Lawmakers Shout Across House Floor

[JaJae]

Republicans ain't too happy with the way the Democrats are stealthily trying to push bills across behind closed doors. We saw it recently with the "ethics" reform bill if you can even call it that.

Now there's another bill that has to do with children's health spending. This time Republicans have had enough and made a scene on the House Floor.

FOXNews.com - Lawmakers Shout Across House Floor Over Kids Health Spending Bill - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum

Lawmakers Shout Across House Floor Over Kids Health Spending Bill

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

WASHINGTON —
Politics have turned ugly over renewal of a government health insurance program for children that most lawmakers and the Bush administration support in theory, yet faces a veto and Republican opposition in the House.

House Democrats on Wednesday pushed through rules for the debate on the State Children's Health Insurance Program bill, 222-197.

Republicans have sharply criticized the process, saying Democrats devised the rules in the dark of night to prevent objections to an unfunded mandate in the legislation.

The bickering devolved into shouting across the House floor Tuesday evening when Republican Rep. Lee Terry told Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner to "shut up" after Weiner yelled, "We can't trust you," while House Minority Leader John Boehner spoke in opposition to the debate rules.

Democratic members were taunting Boehner as he discussed why Republicans had launched a protest to the manner in which the legislation is being pushed through the chamber. House Majority Leader Stony Hoyer reprimanded his caucus by forcefully shushing members and declaring both sides out of order. Republican Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona characterized the antics by saying the chamber had turned "into the House of Commons."

Rep. David Obey, D-Was., chairman of the Appropriations Committee who was leading the debate over an unrelated agriculture spending bill used by Republicans to launch the protest, demanded order during the "non-sensical" session, but he was unsuccessful in stopping procedural protests that forced the body to recess for the night.

Republicans had vowed to hold up consideration of all legislation, including the agriculture spending bill, to protest the maneuvers used to get the SCHIP bill to the floor. Democrats came back overnight with restricted rules for debate of the agriculture bill that fell victim to GOP delay tactics.

"This is not the U.S. Senate where anything is possible," Obey said of the Republican tactics.

GOP lawmakers are peeved that the SCHIP legislation includes a tax increase on tobacco to pay for the measure, and they object to the impact of the legislation on people enrolled in Medicare Advantage, among other issues.

One beef Republicans have is that the tax increase included in the SCHIP bill, as currently written, was not subject to a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over changes to the tax code.

Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee also pounded their Democratic counterparts for waiving certain rules regarding the committee's unsuccessful mark-up of the insurance bill last week. At that meeting, Republicans led by ranking member Rep. Joe Barton prevailed in their attempt to protest the bill by making the committee clerk read the 482-page bill.

As for House floor debate, the rules provide two hours of debate, prevent all but a few limited points of order against consideration of the bill and strip individual amendments.

On Wednesday, the White House said that President Bush would veto the $75 billion House legislation that is more than 20 percent over the president's request and would be funded by a 61 cents-per-pack tax increase on cigarettes. The Senate bill costs $60 billion.

The reasons given for the veto threat include billions in Medicare cuts, tax increases on low-income Americans, expansion of federal spending and subsidies to "children" up to 25 years old, provisions to aid illegal immigrants, a lack of anti-fraud provisions, a shift from private to government-subsidized health care and limits on care for unborn children.

"The legislation is structured in a way that clearly favors government-run health care over private health insurance. The result of this approach would be a dramatic encroachment of government-run health care resulting in lower quality and fewer choices, which the American people have repeatedly rejected," the White House said in an official statement of administration policy.

"It transforms the program into an effectively unlimited entitlement program that reaches far beyond the targeted population of poor children, and applies growth rates that are both far in excess of health care inflation and the aggressive expansion of programs by states. At a time when the Medicare program has an unfunded 75-year obligation of $34 trillion, Social Security has an unfunded 75-year obligation of $7 trillion, and the Medicaid program is consuming an ever-increasing share of Federal resources, it is unwise to expand the government’s unfunded obligations," the statement reads.

House Democrats say the bill will continue coverage for 6.6 million children currently enrolled in the program plus another 5.5 million without insurance.

Despite the fighting and procedural moves in the House, the bill likely will pass in that chamber. Home-state politics have left the Senate poised to pass the legislation with some bipartisan support. Senate Republican leaders are now trying to line up the 34 votes needed to sustain the president's veto.

Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., the party whip, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are offering a $33 billion alternative that would limit eligibility for the program to those it was originally designed to cover — people at 200 percent of poverty, or $41,300 for a family of four.

"I thought this was the United States Senate, and if it is the United States Senate — which I have my doubts about — you vote against a program, even if it means more money for your state, if it's bad," Lott said Tuesday. "But I don't think we do that anymore."

Two GOP amendments were turned back during Wednesday's Senate debate: one Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N. H., that would have cut federal payments for middle-income children and childless adults; and another by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., to shift the bill's $35 billion SCHIP increase, financed through a tobacco tax hike, into treating diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Besides the added cost of this bill I think the fact that the Republicans are the ones objected to this bill for the grounds they are is applaudable. It makes you wonder who the real liberals are considering how strongly the Republicans are fighting for these issues:

billions in Medicare cuts, tax increases on low-income Americans, expansion of federal spending and subsidies to "children" up to 25 years old, provisions to aid illegal immigrants, a lack of anti-fraud provisions, a shift from private to government-subsidized health care and limits on care for unborn children.

It's amazing the Democrats are attempting to unethically push this bill through with all the crap it will do. I remember when the GOP was charged with attempting to break House rules, etc. Well the Democrats have really taken the cake. Why bother with passing ethics bills when they have no intentions of following the ones already on the table? I guess that's why they're pushing through "ethics" bills that take away ethics rules in the dead of night without debate.

I'm glad the Republicans stood up to the bullying of the Democrats and they're not allowing the Democrats to literally do whatever they want regardless of ethics and House rules.

[Thorgrim]

The ethics reform bill, as I've already pointed out, does all the things you were so worried weren't going to be included because some post on the internet

So, the fact that you still malign the bill doesn't make any sense to me

And, maybe I need to read the article again, but I don't see anything unethical, or anything that hasn't been done
A) 10x worse when DeLay was in power
B) Anything that other House sessions haven't done

What, they started yelling at each across the room?

If there is anything note-worthy in the history books on this Congress, it will be how the GOP in both houses have used every weapon possible to block every bill possible...its only August and already they've obstructed more actions than the Democrats had the past 2 years...

[RMNIXON]

As noted in the article the British shout at each other all the time. But if you have something serious to shout about? The actions of Congress are the Public business. If someone is trying to slip their handywork past the people I say keep on shouting!

[WickedLou9]

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

As noted in the article the British shout at each other all the time. But if you have something serious to shout about? The actions of Congress are the Public business. If someone is trying to slip their handywork past the people I say keep on shouting!

We should be like the Japanese and let fistfights break out whenever disagreement arises.

I wonder who the toughest member of the senate is?

[SoFlaJDM]

it's a fox article... what do you expect

[garbagemanlb]

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

As noted in the article the British shout at each other all the time. But if you have something serious to shout about? The actions of Congress are the Public business. If someone is trying to slip their handywork past the people I say keep on shouting!

I agree. Let's throw Bush into the chambers of Congress and let everyone be allowed to question and accuse him of shit on TV. He'd be ripped apart in seconds.

[SoFlaJDM]

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

As noted in the article the British shout at each other all the time. But if you have something serious to shout about? The actions of Congress are the Public business. If someone is trying to slip their handywork past the people I say keep on shouting!

you weren't saying this a year ago

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

We should be like the Japanese and let fistfights break out whenever disagreement arises.

I wonder who the toughest member of the senate is?

Jim Webb would kick everyone's ass

In the House...Rep. Fitzpatrick is an Iraq vet

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Republicans ain't too happy with the way the Democrats are stealthily trying to push bills across behind closed doors. We saw it recently with the "ethics" reform bill if you can even call it that.

Now there's another bill that has to do with children's health spending. This time Republicans have had enough and made a scene on the House Floor.

FOXNews.com - Lawmakers Shout Across House Floor Over Kids Health Spending Bill - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum


Besides the added cost of this bill I think the fact that the Republicans are the ones objected to this bill for the grounds they are is applaudable. It makes you wonder who the real liberals are considering how strongly the Republicans are fighting for these issues:


It's amazing the Democrats are attempting to unethically push this bill through with all the crap it will do. I remember when the GOP was charged with attempting to break House rules, etc. Well the Democrats have really taken the cake. Why bother with passing ethics bills when they have no intentions of following the ones already on the table? I guess that's why they're pushing through "ethics" bills that take away ethics rules in the dead of night without debate.

I'm glad the Republicans stood up to the bullying of the Democrats and they're not allowing the Democrats to literally do whatever they want regardless of ethics and House rules.

Fox News, Democrat bashing, JaJae...all go hand in hand.

There's nothing wrong with what the Republicans were doing "in the middle of the night" so why bash the Democrats for doing it? The Republicans have been shady, dirty, criminal and guess what? The public voted them out.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Fox News, Democrat bashing, JaJae...all go hand in hand.

This almost sounds like an insult.

There's nothing wrong with what the Republicans were doing "in the middle of the night" so why bash the Democrats for doing it? The Republicans have been shady, dirty, criminal and guess what? The public voted them out.

And guess what? I agreed with voting them out and I didn't agree with it when they were doing it and said so then. It's interesting to see people dodging the events though. It's easier to discuss me and try to discredit me than the events.

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

We should be like the Japanese and let fistfights break out whenever disagreement arises.

I wonder who the toughest member of the senate is?

We would need an ambulance crew for the over the "Hill" bunch!

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

you weren't saying this a year ago

If I have not made it clear enough, I do not approve of loaded bills full of unrelated legislation, unfunded mandates, or other clever vote tricks to get political handouts past proper public attention. I don't care what party does it.

[hsmith]

Hey bro, it is ok if the democrats are doing it, didn't you get the memo?

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by JaJae

This almost sounds like an insult.

Do you have a problem being associated with Fox News? Do you bash Democrats? Not sure why you would feel "insulted."

Originally Posted by JaJae

And guess what? I agreed with voting them out and I didn't agree with it when they were doing it and said so then. It's interesting to see people dodging the events though. It's easier to discuss me and try to discredit me than the events.

I am sure you did. So you weren't screaming about "up and down" votes etc?

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by hsmith

Hey bro, it is ok if the democrats are doing it, didn't you get the memo?

I didn't get the memo that Democrats were against shouting every now and then, adult to adult?

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Do you have a problem being associated with Fox News? Do you bash Democrats? Not sure why you would feel "insulted."

Based on previous posts it comes off as an insult. And I don't watch Fox News. this was the number one link on Google News when I made the post.

Would you like to discuss the issues in the thread or me?

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Based on previous posts it comes off as an insult. And I don't watch Fox News. this was the number one link on Google News when I made the post.

Would you like to discuss the issues in the thread or me?

I was discussing the issues but let's recap....

Originally Posted by you

I'm glad the Republicans stood up to the bullying of the Democrats and they're not allowing the Democrats to literally do whatever they want regardless of ethics and House rules.

And I will ask YOU if you had issues with the Democrats trying to filibuster and refusing up/down votes? There are threads on this (only in reverse) in the past...are you saying you were praising the Democrats for their diversionary and hindering tactics?

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

And I will ask YOU if you had issues with the Democrats trying to filibuster and refusing up/down votes? There are threads on this (only in reverse) in the past...are you saying you were praising the Democrats for their diversionary and hindering tactics?

I had issues with the Democrats filibustering with no alternatives. When there was a direct problem that both parties agreed needed to be fixed and the Republicans came up with a "solution" the Democrats filibustered and offered no bill of their own to counter the bill. It's not the fact that they refused the up/down vote it was that they offered no alternative and were just obstructing for the sake of obstructing. That's what I had a problem with.

And in return, I have a problem with the way the Republicans have been handling these issues. But not because they don't have an alternate solution, because they're looking to present one and debate the issues, but they're getting locked out from doing so. I disagree with their actions because they have been acting childish, shouting, etc. They also should have read the damn bill in the House and the Republicans should have focused on it there. There's a few things about the way the Republicans are going about this that I disagree with. But overall, they should be defending the House Rules and shouldn't allow a party to violate ethics and House Rules. The parties need to keep each other in check. When the Republicans were doing slightly similar things I disagreed with them as well.

I have no problem with Republicans stalling before voting on this bill if it was done in the dead of the night and named Children's healthcare, etc when it's packed with all these other issues regarding taxes, medicaid, etc. They need proper time to come up with an informed decision and should be able to debate the issues. The Democrats are trying to force the bills through overnight with no warning and naming them "Ethics Rules" and "Children's Health" etc in an effort to snowball through bills that really need the time of day to be discussed, debated and the people of America should be able to respond to. Big bills with such things in them usually get announced and the vote is put off for a week or two. News channels and media discuss it. Politicians debate it. Etc. This snowballing of bills and violating House Rules is not the way our government should run. For that, I agree with the Republicans for preventing the vote on this bill today.