turns to the House, the question of the week is can House Democrats get past 216 votes to pass the Senate HCR Bill as next step to passing HCR. On Wednesday President Obama will present his way forward on both the substance and the process for passing the damn bill. I suspect that he’ll ask the House to go first and then fix the Bill in Reconciliation as the final step.
So it is time to call Members of the House and get them on board to support P.T.D.B.
Taniel over at Campaign Diaries published a nice list of where the 39 NO votes for the House HCR Bill might line up with regard to a vote on the Senate Bill. These are all folks to call, especially the last 18 on the list.
Today President Obama is traveling to an event in the District of one of those Members.
It might also be worthwhile to call the DCCC (202-863-1500) and let them know that “NO” voters on HCR should not get DCCC support.
Cheers
dengre
Cain
I have a much better opinion of Pelosi than Reid so will be there be light at the end of the tunnel? Will HCR finally pass???
cain
Steaming Pile
I would also contact any and all of the Blue Dogs, whether they’re on that list or not. My Blue Dog congressman (Arcuri of NY 24) has been targeted by ads lately. The usual BS you’ve heard on the opinion shows. I’m not sure what effect that has had on him, but it wouldn’t hurt to give your local Blue Dog a ring.
Jim C.
I have called Walt Minnick’s office again and let him know in no uncertain terms that if he wants me or my family or my friends to vote for him for reelection he needs to vote in favor of health care reform.
I stated flat out that I’ve put up with a lot of his shitty voting record since his election because I know he is a Democrat in Idaho, but if he does not vote yes on this then he can forget my support or the support of anyone I have contact with here in Idaho.
geg6
They’re dreaming if they think Altmire will vote for this. A former lobbyist for UPMC voting for this bill? Get real. He said as much in the Beaver County Times last Sunday and pretty much to anyone else that has asked.
Called, but won’t change anything.
Jim C.
@geg6
Likewise, my calling Minnick’s office won’t change his vote either. Still…one never knows. Some of these folks are spineless enough weasels that they might be persuadable no matter how unlikely it seems.
LongHairedWeirdo
Do I got to hell if I call the Democrat whose district I’m going to be living in, instead of Reichert, whose district I’m currently living in?
Because, see, Reichert and I have a difference of opinion. I believe that America needs a strong, vibrant middle class, with good jobs for everyone, and he believes that you can tell the most despicable lies to your constituents, if the lies are politically useful.
I believe in a strong national defense, and he believes in misrepresenting objective reality.
I believe that we must adhere to the real world – and he’s a not-too-atypical Republican.
‘Nuff said.
MikeJ
@LongHairedWeirdo: Call Reichert just so you know they got calls on the right side of the issue, and call the new person and tell them “I’m not there yet but I just took a job with XYZ and am moving to Elm street, and I’ll be there before the election.”
D. Mason
Wow, is support for this thing finally dying out at the fever swamp formerly known as BJ? I guess if even you people are finally sick of propping up this turd it might sink once and for all.
If Obama and the legislative Dems had approached this thing in a halfway serious manner we would be on the precipice of a re-vitalized America. Now best case scenario is we wait another 10 years for real reform and pray the whole system doesn’t collapse before then. Thanks Obama, Pelosi and Reid for turning me from a politically aware, Dem leaning moderate into one of the apathetic masses.
Cain
@D. Mason:
I’m not sure what you are talking about? Most of us are for this legislation because it can at least move us in the right direction. The country is not ready for true reform yet (eg single payer)
With the job situation not good, young people aren’t paying insurance, insurance rates are all going up. I got some damn letter talking about an increase in co-pays for medication now. You don’t want to be apathetic on this. Doing nothing is not an option.
cain
D. Mason
Of course doing nothing is an option. That’s my very favorite part of the HCR issue! This is one of those problems that will force us to resolve it whether we like it or not. A shitty band-aid which will hurt a lot of people who are ok right now will really only drag out the suffering.
If health care in America were Terri Schaivo this bill would be the good Dr. Frist. I never supported Frist.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@D. Mason:
[flips through dog-eared copy of Taxonomy of American voters in the wild]
Awww, this is so cool!
I’ve never sighted a red-breasted, moderate Dem-leaning apathetic firebagger before.
[puts a tick mark on that page]
Ornithology is fun!
cybrestrike
Hmm…the House is actually going to take the sucker bet that the Senate will fix the bill if they blink first? If they did, they’re idiots and deserve what they’re going to get in November.
Clue for the crowd: The Senate won’t fix the bill. Once the House passes it, they have no incentive to pass it.
This is either more kabuki, or this is the preliminaries to the electoral kicking House Dems are going to get for passing the Senate’s Health Insurance ‘Reform’ Bill without getting the Senate to fix their mess first.
It’s a ‘victory’ and the Village will be content, they love those Rose Garden signing ceremonies, gives them thrills up their legs. Pardon me if I don’t clap.
Xecky Gilchrist
@D. Mason: Thanks Obama, Pelosi and Reid for turning me from a politically aware, Dem leaning moderate into one of the apathetic masses.
Wow, thanks for dropping by. Not every day you get to see a good old-fashioned 2004-style concern troll here.
I called my Blue Dog rep, so I guess I’m not an apathetic mass yet.
ETA: ThatLeftTurnInABQ is much better with the field guide than I. Conceded.
demimondian
W00t. D. Mason finally comes out as the firebagger he’s always been.
It always fills me with that special warm, fuzzy, just-ate-a-kitten-whole feeling when that finally happens.
demimondian
@cybrestrike: They haven’t got a lot of choice. The thing to realize is that the Senate has a pretty solid margin, so the sucker bet isn’t as bad as it might be.
geg6
Well, if leaking a HCR passage timeline memo is a hint of where things stand, then I can only guess that the whipping is about done and this is what we can expect to see:
http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-treatment/breaking-memo-outlines-easter-recess-timeline
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@Xecky Gilchrist:
Actually I’d like to take back my comment from #11. My initial reaction was that D.Mason was concern trolling this thread based on what seemed like a contradictory set of claimed political stances, but after googling his comments on BJ, I’ve changed my mind on that score – he comes across in comments as an angry economic populist who is otherwise very conservative, but not in a GOP supportive way (this example here provides some background). Not my stance, but I respect it as a real set of ideas and not something simply made up for concern trolling purposes.
So I apologise for snarking on him when it wasn’t merited.
On the main topic, I’ve done what I can in terms of contacting my Rep (Heinrich) and Senators to PTDB and then come back to do a better job in the next Congress. I think we will get a robust public option within the next decade, but not in this bill. Elkins Act, Hepburn Act.
Xecky Gilchrist
@ThatLeftTurnInABQ: I’ll trust your scholarship and ask pardon for myself as well.
Funny that the two of us (and demimondian) interpreted it pretty much the same way, though.
mcc
@geg6: I wonder what kind of assurances the House will be getting that the Senate won’t just give up on the reconciliation bill.
I also kind of wish… the guy at Congress Matters identified a congressional procedure that’s been used a number of times in the last 20 years that lets the House basically bundle votes together. So it would be possible for the House to vote on the Senate bill and the reconciliation bill at the exact same time, with no distinguishing vote between the two. It seemed like a good, straightforward idea and I don’t see why they don’t try that in this case (otherwise I’d almost be afraid the blue dogs could shoot down the reconciliation bill– Pelosi will have to herd cats on two separate votes).
D. Mason
@Xecky Gilchrist: It’s not really funny, it’s just BJ. The reason I started coming here was to get some informed banter with other moderates/conservatives who realize the Republicans are anything but. I stopped coming here when any statement that failed to demonstrate sufficient fealty to Obama started getting one labeled as a troll. I come back from time to time just to see what the state of BJ is and I see nothing has changed. I’ll check back in a couple months, without much hope. Enjoy your echo chamber folks.
Yutsano
Dengre, I hate to sound vindictive, but if you have any dirt or leads on dirt on Doc Hastings that might be useful for his challenger this year I’d be happy to know about it. Nothing would make me happier than to see that old fraud retired.
mcc
I’m not here! I’m just posting to tell you that I’m not here!
bob h
That Republican from Louisiana, Cao, is not supporting HCR now. I would like to know what techniques the Republican kneecappers use; they sure are effective.