Senate Dems: Use ObamaCare repeal delay to hold public hearing

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill




BY JORDAIN CARNEY - 07/17/17 11:08 AM EDT

Senate Democrats are doubling down on their push for Republicans to hold a public hearing on their plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare after a surprise setback has stalled the legislation.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democratic Sens. Patty Murray (Wash.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and GOP Sens. Orrin Hatch (Utah) and Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) suggesting a list of outside groups that could be invited to testify.

"Given your decision to delay the vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act, we request that you use this additional time to hold public hearings ... on the policies in the bill, especially the radically conservative Cruz/Lee proposal released to the public only five days ago," they wrote on Monday.

The move, Democrats argue, would allow lawmakers to "hear unfiltered and unbiased analysis of how the bill." They also want Republicans to promise to not move forward with the bill until they get a complete analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/342331-senate-dems-use-obamacare-repeal-delay-to-hold-public-hearing

[NastyRiffraff]

1. Great move by the Democrats

Of course, Mitch will refuse, but it's still a great strategy. Anytime Dems can show how the Republicans hide from the American people they should push it hard.

[karynnj]

6. They can hold a hearing in their caucus or they could find a venue where partisan events are allowed

It does not have the status of a standing committee, but I would bet that they could get the coverage if they tried. In 2005, many Democrats, including Kerry, Clinton, and Lautenberg were covered when they joined with people who benefited from some form of Social security to teach people what was at risk with Bush's privatization push. ( Lautenberg and a terrific elderly guy from Brooklyn were by far the most memorable.)

If the media is worse now than in 2005, certainly they could add in celebrities - like Jimmy Kimmel, who have personal stories on the need for health care to be available.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Who can forget how the Tea Party people swarmed town halls shrieking at Democratic Congress people

during President Obama's Presidency? Democrats didn't go into hiding, and faced them all head on, regardless.

Why can't they bring themselves to do the same?

[red dog 1]

3. "We request that you use this additional time to hold public hearings?"

Schumer, Murray & Wyden might as well have "requested" that Hatch, McConnell & Alexander immediately resign their Senate seats, because as the minority party in the Senate, they lack the power to "request" anything from GOP leaders (unfortunately).


K&R

[mr_lebowski]

4. What's funny is you'll see RWNJ's all over the internet parroting that BS "Nancy Pelosi" thing

in the coming days, talking shit like "Oh, RIGHT DEMS, what about Ms.. 'You'll see what's in it when it's passed' NANCY PELOSI!?! The DIMS refused to let OUR people even see what they were voting for in OBAMACARE!!?! HYPOCRITES!"

You watch. There's like MILLIONS of them that have absolutely ZERO idea that it's an absolute and utter bullshit talking-point that the GOP didn't get to see the ACA bill before it was voted on.

They had not only public hearings but committees and mark-ups that the GOP congress-critters were part of, and they were free to propose amendments (and I believe did, many times), and that shit went on for over a YEAR.

[moda253]

5. Damnit why aren't democrats being vocal!!!

[Sunlei]

7. FOR EIGHT YEARS REPUBLICANS SAID THEY HAD A PLAN.. LIARS! ANTI-AMERICANS -BEST INTERESTS!

Insurance Corporation ass kissers!!


we need HTML again please,