9/11 First Responders Storm Tom Coburn's Office To Protest Block On Their Health Care Bill (VIDEO)

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/22/911-first-responders-tom-coburn_n_800221.html?fbwall

A group of 9/11 first responders attempted to storm Tom Coburn's office Tuesday to personally lobby the GOP senator to lift a block that he had vowed to place on legislation meant to help cover their mounting health care costs.

John Feal, head of the responders, told ThinkProgress that they had been prohibited from meeting the Republican opponents of the bill. He called the actions "rude," and criticized Coburn directly:

"Mr. Coburn should be ashamed of himself," Feal told ThinkProgress. "Because I think before he was a senator he was a doctor and he took an oath to help people that are sick. He's going against his oath as a doctor. He can vote any way he wants as a senator, but as a doctor, he just embarrassed the medical profession."

Coburn explained on Tuesday that he was stonewalling the $6.2 billion bill because it hadn't been through a legitimate hearing process. There was a hearing on the measure, however, though Coburn was a no-show, a Senate Democratic aide explained on Tuesday.

More at the link --

[crazyjoe]

1. why did they wait for the lame duck congress to push this through?

They had 2 years of super majority, why now?

[Bandit]

3. Republicans have had a permanent filibuster in place since 2007

and No, Democrats did not have a "super majority" or they could have ended Republican's filibuster. For a short while Democrats had sixty Senators in name only... Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman mostly sided with Republicans and there were a few others that did so as well..It was totally amazing that ANY legislation got passed at all, let alone Health care legislation....

[crazyjoe]

4. but i never heard of this bill until after the election in November.

[theophilus]

2. Getting "up in the face" of these twits is super effective, imo. We need to

do it or "hire" like minded folks to do it. It will pay off big time.