Ho, Ho, Ho...MERRY Christmas from the GOP: "Tom Coburn (R-OK) To Block 9/11 Responders Bill"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

CONTACT FORM: http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactform

Tom Coburn To Block 9/11 Responders Bill

The Huffington Post | Nick Wing First Posted: 12-21-10 12:30 PM | Updated: 12-21-10 01:45 PM



Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) plans to block legislation that would provide additional aid to cover the health care costs of 9/11 first responders, one of the senator's aides told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday morning.

Senate Republicans have opposed the measure, also called the Zadroga bill, first over concerns that it would take precedence over a plan to extend the Bush tax cuts -- a deal that has since been reached -- and now due to issues with the cost-control measures and $7.4 billion cost of the legislation. That money would go toward covering the medical bills of 9/11 emergency workers who have suffered from health complications following the inhalation of toxic chemicals at Ground Zero.

The current offset proposal would enact three small taxes and fees that are meant to target companies that rely on outsourcing jobs in order to provide goods and services. Coburn said Tuesday, however, that he wants the offsets to come through spending cuts, and would prefer to see the legislation reach a floor vote through committee, rather than being fast-tracked, an action that has been taken to allow a vote on the bill to come before the end of the session.

Support for the measure had apparently been growing before Coburn's announcement. New York Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, two of the bill's sponsors, both claimed Monday that the bill finally had the votes to pass. That contention appeared to be supported by the recent comments of a some key Republicans who had encouraged a Senate détente in order to send the package through to the President.

On Tuesday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani became the latest name on that list.

"This should not be seen as a Democratic or Republican issue. It shouldn't even been seen as a fiscal issue. This is a matter of morality, it's a matter of obligation," Giuliani said on an appearance on a local Fox affiliate.

And last week, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said that "every Republican should vote for this bill."

[Democrats_win]

1. Merry Christmas, Everyone*! *Except you damn 9/11 Responders.

Scrooge Lives!

[FiveGoodMen]

2. The Dems should be shouting about stuff like this from the rooftops

24/7 and pulling no punches.

Why aren't they?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. If this were a Democrat...

...you'd be watching images of the planes hitting the Twin Towers interspersed with images of the Democrat in question and the grave, almost whispered tones of a narrator condemning his / her actions. The clip would be shown every hour, on the hour, especially on Fox, and Glenn Beck would probably cry.

Instead, you're seeing here, and if it makes this evening's news cycle, it will be as an afterthought.

[FiveGoodMen]

7. True.

The media is corrupt and one-sided.

Nevertheless, pukes scream bloody murder any time they don't get their way.

Dems sit by and say nothing while the pukes commit attrocities.

The public hears only one side; partly because of the media, but partly because only one side is even trying to speak up.

[emulatorloo]

8. Media doesn't show dems when they speak up.

They just don't. Dems are speaking up.

[plcdude]

3. let's check to see how much

funding comes from the Chamber of Commerce for my idiot senator. What an embarrassment.

[Renew Deal]

5. Traitor

[bullwinkle428]

6. I'd just LOVE to leave a "very special" gift in this motherfucker's stocking!

Seemed like a week ago, nearly all Repukes were against this. Nice to see that at least SOME of them can be shamed into doing the right thing on occasion...