Of Orange County’s six members of the U.S. House of Representatives, only one, Democrat Loretta Sanchez, for voted the Affordable Health Care for America Act, the House health care reform bill which passed last weekend by a narrow vote of 220 to 215.
It boggles TheLiberalOC.com’s mind that even one Congressman or Congresswoman would cast a vote against obviously overdue health care reform legislation which, per the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, would “slightly reduce federal budget deficits.”
The bill is endorsed by a veritable who’s who of respected, respectable American organizations, including:
- AARP, representing senior citizens
- The AMA, the largest U.S. organization of physicians
- The ANA, the largest U.S. organization of nurses
- The American Cancer Association
- The American Heart Assocation
- The American Diabetes Association
Citing phony scare-tactic arguments about “government run health care” while hypocritically failing to acknowledge the unparalleled success of Medicare and the Veterans’ Administration medical care, both government-run health care programs, five Orange County Congressman took their cynical marching orders from the Republican party, and voted against uninsured, under-insured, and privately insured Orange Countians… which is everyone who lives in our fair county.
Republicans Gary Miller (CA-40), Ed Royce (CA-42), Ken Calvert (CA-44), Dana Rohrabacher (CA-46), and John Campbell (CA-48) voted to deny you, your loved ones, your neighbors, and All Orange County residents the following desperately needed insurance reform measures:
- No more pre-existing conditions to deny coverage.
- No more rate discrimination against women.
- No more increasing premiums because a person becomes ill.
- No more cancelling coverage because a person becomes ill.
- Children may remain on parents’ insurance through age 26.
- 36 million uninsured Americans would obtain health care coverage under this bill.
For a complete but quick-reading description, see Key Provisions of the House Health Care Bill.
After their unconscionable votes on the House health care bill, TheLiberalOC.com can’t imagine how Orange County’s Republican Congressmen sleep at night. Or look themselves in the mirror. I guess they just don’t give a damn if Orange County citizens needlessly suffer… or die… from lack of access to health services. It’s apparently all politics to them.
Shame on them for neither voting for the Affordable Health Care for America Act, nor proposing their own credible legislation to provide adequate health care coverage for their own voters.
Why, oh why, does Orange County persist in sending these Republican misanthropes back into Congress? Frankly, it defies common sense that Orange County keeps reelecting these five Congressmen who don’t have our best interests at heart.
Ms. White, spoken like a true follower of the Pied Piper of Chicago. I realize commenting on this site is like being a small fish surrounded by a school of sharks, however, the question you asked deserves an answer. Perhaps the Orange County Congressional members who voted against Obamacare, were merely reflecting the feelings of their constituants. After all, isn’t that what elected officials are supposed to do? Oops sorry I forgot, we are talking about Congress, where special interests, deficit budgets, earmarks and power plays take preference over the will of the people. Now let me add that there are many Republicans, who are cut from the same cloth and helped get us into the mess we are in today. At least on this issue, these Orange County people did their jobs.
What is the answer? Perhaps we will find out on November 3, 2010, when I expect the American voters to clearly reject the direction the country is headed. Many elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans who have sold us out will be fired.
In conclusion, I concur that Healthcare is broken and needs to be fixed. First, lets reduce the costs of insurance for all people at every level. This could have been done by a variety of means which have already been identified, but not implemented. Then we look at those people who are not insured and why they do not have coverage. For those who do not want it, we do not force feed them. For those who want insurance, but can not afford it, we develop an equitable process, but one that is not government controlled. Sorry, but this mess that Congress has thrown together and then bribed special interest groups to support will not work and most certainly is not flying with the people who are going to have to pay for it. Government run anything is not the answer.
You’re post is so out-of-touch with reality, from start to finish, one doesn’t know where to begin.
But let’s take the curious economics you demand for health insurance and apply it to car insurance.
Surely, you oppose letting car insurance companies raise a motorists rates just because they have a bad driving record? Surely you oppose such “rate discrimination.”
Certainly, you think we ought to be able to buy car insurance after we get into an accident, since a “pre-existing condition” like a banged-up car should bar us from getting insurance?
“Government run anything is not the answer.” And Pat, that standard would also apply to law enforcement? And Pat, the voters of CD-48 supported Obama, so perhaps Rep. Campbell should take that into account as well, But Campbell did vote for every stimulus program offered by Republicans and voted against every one proposed by the President – so that doesn’t make him that big a champion of taxpayers now does it?
Matt — your car insurance argument is a straw man; the US is the world’s only industrialized nation without some form of public health insurance. The House Bill is deficit neutral and will actually save money over the long haul. The Republican plan doesn’t lower costs and will only insure 3 million more Americans by 2019 which isn’t reform at all.
But hey Matt, both AMA and AARP support the House’s Healthcare Bill. Healthcare Reform is still considerably cheaper than the cost of the Iraq War. Its a matter of where should our priorities be.
Wow, this is a first. Usually it’s the reverse, being quite common to see “your” where the writer means “you’re” as in “You’re a Republican.” The word “your” is possessive, as in “your post” or “your car.” The word “you’re” is a shortened form of “you are,” as in “you’re required by law to insure your car even if — or especially if — the car is banged-up.”
Dan, the answer is “Yes” it would also apply to law enforcement. Safety and protection of the public is one of the few legitimate functions of government. Having said that, if you want to look at some of the most dysfunctional law enfocrement agencies in the United States look no further than the Federal Government. The FBI after all these years and millions of dollars, still does not have the computer capability of communicating with itself and other agencies on Terrorism. AT&F seems to be powerless in stopping the illegal distribution of firearms in the U.S. DEA has never been in the ballpark, much less the game in the so called War on Drugs, which is a farce at best. Lastly, let’s not forget Immigration, who can’t even get the citizenship applications processed much less stop the flood of illegals from south of the border. These are just a few examples of why government doesn’t work at the law enforcement level. Locally, we are in better shape. The cities who have adopted Community Policing, have gotten away from the methodology of local government dictating what kind of law enforcement service a community receives. It has become a partnership between citizens and police with input and involvement by all stakeholders.
Matt,not sure what kind of tangent you took off on, but what I suggested is to get the horse in front of the cart and to fix first things first. The cost of Health Insurance for whatever reason is too high, continues to rise each year and has priced many persons out of the market. A number of cost reduction ideas have already been brought forward, but very few if any, are in the proposed legislation. What is so unreal about reducing the cost of Health Insurance for all of us? On your car insurance example, you must be kidding right? If I am a bad driver, get cited for a number of violations and am more likely to have an accident than a good driver, you had better believe my rates should go up. In private group Healthcare Plans, it is no different. If the claims to premium ratio is high then the premiums will go up in order for the insurance company to maintain it’s profit margin. Bottom line, Congress and the government running Healthcare is a recipe for falure.
Pat– even locally, it’s government run law enforcement. Sorry, a lot of government programs work and work well. I am always amazed by Republicans who hate government and government programs, but want to bein office; and once in office, never reduce the size and scope of government.
“I am always amazed by Republicans who hate government and government programs, but want to bein office; and once in office, never reduce the size and scope of government.” Agreed, They have ruined our party and thats why we need to get the Libertarianish Republicans in power. BTW, law enforcement is expressly authorized in the constitution, so don’t even try to bring that up.