Obama's Pick to Run Medicare and Medicaid Programs Resigns In The Face of Republican opposition

[Better Believe It]

Obama’s Pick to Head Medicare and Medicaid Resigns Post
By HELENE COOPER
November 23, 2011

Dr. Donald M. Berwick, President Obama’s appointee to run the Medicare and Medicaid programs, resigned from the post in the face of opposition from Republicans in the Senate who refused to make his assignment permanent.

Dr.. Berwick, who has been holding the job since Mr. Obama anointed him during a recess appointment last year, had been criticized for comments he made praising the national health system in Britain. The recess appointment circumvented, for a time, the need for Senate confirmation.

The White House on Wednesday said Mr. Obama will nominate Marilyn B. Tavenner, Dr. Berwick’s deputy, to the post. Ms. Tavenner was the secretary of Virginia’s Department of Health and Human Resources under former Governor Tim Kaine.

“Don Berwick did outstanding work” in the assignment, said deputy White House press secretary Jamie E. Smith. “It’s unfortunate that a small group of senators obstructed his nomination, putting political interests above the best interests of the American people.”

(So a small group of Republican Senators are running the Senate and Democrats can't do anything about it? I assume that Republicans are using the old phantom procedural filibuster threat to stop Senate confirmation. As usual, the Democrats will continue to permit Republican use of this obstructionist procedure. They could easily stop it. Republicans certainly won't permit Democrats to use a procedural filibuster to stop an appointment or legislation they want badly if they win control of the Senate in 2012. BBI)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/24/health/policy/dr-donald-m-berwick-resigns-as-head-of-medicare-and-medicaid.html?_r=1&hp


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Dick Durbin: Let GOP filibuster
March 4, 2010

Senate Democrats may be ready to actually make Republicans carry out filibusters.

Basking in their political victory over Sen. Jim Bunning’s (R-Ky.) blockade of an extension of unemployment insurance, Democrats say that they may force Republicans to talk endlessly on the floor in the months leading up to November’s elections.

For months, House Democrats — and liberal activists — have implored Senate Democrats to let filibusters unfold over hours on the Senate floor, rather than try disposing of Senate business with cloture votes and unanimous consent requests.

In the past, Democrats have hesitated to employ the tactic, fearing that it would serve only to bottle up the agenda further and create even worse perceptions of the Democratic-led Congress. Instead, when Republicans have threatened to filibuster, Democrats pull the legislation from the floor if they lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

Read the full article at:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/33920.html

[WCGreen]

1. Fuck these republicans...

They have so many so-called litmus tests pretty soon no one will be good enough but brain dead people like Michelle Bachman.

[MrSlayer]

2. He praised a national health care system? The HORROR!!

Doesn't this guy know we live in AMERICA? Everything must be for profit.

[Better Believe It]

3. And Republicans will be allowed to get away with yet another obstruction.

[applegrove]

4. Man I hope Obama has a plan to make the 'do nothings' pay for what they have done

to government, and thus the country.

[SidDithers]

5. Good to see that your anger is properly directed at Republican obstructionism...

Oh, wait.

Nevermind.

Sid

[savalez]

6. Regarding this statement.

"They could easily stop it. Republicans certainly won't permit Democrats to use a procedural filibuster to stop an appointment or legislation they want badly if they win control of the Senate in 2012."

Do you mind explaining how it could be easily stopped?

[Better Believe It]

7. Republicans can be required to engage in a real Senate floor filibuster.

This has been explained in detail many times on Democratic Underground.

Senator Reid can easily suspend his "two track Senate debate" and "procedural filibuster" rules to force a real Republican filibuster against the nomination.

I don't have time to look up all the details and credible links now but if you'd like that information later send me a message and I'd be glad to help.

Here's just one quick example. There are many, many more.

Democrats forced a traditional Republican filibuster to pass an unemployment extension on March 2010

Democrats May Force All-Night Session
By John Stanton
March 2, 2010

Democrats are hoping to turn the procedural tables on Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) and use Senate rules to break his blockade against an extension of unemployment insurance, including possibly forcing a round-the-clock session.

Although no final decisions have been made, Democrats confirmed it is increasingly likely that Democrats will force Bunning into an actual filibuster of unemployment insurance extension Tuesday night by repeatedly offering up unanimous consent agreements to bring the bill to a vote.

Although Members often threaten actual filibusters, they rarely materialize. Instead, lawmakers tend to rely on “Cadillac filibusters,” essentially stalling procedures that can be used to block legislation without having to actually stay put on the Senate floor.

Democrats on Tuesday signaled they have the resolve to remain in session throughout the night to force Bunning to abandon his cause. The American people “want an end to these games. And I hope that today we’ll see the end. If we don’t, we’re going to have to have a long, long night ahead of us to make the point that it’s wrong for one Senator to stop our people, our American people, from getting the help they deserve,” Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Tuesday.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/-43730-1.html

Dems likely to force Bunning to stay on floor to filibuster
by Jed Lewiso
DailyKos.com
March 2, 2010

If Jim Bunning wants to continue his filibuster against the extension of emergency unemployment benefits, Senate Democrats increasingly likely to force him to stay on the floor -- all night, if necessary -- to carry it out.

According to Roll Call, Republicans are demanding Democrats hold three separate votes on so-called "pay-fors" in order to win Bunning's agreement on the unemployment benefits extension. Each "pay-for" take money from other programs to pay for the extension. Last week, Democrats agreed to one such vote, but today Majority Leader Reid rejected the Republican ransom, saying Democrats would honor their original deal, but that it was unacceptable to shift the goal posts just to score political points on the backs of unemployed American workers.

A side note: a few hours earlier today, Fox claimed that Bunning's filibuster had been resolved. Maybe that report was Fair & Balanced, but it wasn't right. But now that Democrats are making it clear that Bunning is going to have to actually stay on the floor round-the-clock to conduct his filibuster, hopefully we'll see some actual progress.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/03/02/842314/-Dems-l...

Dick Durbin: Let GOP filibuster
By MANU RAJU
March 4, 2010

Senate Democrats may be ready to actually make Republicans carry out filibusters.

Basking in their political victory over Sen. Jim Bunning’s (R-Ky.) blockade of an extension of unemployment insurance, Democrats say that they may force Republicans to talk endlessly on the floor in the months leading up to November’s elections.

For months, House Democrats — and liberal activists — have implored Senate Democrats to let filibusters unfold over hours on the Senate floor, rather than try disposing of Senate business with cloture votes and unanimous consent requests.

In the past, Democrats have hesitated to employ the tactic, fearing that it would serve only to bottle up the agenda further and create even worse perceptions of the Democratic-led Congress. Instead, when Republicans have threatened to filibuster, Democrats pull the legislation from the floor if they lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

Read the full article at:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/33920.html