Orrin Hatch: Republicans Weren't Involved in the Process on Health Care Reform
Don't we wish Orrin. Orrin Hatch pretends that the Republicans weren't involved in the process of putting together the health care bill. Sorry Senator but the ones who were completely shut out of the process were single-payer advocates. They weren't even allowed a seat at the table when Max Baucus was having his hearings. You and your party on the other hand were given ample opportunity to muck up the bill you refused to vote for later. I also can't believe he had the nerve to say the Senate passed the Health Committee bill when that's a blatant lie as well. The end result of that Senate bill was not what came out of the Health Committee and he knows it.
From Slate--This Is What "Bipartisanship" Looks Like:
What do the GOP amendments to this Senate health care bill actually say?
When the Senate health, education, labor, and pensions committee passed its health care bill Wednesday, the Obama administration hailed it as a "bipartisan" effort. No matter that it passed the panel on a strictly party-line vote, with all 13 Democrats voting for and all 10 Republicans voting against. It was bipartisan, administration officials explained, because it contained 160 Republican amendments. Republican senators said that characterization was absurd. After all, they said, most of the 160 amendments were technical, rather than substantive, changes. Lisa Murkowsi of Alaska told the New York Times that, while it was "pretty impressive" that 20 of her amendments were accepted, "they were all technical."
Who's right? There's no real way to resolve this debate without examining the content of these amendments, and the committee has yet to officially release them. But a Senate Republican source sent Slate a summary of many of the amendments, with a short description of each. (Download the Excel file here.) Disclaimer: This is an incomplete list. Of the 788 amendments filed, only 437 appear here. And of the 161 GOP amendments passed or accepted, we have confirmed only 80 as such. We hope to update the document as more information becomes available. Read on...
Transcript via CNN below the fold.
KING: Let's move on to health care. Senator Menendez, this was the president's signature initiative. He wanted in the speech to Congress last year to sign it in 2009. He wanted this to be a big Democratic victory. That didn't happen. The election in Massachusetts obviously takes away one of your votes. You don't have 60 votes in the Democratic caucus anymore. The question is will Democrats try to work out a compromise between the existing Senate in the House bill, or will they say Massachusetts sent us a message, forget that, let's go back to the drawing board and start over. What is your position and the position you believe all those Democratic candidates out there you are trying to help in this election should take? Figure it out or start from scratch?
MENENDEZ: Well first of all, we tried working with our Republican colleagues. As a matter of fact, three of the months that went by was working with a bipartisan group of Democrats and Republicans to try to come to health care reform that could be agreed upon in a bipartisan fashion. And so three of those months were lost in that effort. At the end of the day, they did not want to achieve such a goal. So I believe that we need to move forward. Clearly if you are a family without health insurance and you get ill, you are on the face of bankruptcy. If you are a family with insurance, you see skyrocketing premiums.
KING: Based on the existing bills or start over and say Senator Hatch, you were Ted Kennedy's friend, let's come in with a blank piece of paper and do something that we can all agree on?
MENENDEZ: Well, you know, when we hear about slow down and start over, it really means don't do anything. Republicans have come to the conclusion that the president's failure not only in health care but across the board is their way to political victory.
KING: Your leader this morning said start from scratch. Could you give Senator Menendez and the president of the United States, given your experience on this issue, including with your friend, the late Senator Kennedy, that if you will come in with a blank piece of paper, I will promise to try to get a bill by the end of this year?
HATCH: I've offered that from the beginning.
KING: This year?
HATCH: I have offered that from the beginning. The fact of the matter is, they did a health committee bill.
KING: That's what happened before.
HATCH: Everything they did was lacking...
KING: In this political environment, would your party stand with you if you said, let's go back and let's do preexisting conditions. Let's do some other things. Maybe we can get them to give us tort reform and let's take out of stuff that we don't agree on and try to get something done. Would you do it this year?
HATCH: I don't know one Republican who does not want health care reform. I don't know one Republican who would not try to work together with the Democrats. We weren't involved in this process. We weren't even asked. It was an arrogance of power. They had 60 votes. They felt they could put anything through they wanted to. And they found out that they couldn't.
Now look, you bet your life, we would have to start over. There are a lot of things we can agree on right off the bat. I have to say big spending issues is where it breaks down. Their answer to everything is let's spend more money and let's get more of the health care in the federal government into a single payer system, socialized medicine, if you will. That's what they want. That's what they have been pushing for. Let's push people into Medicaid. Let's push people into Medicare, when both of those programs are in deep financial insolvency.
In the run up to the war, or the massive growth in government under george bush cabal. No one in the republican party had anything to do with tax cuts for the rich that have helped bankrupt the country.
No republican ever stabbed the people in the back repeatedly, by allowing jobs to be shipped to other countries.
No republican had anything to do with repealling Glass Stegal.
No republican ever spent more money then a democrat.
If you believe the things I have said here you must be Whorrin Hatch or some other filthy lying republican scumbag.
republicanism/conservatism is a mental illness and it is killing America!
J King continually lets the repubs get away with lying baldfaced...Email them CNN.com /general comments...McCaskill said the repubs had gotten 140 amendements in her committee bill but not one voted for the bill!
They post on the website their 'ideas' but not once did they present in 'bill form' or to the CBO...
Liar liar pants on fire...call the rnc- and other groups to let them know we hear their lies and are not buying them..
call congress when they lie
1.866.220.0044--1.866.311.3405--1.800.828.0498
Then let the programs know we will target their sponsors --if they do not correct them --right then on the AIR...
and other members of his party. If they really want to help America and it's people and not just themselves.
1. To find out what is wrong with America take a long reflective look into the mirror.
2. After having done that if you start feeling shame or remorse try the following.
Jump off a bridge or building. If you have a gun use it on yourself.
Take an overdose of viagra along with whatever other prescription drugs you happen to be using. Drive your car off a cliff. Volinteer to go to Iraq or Afghanistan and fight.
Don't you think it is about time you did one good thing in your worthless life Mr Hatch?
that set was Dead Horse State Park...Utah......
Let me see... big spending for healthcare... bad...
TITANIC spending on failed wars, EPIC bank bailouts, and Insane CORP WELFARE, is okay?
It is an excellent idea to tenaciously remind CNN we expect more. I wonder though, does the comments actually just go to trash bin at CNN? It seems clear that they only have conempt for people of this country.
You are witnessing the Birth of a Meme.
Mitch McConnell (iirc) said the exact same thing on MtP Sunday, claiming that Republicans had virtually no input in the Health care debate.
* There are two types of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.
"Mugsy's Rap Sheet": Recording history for those who seek to rewrite it.
They've been whining about this for a long time now and yet no one sets them straight, at least not on camera.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
They chose not to be so they could accuse President Obama of not being bipartisan, and to make the issue his "Waterloo."
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
who said a couple of weeks ago, that if Republicans were in power, they would solve all the country's problems.
they really mean "double".
NOBODY 2012
of total control. Problem solving - not so much.
of Congress...Look what we got --with slick willies help of course...
The deficit was $1.3 trillion when Obama took office last January without the 2 Wars in the budget, tax cuts for the rich paid for, or the corporate tax cuts funded>>>>>That is right--call them on it..do not let them get away with more lies...1.866.220.0044
Bill Clinton left a surplus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7hwvWIK1eM&fe...
Dopplegangers are also known as fetch.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Sometimes I wish I could be a Republican. I could lie my ass off and get paid lovely. Unfortunately, my brain, heart and soul is stopping me from doing so.
NOBODY 2012
You can't? It is about all you can believe. He has the nerve to say anything because the press cannot or will not call them on it.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
... the line 'now that Republicans have the power to block legislation' (i.e. 41 votes is a majority).
Senator Harkin was on the Ed show last night and he said republicans have told Harry Reid they intend to block everything the democrats bring to the floor.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
In the history of America has a 41 vote minority party ever controlled the Senate like this? The gutless media challenges clowns like Hatch with one lame question and then moves on. The press HAS to stay after them if we can claim a true vigorous, "freedom of the press."
ljmel
Instead of listening to thier lies, go nuclear in the senate and watch them whine. Harry Reid has no balls so its never gonna happen.
Republicans are liars and simply cannot be trusted.
That's right Hatch , you Repug turds weren't involved because you refused to be , your only interest is that Obama fails and that you stop him from accomplishing anything . You Repug pigs do not want any health care reform , you and the Health care Industry are one and the same and like things just as they are . I'm just wondering Whorin , was it worth it ... selling your soul for the sake of the party ? Do you sleep well ?
probably believes every self-serving lie he dishes up. I expect no better from him. What really gets my goat is that he is not challenged on it by the propaganda organ that gave him a public format. CNN...what a clown act.
Well that's because they chose not to be, Hatchet-job.
you want to talk BIG government spending look at GOA info. on the MEDiCARE D prescription program that was shoved down our throats in 2003 by (r) congress/BUSH. it's big government entitlement and lacks competitive pricing. the (r) don't want health care reform.....health care ins. reform. at least not now. if obama could have gotten a single payer/universal/lower medicare entry age program(s) there's a very good chance he would get re-elected and make history. the (r) won't have it. obama tried compromises to at least get this important process started but nope everything was politicized and the blame is on him. i find interesting that people just choose to ignore that (r)'s passed a large entitlemen program that will cost trillions....the hypocrisy is deep.
The unfortunate difference here is, Hatch gets to spew his imaginary "facts" over the airwaves of CNN. Heather, however valiantly, must offer the real story on a blog that not nearly as many people will discover, Outstanding as it may be.
When Repubs come on with their "we support this and that" line, they need to be asked exactly how they would pay for it. The vast majority of the gvt spending in the Bill comes from subsidizing the expansion of health care insurance. Do Repubs want to expand coverage? They'll say yes. But then how would it be paid for? Likewise with ending pre-existing conditions exclusion. You Repubs want mandates? If so, say it. If not, then how would premiums be controlled? Finally, since Repubs continue to stress the fiscal insolvency of Medicare, what exactly would they do to address it?
And this strategy needs to be adopted by Dems in the 2010 campaign too. Don't let the GOP get away with talking out of both sides of their mouths at the same time....
These old Reslug bastards have no problem lying with a straight face again and again.
When is someone, anyone, in the media going to challenge this prick? This guy is a walking, talking, example of why we should have term limits. And don't tell me that the voters have it. Once these assholes get in and amass a campaign war chest you tell me how easy is it get these fuckers out? Huh? Tell me? Fucking near impossible. Now thanks to that son of a bitch Roberts it will be worse.
Are we calling Orrin Hatch a liar? I certainly hope so.
They have inserted hundreds of amendments into all the Bills as they were being written. They have been on the TV thousands of times saying NO in every possible manner to HCR. They have been involved up to their weasely necks trying to stall or prevent any kind of substantial reform. A bald faced lie like that needs to be smacked down YESTERDAY.
Hatch is one dipshit that's guaranteed to lie anytime I see him on the bobblehead shows.
I am aghast, aghast I tell you, that Sen. Hatch would suddenly discover that the Party of No said yes to anything during the brief bipartisan negotiations, which led to nothing BUT concessions to the right. Concession by concession the Repubs said No. You cannot please people who want your bill to be your Waterloo. They're all good Christians, but somehow they missed the part about doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. That family without healthcare would like to remind the senator that he has the finest healthcare obtainable.
"Respect for the rights of others is peace." --Benito Juarez
except to say 'no'!
Some stuff you can't make up!
Wow Hatch said that the Republicons wasn't involve with healthcare, then what the hell was I watching on cspan all them weeks, the crampy old men movie, for far to long, the media have been letting the republicons get away with bullcrap, there is no challenge to them at all, the Republicons have been saying from the begining of the Obama Administration that they were going to disrupt him from moving this country foward, I remember the 6 senators that were behind closed doors, 3 Republicons & and 3 suppose to be Democrats, I think that it was only 1 true Democrat there, and Hatch said they wasn't given a chance, me personally I think that Obama have tried to much to bring them on board, when Bush was in office his word to the Democrats was to F- off then he pass his bills with 51 votes, he didn't need the 60 to avoid a filabuster proof vote, when the Republicons were in power, they did everything to the minority party, they turned the mics off on them, they turned the lights off on them, they force the minority party to have meetings in the basement of the capital, Republicons had meetings behind the close doors without Democrats, Dick Cheney had secrets meetings with the energy ppls, then gas prices went up, then on top off that all, Bush invaded another country with only 51 votes, so there is alot that the republicons are crying about, but they have done far worst to the Democrats when they were in power, from 1994 to 2006.
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