# What were the GOP people holding in Congress **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 10, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504 "2009-09-10T01:53:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/1 "2009-09-10T01:53:47Z")
What were the GOP people holding in Congress during President Obama’s speech? SOme sort of small poster? Others seem to have some sort of printed booklet. ==== Found this: [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/GOP-lawmakers-considering-protest-at-tonights-Obama-speech-58179727.html](http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/GOP-lawmakers-considering-protest-at-tonights-Obama-speech-58179727.html) the booklet probably was the GOP health reform plan. (An admirably small plan.) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/2 "2009-09-10T02:11:58Z")
I saw a little poster board. It said Bill. I think they were left over from a Bill Clinton rally.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/3 "2009-09-10T02:22:56Z")
In the Pit, someone said it read, “What Bill?” ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/4 "2009-09-10T02:32:43Z")
I’m sure you can find footage of it somewhere. Try Youtube. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/5 "2009-09-10T02:42:14Z")
Now that I know what the signs said, I have to wonder what they meant. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/6 "2009-09-10T03:09:35Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11537710&postcount=40](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11537710&postcount=40) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/7 "2009-09-10T04:42:08Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Now that I know what the signs said, I have to wonder what they meant. They meant that the Republicans are insane and show no signs of becoming cured of it in the next couple of election cycles. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/8 "2009-09-10T05:20:18Z")
Where can we see a copy of this bill? Why have they not passed it previously? (Not that I want to discourage them) Is it a serious bill? ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/9 "2009-09-10T05:28:16Z")
CNN said they were holding copies of their own Republican version of a healthcare reform bill, and that they held them up whenever Obama mentioned that they’ve offered no ideas of their own. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/10 "2009-09-10T14:33:31Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > They meant that the Republicans are insane and show no signs of becoming cured of it in the next couple of election cycles. [Moderator note] Political jabs of this kind are not allowed in GQ. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/11 "2009-09-10T14:42:57Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Moderator note] > > Political jabs of this kind are not allowed in GQ. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator Apologies. I forgot what forum I was in. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/12 "2009-09-10T16:35:46Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Where can we see a copy of this bill? Why have they not passed it previously? (Not that I want to discourage them) Is it a serious bill? All formal bills in Congress are readily available from the Library of Congress’ Thomas search engine —\> [http://thomas.loc.gov/](http://thomas.loc.gov/) The Thomas home page has an easy link to the most prominent health care bill (I believe there are several) right up front. It’s called HR3200. It was introduced by Rep. John Dingell. It’s the same bill Dingell and his father have introduced in the House every session for the past 60 odd years. However, this session may be the first time it will pass. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/13 "2009-09-10T21:27:51Z")
The “what bill” was to the fact that there are several health care bills floating around, all of which are different, and that the President in his speech was referring to the health care bill, as if there was only one. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/14 "2009-09-10T21:31:04Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Where can we see a copy of this bill? Why have they not passed it previously? (Not that I want to discourage them) Is it a serious bill? The Republican bills are linked to here: [http://www.gop.gov/solutions/healthcare](http://www.gop.gov/solutions/healthcare) There are six Republican bills listed there. It looks like the one the Republicans are organizing around is the Health Care Study Group Bill, the “Empowering Patients First Act”. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/15 "2009-09-11T02:28:38Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > All formal bills in Congress are readily available from the Library of Congress’ Thomas search engine —\> [http://thomas.loc.gov/](http://thomas.loc.gov/) > > The Thomas home page has an easy link to the most prominent health care bill (I believe there are several) right up front. It’s called HR3200. It was introduced by Rep. John Dingell. It’s the same bill Dingell and his father have introduced in the House every session for the past 60 odd years. However, this session may be the first time it will pass. ZOMG I hope they name the bill after him and we can all get DingleCare!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-gop-people-holding-in-congress/509504/16 "2009-09-11T03:43:03Z")
Obama had already started down the path of linking it to Ted Kennedy. Thus, KennedyCare, which will rapidly devolve into KennedyKare.