GOP Moves Healthcare Repeal Battle to Senate

January 24, 2011 RSS Feed Print
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BY Michael Mcauliff
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

Republican senators vowed Sunday they'll vote to repeal health insurance reforms as the House did last week.

Sen. Chuck Schumer quickly promised the GOP would get its chance at repeal - one painful vote at a time.

"If Republicans insist on bringing the repeal bill up in the Senate, we will require them to vote up or down on the parts of the law that protect consumers and are very popular," the New York Democrat said. [See who donates the most money to your member of Congress.]

"Their repeal bill will have so many holes, it will look like Swiss cheese."

Schumer's comments came after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declared: "I assure you we will have a vote on repeal."

"We intend to go after this health care bill any way we can," McConnell said on Fox News Sunday. "It's the single worst piece of legislation that's been passed in my time in the Senate."

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), speaking later on CBS's Face the Nation, called it a matter of campaign promises.

"We have to have a vote on repeal so that everybody is on record," McCain said. "And then I think piece by piece, we go through, quote, replacing."

Schumer especially likes the piece-by-piece approach.

"Do Republicans really want to vote to repeal the ban on preexisting conditions?" he said, ticking off popular items. [Check out a roundup of healthcare cartoons.]

"Do they really want to repeal the guidelines that allow young adults who have graduated college and are just entering the workforce to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26?”

Schumer and New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez also fired a shot Sunday at House Republicans who pulled off the repeal vote, writing to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) that his effort could cost 3 million Medicare recipients $250 apiece.

That's how much money they each got from the federal government last year to fill the gap in prescription drug coverage known as the doughnut hole. Federal number-crunchers said recently they might have to pay that back if the repeal becomes law.

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Stephen- Would a member of Congress be the first to put themselves or their family on the line of combat? I doubt it. Are you a doctor? If not, then please do not speak for one. To answer your question, a doctor who graduates and wants to work for the federal government is probably someone taking a more humane approach with a genuine interest in the well being of society as opposed to receiving a monetary reward. Don't forget the government is who employs teachers who make it possible to obtain an MD. If you are that concerned with the federal government's ability to repair the currently failing healthcare system, then perhaps you should exit this blog site and formulate a solution. You are correct; America is a nation that supports individual rights, but when those "rights"are being abused or exercised unethically by private sector insurance companies that is a problem. Not every one is blessed with the ability to get on this website and rant about the government like you.

Jim- You really must not be so wordy; Less is more. It is too bad that you can't grasp the concept of putting a period inside quotation marks. You should probably not curse or use abbreviations for curse words. It just makes you look like you are not intelligent enough to make a selection more meaningful. Saying that the the whole country does not respect "individual liberty and property rights" is such a large generalization. Not every single person in the country has shifted away from individual rights. NEWS FLASH-- Most who need health care are already bankrupt or on the verge. You obviously do not feel that pain. As stated above to Stephen, if you dislike

What makes you all so opposed to providing your whole country with healthcare? Wouldn't you want your country to be healthy as a whole? Must we be so divided? Other governments that have taken on this system have proven it effective. Obviously nothing has truly worked since the early 1900's, and it is time for reform.

Dora of TN 5:26PM March 11, 2011

While the progressives are so diligent in their effort to provide healthcare for all the people, I have two questions:

1. Are they will going to put themselves or their families on this wonderful healthcare plan? I doubt it.

2. Did any of our wonderful bleeding hearts ever consider the quality of the new health care? Yes, we all may have it, but what will we have? The family dog will probably have better health care, at least they have a choice. What doctor is going to spend 15 years on college only to graduate and work for the Federal Governement? The Federal Government couldn't manage Cash for Clunkers, how in the living daylights are they going to supervise doctors and manage healthcare?

If the progressive socialists are so hell bent on a single payer system, they need to move to a country that does not respect individual rights and empowering people to do for themselves so they feel a sense of accomplishment and self worth.

Stephen Weis of VA 9:06AM February 13, 2011

Who is going to pay for it?

Jim of MI 5:11PM January 26, 2011

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