Sure they will get it through the House but everyone knows that it won’t get through the Senate. They will then spend much time and energy ineffectually attempting to defund it and holding hearings about it. The end result? The vast majority of the public will get pissed off that political posturing is keeping Congress from actually doing any work on things that actually can be done and some smaller number may actually learn enough about the plan to discover that it actually isn’t as such a bad thing as they had thought, maybe actually a pretty good idea.
This posturing will end hurting them pretty badly.
Unfortunately, a very large segment of the voting public likes posturing–indeed, in my view, ultimately thinks that posturing is of supreme importance.
The GOP core will see it as the Dems blocking the political process and ignoring the will of the people. I don’t see any changes being made there. Perhaps some people near the center will sway one way, but it’s just as possible an equal amount will sway the othe way. I guess we’ll see…
I also think it will go bad, but that is why they are doing it first.
They are counting on the typical American voter’s memory that is like the one of a gold fish. By the time we get to the 2012 elections this will be old news, but in the meantime money from many [del]suckers[/del] donors will come to the reps regardless if it will be a failing effort, it does not matter to the congrescritters as they only need to show how good they are at being in the pockets of powerful interests.
And, haven’t you heard, they are really just trying to cut waste!
And they’re doing it by grinding Washington to a halt, delaying legislation and spending tax dollars in what amounts to one long childish tantrum. While America is screaming that Washington is broken-somebody should do something! It ain’t smart, but it’s ballsy.
The pendulum swings, from back to forth, pretty quickly in American politics, it seems to me. If Obama just keeps plodding along, I think he’ll come out smelling like a rose. I like that he’s not reactive.
I think this is the perfect opportunity for American’s to really see who the republican’s really are, I think he’s giving them rope, and I’m confident they’ll hang themselves with it, metaphorically speaking.
I know the House is going to skip the CBO score before passing this, but can the Senate ask for one before voting on it? If I was Harry Reid, I’d promise to let it get a floor vote, as long as they got the CBO to score it first. Make sure everyone gets a chance to debate it as well.
If the public think the GOP is ignoring jobs in order to repeal health care, it could really bite them. I think that is what sunk Obama and the dems. In the midst of the economic crisis when we were losing 700,000 jobs a month he was working on health care rather than a jobs program (other than the stimulus, which worked but which didn’t work in a way most people likely noticed in their day to day lives). I realize over the long term health reform is the most important aspect of our fiscal solvency. But it wasn’t the most important thing wrong with the nation in 2009.
My fear is the GOP will ‘hold another hostage’ and manage to either repeal big parts of or defund health care. Total repeal is unlikely, but if they say ‘either repeal XYZ or important bill ABC does not get passed’ then I have very little faith in this administration to stand firm.
Even if it did get through the Senate, they would have to have enough votes to override a presidential veto to actually repeal it. Ain’t happening.
I’m trying to imagine how I would feel on the other end of this. Suppose there was an issue I felt very strongly about - say, penguin abuse* - and it was already law, but people of my political stripe felt obligated by principle to at least attempt to undo it. Even if the attempt was hopeless.
Thinking…
Thinking…
No. It’s a waste of time. They can take a principled stand without holding up time that could otherwise be spent working on other legislation. Try as I might, and this was an honest attempt, whenever I give benefit of the doubt to the GOP they still can’t get me to side with them. Even in principle. This is bullshit posturing.
Of course, I fully support penguin abuse. Smug little aquatic bastards.
Based on their personal interests and profit motive I would assume they want to keep the mandate to buy private insurance, keep the public option out and remove/gut the consumer regulations.
So I don’t think they want a broad based repeal, just a repeal of consumer protections and regulations while still mandating the 50-60 million uninsured in this country buy private insurance or face a penalty. How they will get that via the GOP I don’t know since the mandate is one of the things the GOP opposed the most. And the new regulations (forcing insurers to cover pre-existing conditions in 2014, cover them in kids, spend 80%+ on health costs, end recissions, no lifetime caps, etc) are quite popular with the public.
According to this article on the Daily Kos the health insurance industry is in a death spiral due to spiraling costs, uninsured people and self insured companies. A mandate could change that.
Beyond Wesley’s points is also the fact that what a large business and industry dislikes the most is uncertainty. Dealing with the upcoming provisions takes planning and preparation. They’d actually be plenty pissed if they started making the changes needed to comply with the changes only to have the sands shift under them. The GOP benefits from insurance company contributions much more than do the Dems; the GOP pols intend on posturing only so long as they know they can’t actually really scrap it.
Meanwhile Obama has been painted, of late, as being, if anything, too willing to cede and to compromise. That perception (a false one in my mind) will give him some room to call any GOP bluffs.
They are going to take a week and vote on a two page bill that will then be ignored by the Senate …despite the cries of "grinding to a halt’ I don’t think it will be looked back upon as anything other than the fact that the majority of those recently elected are against it.
Legislating (and related hearings) against it piece by piece will be slightly more effective.
I suppose that or those who think Washington is effective and always does good things will be upset though.
They should start with repealing the 1099-MISC provision that already has some support behind it. It’s possible that the Stupak–Pitts Amendment could gain some traction again, as part of some other compromise.
None of the cogent analysis above has mentioned the on-going litigation assault against the health care law. Might that have an effect on what Congress does?
As a legal mind, perhaps you could let us know what you think. The Teabag-Inspired Anti-Obama Crusaders are against the whole “job killing” thing. I don’t think they’re going to look at details.
First, though, Congress is going to read through the Constitution! From some of the statements made by the n00bs–concerning how the government works–they are definitely in need of some remedial lessons.
Its a provision that greatly increases the paperword and recordkeeping requirements. Something that could be significantly burdensome to small businesses without an accounting staff.
It’s an item Obama has mentioned specifically that could be considered for improvement.
Any sole proprietor/corporation has to issue 1099s to any supplier from whom they bought more than $1000 (or some low amount) in supplies from. It is supposed to ferret out companies that are under-reporting income, but in practice, it’s a huge time waster and paper mill.
My one year only business would have to issue at least ten 1099s to companies like JoAnns, Home Depot and Menards. I would spend hours going through all of my receipts then preparing the form, not to mention the postage costs, copying costs, etc.
Then, on the IRS end, presumably a great big new workforce would have to match all of these 1099s with the companies’ tax returns.