Will they "Slaughter" the Country with Hellth Care?

From the Washington Examiner --

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have never before been asked to pass legislation by "deeming" it approved under a House rule instead of following the process required by the U.S. Constitution in which they actually vote on the proposal itself, according to a senior aide to House Republicans.

The procedure - dubbed by critics as the "Slaughter Solution" - is the brain-child of House Rules Committee Chairman Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-NY, who, at the request of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, is trying to fashion a rule that would allow the House to move toward passage of a health care reform bill without a recorded vote on the Senate version.

Like the Senate, which adopted its health care reform measure on Christmas Eve, the House passed its version last year. But there are major differences between the two measures, especially concerning federal funding of abortions. The Senate version includes billions of dollars to fund new health care clinics that would offer abortion services. The House bill was passed only after Rep. Bart Stupak's amendment barring federal funding for the procedure was included.

Slaughter's approach would bring to the House floor a reconcilliation bill to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of health care reform with the rule deeming the House to have approved the Senate version. More.....

Action Alert: President Obama is coming to town

Cleveland Tea Party Patriots
Healthcare Protest Rally
President Obama in Strongsville
Monday morning, March 15

March 11, 2010
Contact: Cleveland Tea Party Patriots clevelandteaparty@gmail.com

Here are unconfirmed details for the healthcare rally on Monday, March 15. President Obama is tentatively scheduled to speak at 10:30 a.m. in Strongsville.

Where:
Strongsville Recreation Complex
18100 Royalton Road, Route 82
Strongsville,
OH 44136

When:
Cleveland Tea Party Patriots encourages us to arrive early, anytime after 9a.m., to park and take our places on Route 82, Royalton Road. We will be lining the sidewalks in front of the Recreation Complex with our signs. Plan on rallying until noon?? The Strongsville Police Dept. knows we're coming!

Google map is here

Parking:
There are two major shopping centers with tons of spaces. Ledgewood Square Shopping Center is just to the west of the Recreation Complex and on the same side of the street. If it fills up, there are loads more spaces across the street, off of Placid Cove, in the Southpark Shopping Center.

The "A" in the red pushpin is the Strongsville Recreation Center. Use the bar on the left to zoom in or out.

What to bring: Signs (please stay on message!) and cameras. Dress for a cloudy day, in the high 30s, low 40s. Bring your family and friends!

Reid informs McConnell they are using Reconciliation on Health Care Bill

The below unconfirmed letter from Harry Reid to Mitch McConnell was found at Buckeye State Blog. If true, we can be sure the legal fights will soon start.

March 11, 2009

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Republican Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Leader McConnell:

Eleven months ago, I wrote you to share my expectations for the coming health reform debate. At the time, I expressed Democrats’ intention to work in good faith with Republicans, and my desire that – while we would disagree at times – we could engage in an honest discussion grounded in facts rather than fear, and focused on producing results, not playing partisan politics.

Obviously, the opposite has happened, as many Republicans have spent the past year mischaracterizing the health reform bill and misleading the public. Though we have tried to engage in a serious discussion, our efforts have been met by repeatedly debunked myths and outright lies. At the same time, Republicans have resorted to extraordinary legislative maneuvers in an effort not to improve the bill, but to delay and kill it. After watching these tactics for nearly a year, there is only one conclusion an objective observer could make: these Republican maneuvers are rooted less in substantive policy concerns and more in a partisan desire to discredit Democrats, bolster Republicans, and protect the status quo on behalf of the insurance industry.

In fact, the attacks on the health care bill are part of a broader pattern. As has been well documented, your caucus conspicuously shattered the record for obstruction last Congress by demanding gratuitous procedural votes on even the most non-controversial matters, and by stalling the work of the Senate despite the urgency of the serious problems facing our country. Senate Republicans are on pace to again break their own record this Congress, illustrated by Sen. Bunning’s effort to prevent the Senate from acting to extend families’ unemployment and health benefits even
after those benefits had expired.

While Republicans were distorting the facts in the health care debate and inflicting delay after needless delay, millions of Americans have continued to suffer as they struggle to afford to stay healthy, stay out of bankruptcy and stay in their homes. Thousands of Americans lose their health care every day, and tens of thousands of the uninsured have lost their lives since this debate began. Meanwhile, rising health costs have contributed to a rising federal budget deficit.

To address these problems, 60 Senators voted to pass historic reform that will make health insurance more affordable, make health insurance companies more accountable and reduce our deficit by roughly a trillion dollars. The House passed a similar bill. However, many Republicans now are demanding that we simply ignore the progress we’ve made, the extensive debate and negotiations we’ve held, the amendments we’ve added (including more than 100 from Republicans) and the votes of a supermajority in favor of a bill whose contents the American people unambiguously support. We will not. We will finish the job. We will do so by revising individual elements of the bills both Houses of Congress passed last year, and we plan to use the regular budget reconciliation process that the Republican caucus has used many times.

I know that many Republicans have expressed concerns with our use of the existing Senate rules, but their argument is unjustified. There is nothing unusual or extraordinary about the use of reconciliation. As one of the most senior Senators in your caucus, Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, said in explaining the use of this very same option, “Is there something wrong with majority rules? I don’t think so.” Similarly, as non-partisan congressional scholars Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein said in this Sunday’s New York Times, our proposal is “compatible with the law, Senate rules and the framers’ intent.”

Reconciliation is designed to deal with budget-related matters, and some have expressed doubt that it could be used for comprehensive health care reform that includes many policies with no budget implications. But the reconciliation bill now under consideration would not be the vehicle for comprehensive reform – that bill already passed outside of reconciliation with 60 votes. Instead, reconciliation would be used to make a modest number of changes to the original legislation, all of which would be budget-related. There is nothing inappropriate about this. Reconciliation has been used many times for a variety of health-related matters, including the establishment of the Children’s Health Insurance Program and COBRA benefits, and many changes to Medicare and Medicaid.

As you know, the vast majority of bills developed through reconciliation were passed by Republican Congresses and signed into law by Republican Presidents – including President Bush’s massive, budget-busting tax breaks for multi-millionaires. Given this history, one might conclude that Republicans believe a majority vote is sufficient to increase the deficit and benefit the super-rich, but not to reduce the deficit and benefit the middle class. Alternatively, perhaps Republicans believe a majority vote is appropriate only when Republicans are in the majority. Either way, we disagree.

Keep in mind that reconciliation will not exclude Republicans from the legislative process. You will continue to have an opportunity to offer amendments and change the shape of the legislation. In addition, at the end of the process, the bill can pass only if it wins a democratic, up-or-down majority vote. If Republicans want to vote against a bill that reduces health care costs, fills the prescription drug “donut hole”
for seniors and reduces the deficit, you will have every right to do so.

Sincerely,

HARRY REID
United States Senator
Nevada

Join the Boccieri Blitz!

The Motor City Madman -- Ted Nugent -- had the Ballroom Blitz.... our friends the Medina Tea Party Patriots are having a Boccieri Blitz!

From the Medina Tea Party Patriots --

Calling all Patriots! We are holding a “Save our Healthcare” rally at Boccieri’s office in Canton on Friday. This rally is in conjunction with other Tea Party Patriots’ events that will be talking place at local congressional offices nationwide.

Why Boccieri? He is one of Ohio’s MVPs (Most Vulnerable Politicians). As of right now, the latest Whip Count marks Boccieri as undecided. Some reports say that he is looking more favorably at the current proposal, even though he voted against the House version of the bill last November. All of this makes him a prime target for Pelosi, which means we need to turn up the heat.

Our plan of action: While we will be protesting outside Boccieri’s office, we plan to have individuals – one by one – enter Boccieri’s office and express their concerns about the current healthcare bill to his staff. Wouldn’t it be great if we had people continually entering his office for two hours straight?! This is why we need you there.

We will also have a “Boccieri phone blitz,” so bring your cell phone. While individuals from our group are meeting with staff, we can be calling his office from the sidewalk. We want to make sure that Boccieri and his staff understand that “We the People” do not want government-run healthcare.

Finally, we are in the process of trying to schedule an appointment with Boccieri, since he is visiting the district. If we are able to schedule a meeting with the congressman, we are not sure how many people his staff will allow to participate. (Sen. Voinovich’s office limited the number to 5.) Either way, we ask you to join us.

• Date: Friday, March 12, 2010
• Time: 12PM to 2PM
• Location: Congressman John Boccieri’s District Office
• Address: 300 W. Tuscarawas Street, Suite 716, Canton, OH 44702

What to bring: Signs for protesting, letters to give the Congressman and/or his staff, a cell phone to call Boccieri’s office or media, video camera and most importantly, all your concerned friends and family.

Is your healthcare freedom worth a few hours of your time? We are all tired. We are all frustrated. Do not lose focus now. It is critical that we turn up the heat. While we understand that many of you are busy, we implore you to do whatever it takes to be at Boccieri’s office this Friday in Canton to send a very clear message to our Ohio congressman.

Representative Michele Bachmann said it best, “While I realize this is asking a lot in the next two weeks to go and visit these congressional offices, it is actually a very small price to pay, when you consider that we’re on the precipice of losing the finest healthcare system that has been created…” (To listen to the entire interview, visit http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/ HotTeaRadio.) Please make it a priority to be part of this rally – let’s line the sidewalk and declare our healthcare freedom.

President Reagan (Circa 1961) - Speaks out against Socialized Medicine

Rep. Massa -- The Mother of All Health Care Rants

Rep. Massa, unleashing one of the best ever rants against the proposed health care legislation and the goose-stepping tactics being employed by the White House that would only make ruthless dictators proud....

Michele Bachmann on Hot Tea Radio Today at 4pm

TODAY

Congresswoman

Michele Bachmann

will be LIVE on

Hot Tea Radio

Call in at (347) 945-6871

4:00 Eastern and 1:00 Pacific
Listen at http://www.HotTeaRadio.com

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann will be with us today on Hot Tea Radio.

This is your chance to ask the congresswoman your question. You are invited to call in at (347) 945-6871.

We will discuss the renewed Tea Party Patriots fight to stop nationalized health care. Listen live online at 4:00 et, 3:00 ct, 2:00 mt, 1:00 pt.

Perhaps you thought the Health Care battle was over, it is not. The democrats are working towards a vote before the rallies on April 15th.

If you do not stand up now, all we have fought for may be lost.

The next 2 weeks may very well determine whether we end up with government run health care.

It's time now for ALL Patriots to renew their strength and stand up once again. For the next 2 weeks the activities of all Americans WILL make a difference.

Please join us online at http://www.HotTeaRadio.com where you will be able to discuss the events over the next two weeks and the bills before congress. We will also discuss the scheduled rallies in DC and the local rallies that will be happening over the next two weeks.

Listen to HTR every Mon, Wed and Fri from 4-5 pm ET.

Online at http://www.hottearadio.com

You are invited to call in at (347) 945-6871.

Wednesday, March 10th Hot Tea Radio will have Senator Tom Coburn.

Monday, March 15th we will have Congressman Louie Gohmert.