Open Congress : All Blog Comments

New comment by regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

2009-11-07T13:08:53Z

Comment regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

It's the House and Senate which have hamstrung healthcare by restricting interstate commerce... the purchasing of insurance coverage across state lines. Giving the Trial Lawyers carte blanche to initiate frivilous lawsuits. Not only should there be caps on punitive damages, there should be caps on legal fees, both plaintiff and defense counsel. Of course most legislators are attorneys, and the lobby gifted $400 million in campaign contributions. Remember HMOs were Teddy Kennedy's solution to the last "healthcare crisis". That was the beginning of capitation. Surely don't trust corporations, but trust Government less. Corporations respond to the market and real competition. Government is totally out of control. This healthcare bill needs aborting! Let the Dems prove they can fix Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security FIRST. Fat chance! You govt healthcare supporters just wait until taxes spiral, job losses continue, the USD crashes, and healthcare availability plummets.

New comment by regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

2009-11-07T10:47:36Z

Comment regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

The supporter's political careers would be over? Interesting assessment. Perhaps you should go back just about a year and take a look at the election results. I seem to recall that Barack Obama won - BIG. A MAJOR part of his campaign was health insurance reform that looked just about like this bill looks. The guys whose political careers are on the line are those Democrats that vote against this bill.

New comment by regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

2009-11-07T10:37:46Z

Comment regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

Funny people!! If you call it a socialist when the government gets involve to run a certain system and setting up regulatory bodies to support the people and the free market system, then America should be labeled as socialist since its founding... unless of course you are looking for anarchy, or mob rule. Perhaps, you are dumb enough to even believe that corporates will automatically be responsible or even respond to stakeholders without laws and regulatory bodies...or maybe you're just knowingly promoting corporate fascism. It's about time that the House and Senate are stepping up passing this bill for the Americans.

New comment by regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

2009-11-07T08:50:00Z

Comment regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

Well, if anyone votes on this bill, come the 2010 elections, their political careers are over!!! This bill goes against the Constitution of the U.S. and is more along the lines of a facisit and socialist government rule. THAT IS NOT WHAT AMERICA IS ABOUT AND WHAT OUR ANCESTORS DIED FOR!!! So listen up House and Senate, vote for this bill and kiss your careers GOODBYE!! You will not be in office representing us, THE PEOPLE, when you are putting laws into effect that are AGAINST THE PEOPLE!!!

New comment by regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

2009-11-07T08:00:12Z

Comment regarding Pro-Lifers Win on Abortion Issue -- House Expected to Pass Health Care Reform Today

WHO EVER VOTES ON THIS BILL IS DUMB, THIS BILL SHOULD NOT BE PASSED AT ALL

New comment by regarding Unemployment Bill Jumps Through Final Procedural Hoop

2009-11-07T06:06:56Z

Comment regarding Unemployment Bill Jumps Through Final Procedural Hoop

We need to find out what this "it’s likely six weeks of those benefits won’t be available due to pending federal filing deadlines at the end of the year" is about. Federal filing dates should not screw anyone out of a cent. That is something else that is not our fault. I'll be writing politicians about this nonsense.

New comment by regarding Unemployment Bill Jumps Through Final Procedural Hoop

2009-11-07T06:06:28Z

Comment regarding Unemployment Bill Jumps Through Final Procedural Hoop

Continued from previous. The new extensions set new records for benefit weeks available in a federal extension program and will require complex programming to implement. EDD is working around the clock to ensure payments can be made as quickly as possible. It’s currently estimated that will take several weeks. In the meantime, there is no need to contact EDD. We will be contacting potentially eligible claimants and notifying them of developments. Once programming is in place, we will follow up with further instructions and automatically file the extensions for as many of our clients as possible. We may also need to contact some clients at that time and request further information. Please watch this Web site for further updates.

New comment by regarding Unemployment Bill Jumps Through Final Procedural Hoop

2009-11-07T06:05:36Z

Comment regarding Unemployment Bill Jumps Through Final Procedural Hoop

On Friday, November 6, 2009, President Obama signed new federal legislation making further unemployment extension benefits available. The first eligible week for the new benefits is the week starting Sunday, November 8, 2009. Any time spent unemployed and without benefits before then is not covered by the new federal legislation. Although the new extensions do provide the potential for up to 20 additional weeks of benefits for higher unemployment states, including California, it’s likely six weeks of those benefits won’t be available due to pending federal filing deadlines at the end of the year.

New comment by regarding House Republicans Use OpenCongress to Read the Bill!

2009-11-07T04:19:16Z

Comment regarding House Republicans Use OpenCongress to Read the Bill!

to PieceVet Opening up a discussion is exactly what we want. I would love to see an on air TV debate on this bill. I don't care if it takes weeks. It is so huge and disseminated that it will take weeks just to pull each issue together.

New comment by regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

2009-11-07T01:21:45Z

Comment regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

Neobane, I suspect that the purpose is so that if congress changes its mind about the Hyde Amendment, federal medical funding mechanisms would change as well. I don't see anything nefarious about this at all. What would happen if the Hyde Amendment didn't pass one year? Well, then I supposed federal funding for abortions would be allowed. But that would be the case with or without this bill. What you seem to want is a system where congress loses the power to allow federal funding for abortions. You want a second level of rules prohibiting it so that in case the Hyde Amendment doesn't pass one year, it doesn't change anything. Now, it's fine for you to want that, but come out and say it. Don't pretend that this bill will have consequences it clearly will not have.

New comment by regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

2009-11-06T22:43:03Z

Comment regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

The proof of the pudding is in looking at the e-mails that Planned Parenthood is sending. And THOSE e-mails state that as long as the prohibitions are not passed as a part of this bill, federal funding of abortions is a go. What so dishonest about this whole process is - this whole process. To rush such a bill with so much impact through, particularly given that it's unconstitutional, should be enough for every American to shout KILL THIS BILL. That people who have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic, are even considering voting for this bill should be enough for all of us to be calling for impeachment on the basis of perjury. That we have a Speaker of the House pushing this through, and a majority leader bragging about how he can pass such legislation via a "vapor bill" that doesn't even exist in its final form, is a travesty.

New comment by regarding Unemployment Bill Jumps Through Final Procedural Hoop

2009-11-06T19:21:53Z

Comment regarding Unemployment Bill Jumps Through Final Procedural Hoop

It passed.But there won't be a turkey on my Thanksgiving table. Going to take time for letters to get out. Then your call in date and distribution of check. I'd say another 3-5 weeks.Not retro all new ball game. Maybe a Christmas.

New comment by regarding Countdown to the House Health Care Vote

2009-11-06T18:08:44Z

Comment regarding Countdown to the House Health Care Vote

What's the average length of a bill that gets approved by Congress? What's the longest bill ever?

New comment by regarding House Republicans Use OpenCongress to Read the Bill!

2009-11-06T18:05:23Z

Comment regarding House Republicans Use OpenCongress to Read the Bill!

P.S. this is exactly what I did with the public option provision in HR3200. I The time I spent jumping back and forth from page to page and section to section taught me that there is no way the people who will be voting on it can possibly read and digest all of the ifs ands and buts in a few days time.

New comment by regarding House Republicans Use OpenCongress to Read the Bill!

2009-11-06T17:56:17Z

Comment regarding House Republicans Use OpenCongress to Read the Bill!

Right on. This is exactly what this country needs. I hope they do the same thing with the cap and trade abomination. Both parties need to clarify any and all provisions in both bills. We also need a public televised debate before it is passed. The job claims were full of lies with ridiculous methods of counting, and unemployment probably at 17.5 percent when counting people who have taken part time jobs or quit looking. The economic growth figures came from the government pouring OUR money into the economy with Cash for Clunkers etc. which allowed some golf carts to be counted and pickup trucks replaced with more trucks with terrible mileage. This past year has been insane and we don't need anymore. If Congress wants us to be a 3rd world country just get it over with. The procedures now in force are agony for those of us who remember it being otherwise and fear for the future of our coming generations. I'm afraid it may already be too late with no reversal possible.

New comment by regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

2009-11-06T11:27:22Z

Comment regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

So at the end of the day, Boehner is wrong as to the second portion so long as Congress continues to approve the Hyde Amendment on an annual basis? That's a fairly large caveat, don't you think? Anyway, the whole abortion/immigration thing is moot. This bill will destroy the economy and our current healthcare system even if the Republicans had their way on those two issues.

New comment by regarding Dems Release Last-Minute Health Care Bill Edits

2009-11-06T11:21:09Z

Comment regarding Dems Release Last-Minute Health Care Bill Edits

Have you not been reading about any of the other countries "Social Healthcare" plans? You think that a government run healthcare will do anything to help the cause? The federal government has not run a single thing with any positive result to date. The Post Office is in shambles, Social Security is going bankrupt, and Amtrak is a money sucking black hole. Now you want the federal government to be the head of decisions on which of the 307,000,000 Americans and however many non-citizen health care beneficiaries will recieve care? You think that kind of management will be done anywhere remotely close to efficiently or expediently? Hope you don't develop a condition with a moderate to high mortality rate. You'd have to be cut loose. Just too much to fix you. Have an unhealthy habit such as Smoking, Drinking, Excessive exposure to high risk such as driving, sports, or firearms, which is non-conformant to the high standards of health required by the government? Prepare to pay.

New comment by regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

2009-11-06T10:52:24Z

Comment regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

Spender, what coral is saying is that under the current revision of the bill: "(B) ABORTIONS FOR WHICH PUBLIC FUNDING IS ALLOWED- The services described in this subparagraph are abortions for which the expenditure of Federal funds appropriated for the Department of Health and Human Services is permitted, based on the law as in effect as of the date that is 6 months before the beginning of the plan year involved." Now, two questions. Why would this clause need to be in the bill if there was NOT an intent of making abortions covered under federal funding? What happens to this portion of the bill if the Hyde Amendment does not pass one year?

New comment by regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

2009-11-06T09:37:46Z

Comment regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

coral5353: "Your debunking should include the fact that the Hyde Amendment must be approved annually. Also, consideration must be given to the fact that explicit language prohibiting the federal funding of abortions was rejected in committee." So you're saying that the prohibition against federally funded abortions isn't good enough because they're only prohibited once? You have one law against using tax money to pay for abortions, but you wanted two, is that right? If there were two would you say it still wasn't adequate and demand three laws against it?

New comment by regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

2009-11-06T07:29:46Z

Comment regarding Debunking John Boehner's "Monthly Abortion Premium" Claim (By Reading the Bill)

Your debunking should include the fact that the Hyde Amendment must be approved annually. Also, consideration must be given to the fact that explicit language prohibiting the federal funding of abortions was rejected in committee. Therefore, if the Hyde Amendment is not approved, we will all pay for abortions based on the passage sited. Pretty good slight of hand guys. "You can fool some of the people......"